Left Hand Fork Trail???? (Hyrum)

[bkendall]

Has anyone been down this trail lately? The trailhead is just a couple miles into Blacksmith Fork Canyon in Hyrum. There is a good section of that trail that is supposedly rated "most difficult" on my trail map.

My wife and I were out exploring this past weekend and we came down from Ephram's Grave, we were going to take this Left Hand Fork trail to Blacksmith but the trail was extremely grown over by A LOT of brush. We started down the trail and it has some nice size rocks on the trail but the branches were seriously scraping paint off the sides of the Jeep. Unfortunately, I had to save what paint was left and turn around. The trail map says it takes you past Lime Spring and Gray Cliff Spring. Does anyone have any info on this trail? Anyone interested in spending a day out there with me to do some trimming? It seems like it would be a really interesting trail.

 

[Cherokeester]

Left hand fork, if you stay on the main trail, goes up into the ephraims grave area. There is a right hand turn off some miles up from the highway that is considered extreme and it makes its way down into the hardware ranch. It does have some bigger rocks on the trail. Is that the trail of which you are talking?

 

[Spork]

If I remember right the fork between difficult and easy is by the beaver pond. (it's been years since I've been there so hopefully it's still there) One direction goes toward hardware ranch (easy) and the other takes you through a rock garden area that then will drop you out on the road below hardware ranch. If you really get turned around you might pop out by Bear lake.

 

[bkendall]

Left hand fork, if you stay on the main trail, goes up into the ephraims grave area. There is a right hand turn off some miles up from the highway that is considered extreme and it makes its way down into the hardware ranch. It does have some bigger rocks on the trail. Is that the trail of which you are talking?

Actually yes that is the trail that I am talking about. Although the Shoshone Trail map says that the trail starts at the highway (trail #26) and that is the trail that turns off to the right. If you go to the left it turns into trail #23 and heads up to Four Corners and then up to Ephram's Grave.

Have you been on the hard part of the trail?

 

[mbryson]

I haven't been there for at least 25 years. I'd like to check it out though. I'd assume there's some snow there by now?

 

[bkendall]

I haven't been there for at least 25 years. I'd like to check it out though. I'd assume there's some snow there by now?

Actually there was absolutely no snow, atleast at the end of the trail. I may go up Blacksmith Fork on Thursday and try starting at the Trailhead, maybe the brush is not so bad at the beginning.

 

[crawldaddy]

Nope no snow. Its right below Boulder Mountain. Ive been hunting in the area for the last 4 days and plan to go back Thursday to Sunday. I missed a nice 4 point 3 mornings in a row. Hopefully he is still up there. The trail has only been used by atvs for the last few years. Its not overly hard just over grown. Its a pretty drive with some incredible fishing in the Beaver ponds at the top of the road. The big hill going up to Hardware is the German Dugway and is a mess right now from all of the traffic going up in the mud. By the way what road did you take to old ephrams grave? If it was Temple fork are the bridges still torn out?

 

[Rot Box]

The Grey Cliff Spring section of the trail you are talking about was once a "most difficult" trail it has since been smoothed out quite a bit. There was a rock garden section that was quite fun between the springs and the overgrown section that you ventured into but that 'was' the only difficult part of the trail.

The total trail length is only a few miles long. If your looking for difficulty i would avoid it, but if you like scenery the Grey Cliff area is really cool. I have not explored the mine but it is on the to do list.

I remember the first time I explored the area. I didn't have doors on at the time and the overgrown area was quite an experience to say the least!

 

[bkendall]

Nope no snow. Its right below Boulder Mountain. Ive been hunting in the area for the last 4 days and plan to go back Thursday to Sunday. I missed a nice 4 point 3 mornings in a row. Hopefully he is still up there. The trail has only been used by atvs for the last few years. Its not overly hard just over grown. Its a pretty drive with some incredible fishing in the Beaver ponds at the top of the road. The big hill going up to Hardware is the German Dugway and is a mess right now from all of the traffic going up in the mud. By the way what road did you take to old ephrams grave? If it was Temple fork are the bridges still torn out?

We started at right hand fork and were making a loop past ephrams and then out temple fork but yes the bridge is still out. Thats when we looked at the map and decided to try a new route to blacksmith.

Thats unfortunate that the trail has been smoothed out...I was really looking for something that is equal to providence but a change of scenery. I guess I will still try to venture out and check out the sights.

 

[OREGON85]

The Grey Cliff Spring section of the trail you are talking about was once a "most difficult" trail it has since been smoothed out quite a bit. There was a rock garden section that was quite fun between the springs and the overgrown section that you ventured into but that 'was' the only difficult part of the trail.

The total trail length is only a few miles long. If your looking for difficulty i would avoid it, but if you like scenery the Grey Cliff area is really cool. I have not explored the mine but it is on the to do list.

I remember the first time I explored the area. I didn't have doors on at the time and the overgrown area was quite an experience to say the least!

X2 on not being too difficult. Mostly its just a gravel road but there are two sections with a some boulders, but their still pretty flat. I've done it a number of times on four wheelers and they barely fit in some places.

Rot Box, what mine are you talking about?

 

[bkendall]

The map says Lucky Star Mine

 

[Rot Box]

Yes the Lucky Star is the one I was thinking of. I'm not even sure if it is open or not but it would be fun to check out

 

[Willie]

Rock Garden

We were there on Saturday. You probably came to the Danish Dugway junction and instead of going up the dugway (across Saddle Creek) to the Laketown road, you continued straight through what is very much an ATV trail now. It used to be a 4 wheel trail.

When you get to the rock garden, you will find that there are "rocks" and this includes on the sides. If your jeep is raised, you might do some good rock crawling. The willows have closed in and since water runs through the road much of the spring and part of the summer, it is slick rock.

A better approach would be take left hand fork in Blacksmith fork canyon and continue east (or straight) when you come to the Cowley canyon junction. this will take you past Gray cliff and Lime spring, both worth making the drive to see. You will enter the rock garden fastest from here and see what you will be facing.

Have fun.

 

[Willie]

The Lucky Star Mine. As a scout leader, i have taken boys to this mine.
From Hyrum, take Utah Highway 101 up Blacksmith Fork toward Hardware Ranch. near milepost 13 turn left onto the gravel road going up the Left Hand Fork. About 5.6 miles up this road is an intersection with the road to the left going up Cowley Canyon. Stay right and about 0.8 mile further you will come to Gray Cliff Spring. The mine dump is located about 2.1 miles past this spring. If you reach another large spring you have gone to far. The dump is also not visible from the road. It is marked by few debris piles, containing quartz crystals, along the roadside.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

The Lucky Star Mine. As a scout leader, i have taken boys to this mine...

What is the mine like? Much left inside?

 

[Rot Box]

I was up there last weekend on my dirtbike with plans to find the mine once and for all. I hit the rock garden just a little too fast and fell pretty hard on some boulders... OUCH!

I've taken my Toyota on that trail many times and still would in a heartbeat, but I would not recommend it to people that like their paint job. Haven't found the mine yet myself. The map and directions I have are pretty vague :-\

 

[Yota]

About a month ago I went up Hardware and camped above where you can drop down to the concrete bridge that crosses saddle creek and joins Lefthand, Logan Canyon trails.
Anyways, after we set up camp we went down into Lefthand to check it out. There's a sign at the first of the trail that says "Narrow Rough Road; Not Maintained Next 5 Miles"

Once down into the narrow canyon it was pretty overgrown, like it hadn't been traveled in a while! It was definitely nice to fold in the mirrors, roll up my windows and push through it. My buddy had no top and no doors in his Samurai!
As far as rocks, the trail was mostly small rocks. With the periodic gnarly sections. The trail overall was fun to creep through.

We went in about 1.8 miles before we came across a few spots wide enough to attempt turning around.. At the time I wish I hadn't been camping so we could've went all the way through. :greg:
I think a run through to thin it out a little bit should be in order... Would anything be wrong with hacking through the branches a bit? I think we all should collaborate on not only this but anywhere up in the cache valley/bear lake areas to do some "clean up" runs be it garbage, debris, or in this case a lot of shrub to make the trail more passable.

Or maybe we'll keep it nasty so the cute jeeps don't get in

 

[alwaysxj]

I have been on this trail quit a bit. just like 5 or 6 years ago you could drive right trough it with just a couple trees hitting you. now it is crazy i think we should go and clean it out. it is a fun little trail to run not to hard but not to easy just right. let me know i am down to help.

 

[mbryson]

ha! One of my google searches popped this thread.