Utah, Day 9...Paul Bunyan and One Big Sand Mountain

 Monday September 9, 2024

     Sunrise from the Comfort Inn's parking lot.

     Funny how even the most basic motel breakfast buffet seems like a treat.  Just a random observation...

     The city of Spanish Fork has a bunch of paved walking trails around town.  I arrived at one of the parking areas for the River Trail around 8:30A. It was quite enjoyable with no inclines or loose gravel.  I walked forty minutes and turned around.

     Headed back towards the car...

     There were only two other things scheduled for the day, perhaps more if I had the time.  I was only driving as far as the town of Delta.  The name changed numerous times.  They eventually stuck with Delta since it's the Sevier River Delta.  There was just something I wanted to see.

     Seriously, how could I pass up something called Paul Bunyan's Woodpile.  It was off Hwy 6 south of Eureka.

     At one point, Eureka was one of the biggest gold and silver mines in the state.  These days it's another sad down with an empty downtown area.

      Every hockey fan knows the name Frank Zamboni.  He was born here. 

     

     The turnoff for the woodpile was easy to find.  The road out, surprisingly good.

     Every review of the trail said the same thing, the further up you go, the steeper the trail. Trekking poles would be a must.  They weren't kidding.

     It's about a mile to the top and starts out easy enough.

    That's the woodpile.

   Those "logs" are simply an old lava flow from 30 million years ago.  

   The view looking back down...

   The trail reviews were all correct. Every switchback turn seemed more steep than the last.  Worth it though.

     A little further south is the Little Sahara Recreation Area.  As you might have guessed, there are sand dunes, lots of sand dunes.

      I do realize it's a Monday, but I mostly had the place to myself.

A sure sign their season is all but over...

     Approaching the aptly named Sand Mountain...

    The only other people there were RV campers and Four Wheelers.

     How tall is the sand mountain...

     See that black spot, center frame?  Zoom in.  It's one of those four wheelers.  He made it by the way.

     My home for the night, a rather nice Days Inn, in Delta.

     Not a bad way to end the day.