Id36 summit(u): Williams Canyon
The northern end of the Wasatch Range has little of what
comes to mind when you think of the Wasatch Range in Utah.
There are no escarpments thousands of feet high, no sharp
fault lines that run across the landscape like a ruler.
Here at its northern end the range becomes a series of
rounded, forested hills. Id36 leads across them in an
undramatic fashion that is good for a nice long meditative
bike ride, without disturbing the thinking process a whole
lot. The route could be used as an alternative to Logan
Canyon, connecting Cache Valley with Bear Lake, if traffic
on a busy summer weekend is a concern. As for scenery, Beak
Lake Summit is more dramatic.
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1.(00.0km~00.0mi, 1831m~6007ft) START
END EAST: jct Church Rd - Id36, Liberty
2.(13.1km~08.1mi, 2280m~7424ft) TOP: point of
highest altitude
3.(37.3km~23.2mi, 1529m~5016ft) East Birch Creek
Road (connecting to German Dugway Road) diverts on
left
4.(48.6km~30.2mi, 1390m~4560ft) START-END EAST: jct
Id36 - Id34, north of Preston, Utah
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 Approaches
From East. From Orid to Liberty the road
barely climbs at all. Neither town has an easy way to obtain
food or water. The profile starts in Liberty. The road rolls
over a few bare hills before becoming immersed in dense pine
forest. There are no far views, and Bear Lake would be too far
to the south to be visible. Just about the only landmark along
the way is a sign at the top with the elevation: 7424ft
From West. (described downwards) The rounded forest
hills continue. The road passes a national forest campground
and about 700ft below the summit. There are also
undeveloped camping opportunities next to the paved road. An
interesting old home before the town of Mink Creek gives the
appearance of being a museum with a few old, historic
buildings apparently transported to the property. I couldn't
tell if this was indeed a private home. The town of Mink Creek
and its backyards filled with old trucks, motorcycles and
other assorted combustion engine parts lies slightly off to
the south of the highway.
Picture locations: left: approaching Mink Creek,
middle: Mink Creek, slight detour from direct route. right:
west of summit
Tours
Dayrides.
PARTIALLY PAVED - UNPAVED
Near lower end of Beaver Creek Road, located near town of Mink
Creek > up FR407 Beaver Creek Road > up FR408 German
Dugway > FR408-421 summit(u) > down Green Basin Road
> Paris > Ovid > Id36 summit(u): Williams Canyon >
Mink Creek > back to starting point: 56 miles with 4600ft
of climbing in 4:55 hours (m3:10.7.31).
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