Id 36 Williams Canyon summit(u)

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.

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

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).