Arrowhead Pass
This is a low gap in the
Indian Peak Range, separating Hamblin
Valley from the Escalante Dessert. It is
remote dessert country with few people,
high sage valleys and endless views.
The profile below represents
an entire loop over the summit, made up
completely of gravel roads. I chose the
lowest point on the profile as a starting
point. But there are more convenient
starting points along the profile.
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1.START-END WEST:Reed,
not a town, but the name of a
railroad siding
2.jct with Hamlin Valley Rd, profile
turns north
3.profile takes signed right turnoff
towards Arrowhead Pass
4.TOP: Arrowhead Pass, 7640ft
5.profile joins with Pine Valley
Wash Rd
6.profile turns left onto Railroad
Frontage rd
7.START-END EAST:Reed, same as point
1
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Approaches
From West. Modena
Canyon climbs a shallow ravine with a hardly
perceptible grade, as it leaves the group of
structures with the same name. The road has
just a hint of washboard. By the time it
reaches Hamlin Valley it has climbed to over
6000ft. This is a remarkably high and
desolate sage park, ringed by gentle
mountains that reach a couple of thousand
feet higher.
The road to Arrowhead Pass
first has to cross a sandy wash in the wide
expanse of this valley first. Still the road
is completely rideable. Even as it climbs
into the cedar forest the road remains
straight as an arrow, with a few breaks in
the trees. At the top is a short steep
section and several turns.
From
East. (described downwards). The road
changes direction at the summit. So now the
motto is "down and southwards". Progress to
complete a circuit now seems to fly by fast.
Half an hour past the summit the Indian Head
Range is already a figure at the horizon,
resembling an egg container in form, but
much more beautiful. A right turn along the
mountains leads onto Pine Valley Road. It
appears to be kept in excellent condition.
Its entirety traversing the valley end to
end, it is just too long to be useful, if it
were not maintained as a fairly smooth
surface. On this loop it keeps decending at
a shallow but constant rate, all the way to
the railroad frontage road. This road has
all the appearances of a main road in the
deLorme atlas. But it is just a straight
gravel road, following the UP railroad
through the Escalante dessert.
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cLiCk on image ,
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slideshow
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Dayride with this point
as highest summit:
COMPLETELY UNPAVED
( < Ut56 New
Castle Summit | Confidence
Mine s(u) > )
Arrowhead Pass : partly up Modena
Canyon Rd > Modena Canyon Rd north >
Hamlin Valley Rd north > Arrowhead
Pass Rd east > Arrowhead Pass > Pine
Valley Rd south > Railroad Frontage Rd
south west > Beryl > 10400N Rd west
> Eight Mile Rd west > Modena Canyon
Rd north back to starting point: 82.6miles
with 3910ft of climbing in7:35hrs (garmin
etrex30 m3:22.5.12).
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