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The Farmington Spine

The Farmington Spine

Ever since I moved to Farmington, UT, about a year ago, I have eying the “Farmington Spine” on maps and as I drive around every day. It is a ridge that runs from the mouth of Farmington Canyon, southeast, and all the way up to the road that connects with Bountiful Peak. I love running ridges, and this one looks like it would be easy to follow to the top. The trail maps show it, and people said it is fairly easy to follow going up, though a bit overgrown at the top. This is a chronic problem for all of our Farmington Trails.  From the valley floor, most are pretty clear for miles 0-3 on the way up.  Then, mile 3-4 is generally overgrown with scrub oak and the like, and difficult to follow at times.  Then, the last mile – 4-5, is often above the tree line and much easier to bushwhack.

In any case, I decided to tackle it today, hitting the trail around 6AM. Besides wanting to hike it myself, the Farmington 50 Challenge that I put together sends runners DOWN the Spine. Fellow runners said that there are popcan markers nailed to trees that make going UP the trail pretty easy to follow. However, you can’t see those on your way down. So, I got a roll of pink ribbon and planned to flag the upper portions so it would be clear and easy to follow on the way down as well.

The trail is a climb!  Wow. Unfortunately, the ridge wasn’t as spectacular as I had hoped.  For much of it, you are either in a deep rut (5-20 ft. wide, 10 feet deep) flanked with trees, or up in the forest itself – so you don’t really get consistent views that some ridge-lines offer.

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One of the viewpoints on the lower section, mile 1 or so, before you enter the trees. Looking NW, back down the spine.

Towards the top, the trail was easy to follow – but overgrown. My legs got fairly scratched up. At about mile 4, you break out of the trees. To the right there is a small valley thick with trees – and other the other side, the western most flanking ridge that I wanted to follow up to the top. I flagged the path of least resistance up the open meadow until the trees to the right faded out and you can traverse over to and up to the top of the ridge easily. That ridge climbed and then dropped down to an old jeep trail that had a wrecked and shot out old 70s car at its terminus.

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Like my new ride?

From there, I just followed it to the intersection with the road that goes SE around the Steed Creek basin and up to Bountiful Peak. It was getting hot at this point, but the views were worth it. I turned west, and followed the road to an overlook (the point above the Steed Creek cliffs).

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I considered going down to the cliffs, and then following the Steed Creek trail to the BST and back to my car. I decided, however, that it would be best to run back down the Spine to make sure that my flagging was sufficient. It is a good thing I did, because at various points I need to add or move flags to aid trail identification on the descent. My left IT band, as usual, was hurting by the end.  It was great though.

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This really doesn’t do justice to how ripped up my legs got

8.8 miles in 2:12:46 @ 15:03 min/mile and 4,068 ft. elevation

 

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Inaugural Bushwhack and Bloodletting

Inaugural Bushwhack and Bloodletting

I got home from work and it was just too nice to not go out. My knee was a bit sore, and I knew I would regret it (I don’t) but I went anyways. I was planning on parking at Famrington Pond and running the BST/Farmington Upper Terrace loop, but when I arrived at the canyon I saw that the gates were open. Yeah! Up the canyon I went.I parked at the end of the pavement and ran up the Farmington Creek Trail past Halfway Creek and Corduroy Creek, looking for the right-hand turnoff for the Old Aqueduct Trail.

It is a beautiful canyon. It was my first time running up that trail and I think it is going to be a go-to trail for me. Not too steep, nice and easy, well-maintained.

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I can’t believe I live here
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Later this summer in the heat…I just might take a dip!

Also, some old cars wrecked in the forest. I don’t know they were pushed off the canyon road above, or if they were from back when that trail was an old road bed.

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I bet my dad could ID this down to year/make/model.
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Car on right, engine block on left

In any case, I couldn’t find the Old Aqueduct turnoff. I took a right-hand turn up past the big waterfall and it quickly devolved into a bushwhack. Ah…just like old times.

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Looks like it MIGHT be a trail…

When I got home and got in the shower, I discovered that I not only did my inaugural bushwhacks, but also the inaugrual bloodletting. All those little scratches really sting in the hot water and soap!  Hurts so good!

3.5 Miles in 46:08 @ 13:18 min/mile and 994 ft. elevation

When I got back to the car, I drove down the pavement to where maps show the other end of the Old Aqueduct Trail. I walked a log across the creek, and bushwhacked up the hill until I found a good solid diagonal trail. It took me to the ridge where I followed it up to the Farmington Spine Trail proper, and the intersection with the Old Aqueduct. I ran it for 100 yards or so just to check it out and then worked my way back.

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Old metal ties that used to hold the aqueduct pipe in place – could make for hazardous running.

Balance-beam across the creek – I don’t think mom would approve.

It was a fun little climb and now I know how to get up there. My IT Band on the left knee was just screaming by the end.  Boo.

1.1 miles in 24:16 @ 22:27 min/mile and 461 ft. elevation

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