Rose Garden Hill Trail

Roy & Laura Davidson, Leaders Monday, 4/11

This trail evolved from a longer trip that went up Cottonwood Canyon to visit sites on Sevenmile and Waring Mesas. Weather and travel took its toll, so now the trip has become a stand alone full day trip just to reach and conquer the hill itself.

How best to describe the hill to an experienced 4 wheeler? Well, how often do you encounter a hill so mean you can easily get stuck going downhill? If you are familiar with that concept, then focus on the reality of fi rst having to ascend this mean, long hill, and then, after lunch, descend the same hill. Lines change, and it becomes a new ball game going back down. Lots of stuff in the Moab area involves slickrock shelves that have solid bases that let vehicles climb crazy steep angles. Very seldom is an ascent so strewn with very seriously sized rocks on loose soil that dictate the approaches to really tall, exposed shelves. Still fewer trails feature so long an ascent. Lately nature has been adding some serious ruts caused by water drainage from several wet winters and springs.

The driver has to continue to pick a good line up this nearly .3 mile hill. This usually results in a serpentine path as the vehicle ascends the hill, depending upon the vehicle’s size, equipment, and capabilities. The choices get narrowed to a very narrow path during the upper third of the hill. The nastiness of the hill severely restrict the ability of a buddy to assist via a tug. It’s not uncommon to have 4 vehicles stuck on this hill at the same time. Bring all your toys (high lift jacks, snatch straps, winches, pulley blocks) and a few friends to help use them when you choose to run this trail.

Approximate mileages:

67 total, 26 off highway.

Scenery:

The road up Onion Creek off ers scenery that seems straight out of a Disney theme park. The passenger usually is the benefi ciary of this however, as the driver is usually busy watching for oncoming traffi c on the twisty road. The Top of the World overlook is directly above at one point. Fisher Valley off ers a panoramic view of the La Sal Mountains, Fisher Mesa, North and South Beaver Mesas, Polar Mesa, Sevenmile Mesa, and Waring Mesa. The trail itself off ers beautiful scenery in Cottonwood Canyon, fi rst as it winds along the bottom, and then from above at the top of Rose Garden Hill.

Road Surface: The Onion Creek county road can be graded smooth dirt or 4WD bumpy depending upon recent storms and fl ooding. The trail itself off ers some dusty dirt sections, then some slickrock with small shelves adding some bumpiness. Drainages off the mesa above add constant changes at their crossings. Rose Garden Hill has already been described.

Highlights: The constant scenery changes make this trip a delight, and then there is the fun at the hill itself.

To be used:

Monday, 4/11

Associate Leaders:

Trent Lutz, Tom Morris, Larry Olsen.