A Trip Around The Great Salt Lake.

So earlier this year I decided I was going to take a couple of days and take a vacation with my son, TJ. I wanted to include a few things he liked...Mountains, trains and shooting.

I finally decided that the Newfoundland Mountains in the West Desert of Utah would be a great place for us to travel. The more I planned it out the more I realized that this wasn't really a trip that I wanted to do alone, or at least not a with a single vehicle. My previous experience with this mountain range has proven that it's desolate, empty and did I mention desolate?

So after posting a thread up on and talking to my dad, a few of us decided to go. The only rules? No girls! This was a mancation after all.
DaveW a member, his two boys Ryan and Sean,my father and my son TJ would be the group for this adventure.

We decided to go from the North end, up by Brigham City and work our way west across the trans-continental rail road bed, south along the Hogup Mountain range, west out to the Newfoundlands and then back across the Lucin cutoff and south to I-80.

For our first stop we pulled into the rocket display at ATK. These are the guys who make the boosters for the space shuttle.



TJ and Sean standing in a cut section of rocket.


You can see the kids under a booster for the shuttle. They are HUGE!




After that we headed west and stopped for lunch at a little rock that looks like an elephant.




Then it was on to Kelton. This is a ghost town along the old railroad. It was a sizable town at one time but now all that is left is some foundations and a graveyard.

TJ playing in the cemetery.

After Kelton we headed west again along the RR bed to a large cut they made in the mountain. For some reason I didn't get a photo of this but up in the rocks of the cut there is a large golden eagle nest that I found a few years ago. At that time there was eggs in the nest and again this year, more eggs.




Walking along the RR bed.


On our way back to the Jeeps, I looked down and almost stepped on a baby rattlesnake. Before I could say anything TJ went to set his toy truck down and his hand came within a foot of the snake. Fortunatly he scared the snake and it went down the hole. I didn't get any photos of the snake but it scared TJ.


It was time to turn south and head toward the pumps that our famous wonderful EX-Governor put in place to ahem...pump the Great Salt Lake out??
Yep, that was his plan.

The pumps


You can read more about them here.

The canal running west into the evaporation plain


From here we turned west and head toward the Newfoundlands. You have to run next to the railroad for several miles. At times, it can get a little close. Most of it is single track and the road is not wide enough to give you much room.


The wind and cold had us looking for a camp site that would be somewhat secluded. This disappointed me somewhat because I wanted to photograph the sunset over the salt flats but it wasn't to be. I remembered a camp spot we found the last time I was there. Someone had built a rock retaining wall around a bigger rock and I thought it might offer some protection.

As we pulled up, right in the campsite we ran into these fellas.




They had tags in their ears. Not sure what they were but Fish&game obviously were watching them close.

We finally got camp set up and I got to cooking some sloppy joes.


Building a fire.


Looking east from camp as the sun was casting it's light on the storm clouds.


Campfire.


After a windy night, we woke up to somewhat clear skies.

The view was spectacular.


My dad...who is a major coffee drinker has made fun of me for years after going on a trip with me and nobody had coffee. I am not a coffee drinker and most of my friends aren't either. So this time, he made it clear that he had his pot, and his coffee in. Oddly enough, he didn't bring anything to drink it out of. I had to give him a measuring cup.


Dave dug out an old Coleman stove. It hadn't been used in years and he never could get it to quit flooding.


The view of the mountains right above camp in the morning.

After we broke camp we headed around the east side of the Newfoundland range. The first thing we ran into was this guy.


After watching him for a minute or two we headed south. The thing about this area that always amazes me is the amount of old cars rusting away out in the bush. These two old Dodges are just two of many.




We headed a little further south and then turned west up Dell's canyon. I've been up here before and wanted to show these guys the cool old mine with an ore tram that, when I was here two years ago still had an ore car on the cable. Unfortunately someone had cut the cable and stole the car.

A few down the canyon from the mine site.


The next few shots are from the old stuff still around the mine site.

The entrance to a big shaft has caved in.


Engine used to run the tram.




ore chutes.

At the bottom of the mine area there are several old vehicles and buildings around.







Some of the only water we found out there.


After there we headed south until we came to the gate that blocks the last couple of miles of the mountain range off to the public. The military uses the area for a gun range.







After that we started back up to the RR tracks and east toward Lakeside.

We were trying to decide if we just wanted to go home or find somewhere else to camp. I had been told of a place where there was a cave large enough that we could park several vehicles in and I thought it might keep us out of the wind and weather.

Well, we found the cave and it exceded my expectations for a place to get out of the weather.






Anticipating the sunset we were hoping to see from our "batcave"


We just didn't luck out on sunsets this trip. This is the best we got.


Messing around with a tripod and a zoom "barrel roll"


Our campfire in the cave.

Today, we got up, ate breakfast and headed for home.

Yummy hamsteaks.


After packing up, we decided to hit this weird little homemade gun range I'd found in previous travels. Someone had spent quite a bit of time rigging up targets and 25 yard intervals. Its down in a pit so the wind didn't bother us too bad.

TJ, total concentration on killing that tin can.


Dave's son Ryan...trying to hold on to my .223 Encore.


It's easier on a rest of some kind.






After that we hit the road. We still had to drive through a military live fire range. It makes you a little nervous.


Giving TJ some "steering practice"


Miles and miles of roads.


Finally pulling on to pavement. My GPS said we covered 250 miles on dirt roads since we turned off the pavement west of Brigham City.

Nice pics. Looks like a fun trip! My cousin used to work at that ATK facility. He has since moved to another ATK facility out east.

FlexdXJ said:

Nice pics. Looks like a fun trip! My cousin used to work at that ATK facility. He has since moved to another ATK facility out east.

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They just had a huge lay-off. With the Shuttle program being scrapped in September, there isn't much for them to do.

Great pics.... You always deliver. Thanks.....

great report and great pics i am soooo jealous...

The only words I have to say are YOU SUCK!!!!!

Hey, I invited you,but no......you had to run off and make a baby.

awesome pictures. looks like a great weekend.

Very nice Ryan. Looks like a perfect way to break in your new toy.

wow, awesome pictures.

way cool. I look forward to doing this trip one day!

great pics man. i was in the area but sadly it was because i was hoping on a plane to leave...

DrMoab said:

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looks like he took it pretty well. you think he is scared there, i would have needed a new pair of pants. I hate snakes. :bawl:

awesome pics! How do you like the trailer? I have found an affordable modified military trailer in my area and I'm debating the purchase.