Trip Report: Dirt Road Bike + Hike Jeremy Ranch Road
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Dirt Road Bike + Hike Jeremy Ranch Road By Frank Bouchard |
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| BIKE | 10/21/2022 | NTD+ |
| If you haven't had a chance to bike Jeremy Ranch Road, you are missing out on a local hidden gem. Situated just north of I-80, it includes 7 miles of relatively smooth, not too steep dirt road through a spectacular canyon. Although the road is open to cars, it gets very little traffic. A group of five of us embarked on this morning excursion. Kurt and I began our journey back in Salt Lake when we decided to use public transportation to get there. We biked to Sugar House and hopped on the 902 bus, which stops at Jeremy Ranch. For the sake of spontaneity, I opted not to research the return details or even verify that it would actually be running, figuring that would be an issue for our future selves to deal with. At the south end of the dirt road, we met with three other club members. The beginning of fall temperatures had arrived, so the first hour of riding was chilly. The peaks surrounding us were painted with fall colors. The road is bumpy at times and at minimum a hybrid bike is recommended, if not a mountain bike with suspension. It didn't take us long to get to East Canyon and turn back. Seeing as the weather was perfect, we chose to stop at Mormon Flats, lock the bikes and go on an extra credit hike. The humble trail that begins there turns out to be a common section of a number of historic routes including the Mormon Pioneer trail, the Pony Express trail, and the California trail. We soaked in the now-warm sun as we rambled along in the legendary footsteps of Buffalo Bill, Brigham Young, and the Donner Party. We made it to a historic site where the pioneers are known to have camped, then turned back. The rest of the bike ride was pretty pleasant. Kurt and I returned to the bus stop, expecting no more than a half hour wait for a ride home. Unfortunately the 902 is significantly less frequent than anticipated and we would have to wait another two hours for the next one. We made a minimal effort to hitchhike into town, but two passengers with their bikes is a big ask. We passed the time with gas station pizza and people-watching and eventually got on the bus home. |
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