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View Full Version : Trip Report TR: Ware Spring Trail (Cedar Mountain, San Rafael Swell)



Udink
09-30-2008, 05:15 PM
This trail is on the north side of Cedar Mountain in the San Rafael Swell, and is accessible either from the road to the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry or the main road up onto Cedar Mountain. We were camped on Cedar Mountain and rode out from camp, and the entire trip took only a few hours. The roads getting to the start of the trail were pretty easy, and the scenery was very nice. The actual trail going up to Ware Spring was pretty darned tough, requiring 4WD and a lot of leaning and balancing. The trail goes to a spring that actually has more flow than any other spring I've ever seen. You can continue up the mountain to the top just above the spring, but I turned around and headed back after spending some time hiking around the spring. The video isn't terribly exciting, but it gives you some idea of what the trail is like. Unfortunately I didn't get any video of the best parts climbing up the trail because I was so focused on keeping my ATV upright. :eek2:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYQDW52Zsr0

Here's a Google Earth .KML file showing my GPS tracklog and a few key waypoints along the way:
http://castlecountry.org/geo/WareSpringTrail.kml

Here's a link to more pictures from the weekend:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Dennis.Udink/CedarMountainCampingAndATVTrip

http://lh4.ggpht.com/Dennis.Udink/SOFePRIpbLI/AAAAAAAACJ0/Y1mvlsvYjBk/s800/IMG_4872.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OVd-eQs8L6bvxmmm3fhqxA)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/Dennis.Udink/SOFePlyPGrI/AAAAAAAACJ8/Qx8iAOQrzvQ/s800/IMG_4875.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1yjRUl9Gxz6E1sOV6Re5KA)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/Dennis.Udink/SOFePnlXVNI/AAAAAAAACKE/AMeAhIBpVUw/s800/IMG_4878.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/SCM_fmLEZRX2J6sq1-SoKg)

This spot is where we stopped just before the spring, but you could continue through a gate in the fence:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/Dennis.Udink/SOFeZcw5qaI/AAAAAAAACKM/VTIXRt84P3A/s800/IMG_4879.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_3OWmg1zS7FcCAtEYBNA0g)

There were a lot of hollow log watering troughs like this one:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/Dennis.Udink/SOFeZf7hwwI/AAAAAAAACKU/EXM079LRIfw/s800/IMG_4880.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9YCCXDUpSJgeKF9w--X48A)

Water from the spring:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/Dennis.Udink/SOFemHwAauI/AAAAAAAACK4/oeC6dzVGVcU/s800/IMG_4907.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/G1klN7jhF76oP3ceN4nwKQ)

http://lh3.ggpht.com/Dennis.Udink/SOFemAzlKCI/AAAAAAAACLQ/hpyTIVSkoug/s800/IMG_4917.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8mFZETHhX2hf54JGaCuQQw)

The trail passes through a marshy area below the spring:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/Dennis.Udink/SOFemT96qEI/AAAAAAAACLY/xziacU407u0/s800/IMG_4920.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XAM6WHyACfZ7A-nS9-e2Hw)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/Dennis.Udink/SOFetU1eGnI/AAAAAAAACLg/hB18lwE9_Ig/s800/IMG_4929.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BLQWdQne4h6_oZunUCDGBA)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/Dennis.Udink/SOFetjowWWI/AAAAAAAACLo/Ms6FMBFlbBg/s800/IMG_4931.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xIt3rCBlFSWAlg7HsS0VlQ)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/Dennis.Udink/SOFetiS8III/AAAAAAAACLw/Hcxq02yuMv4/s800/IMG_4934.jpg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Z-5bOO56p50hNKqD3uUc7Q)

RugerShooter
09-30-2008, 05:39 PM
looks like you had allot of fun nice pics thanks for sharing :2thumbs:

BruteForce
09-30-2008, 06:18 PM
Oh, you've got me fired up. We're heading to the Swell on 16 October for a few days of bliss!

Thanks for motivating me!

accadacca
10-01-2008, 08:50 AM
You are lucky to be so close to the swell and all that great riding. :popcorn: