Day 7 - Beaver to Torrey, Utah
Highways today were east on State Hwy 153 (Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway), Forest Road 137 (Kent Lake Road) and back on Hwy 153 over to Junction. From Junction a short stretch south on US 89 to Circleville and back to State Hwy 62 east to Koosharem, then east on Brown's Lane across to State Hwy 24, north on State Highway 25/Forest Road 640/Forest Road 36, north on State Hwy 72 to Forest Road 206 and turn around, south on State Hwy 72, and south on State Hwy 24 Torrey. Google Map
Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway - Hwy 153, Utah
The portion of State Highway 153 from Beaver to Elk Meadows has been designated the Beaver Canyon Scenic Byway as part of the Utah Scenic Byways and was designated a National Forest Scenic Byway on February 6, 1991.
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| Highway 153 (2010) |
Just east of Beaver the highway enters Beaver Canyon alongside Beaver River and enters Fish Lake National Forest. The Tushar Mountains are home to the largest mule deer herd in the United States.
Forest Service Route 137 - Kent Lake Scenic Loop
About 10 miles from Beaver, just past the Ponderosa Picnic site, we decided to take the 12 mile Kent Lake Scenic Loop (Forest Service Route 137). It wasn't long before we hit gravel and the road narrowed to one lane. It continued to twist and climb passing several campgrounds and beautiful lakes. This road reaches an elevation of 10,082 feet. It is closed in the winter.
We met up again with Hwy 153 to continue east. As it descends from the mountains, it follows City Creek down the canyon, traversing a series of switchbacks and finally ends at Junction in the Sevier River Valley.
Junction, Utah
Junction, population 191, is the county seat of Piute County, Utah. The name Piute was taken from the Piute Indian Tribe. Junction was originally settled in 1880 as City Creek. The Piute County Courthouse, built in 1903, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 1971 as #71000844.
Circleville, Utah
Circleville. has a small population of 489 but, wow - does it have a huge history. It was originally settled in 1864 by a group of Mormon pioneers from Ephraim. The town was named for the shape of the valley. Circle Valley is completely surrounded by mountains except where the Sevier River flows through it.
On June 28, 1866, the town was abandoned by the original settlers due to the Black Hawk War. A few settlers began to trickle back into the area in 1873 and the town was re-established in 1874 when Charles Wakeman Dalton crossed the mountain from Beaver with two of his wives and family.
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| Chief Antonga Black Hawk 1830-1870 |
Circleville Massacre - April 1866
In April 1866, the settlement was the site of the Circleville Massacre, a horrific incident of Utah's Black Hawk War.
Black Hawk and his band had killed many while trying to defend their rights to their land. A determined camp of Paiutes remained in Circle Valley trying to be friendly with the Mormons. However, the Mormons, who had been previously attacked in November 1865, and were unable to defend themselves, felt that they were in danger every moment.
They were told to protect themselves against the Indians who were camped in the valley. As a result a posse was formed and, after some resistance resulting in the death of one young Indian warrior, the Palutes were taken by gunpoint to Circleville and held under guard.
Guards shot and killed two Indians who were attempting to escape. In a subsequent town meeting, the decision was made to kill the imprisoned Indians. Twenty four people, including men, women, and children were struck on the back of the head to stun them and then their throats were slit. Circleville Massacre Wikipedia
We stopped at the park right on the highway to read the memorial. On April 22, 2016, a monument was dedicated in the town park to remember the Southern Paiute people slain during the massacre. The Circleville Massacre - Historical Marker Database
The Black Hawk War - Utah
The Black Hawk War is the name of the estimated 150 battles, skirmishes, raids, and military engagements taking place from 1865 to 1872, primarily between Mormon settlers in Sanpete County, Sevier County and other parts of central and southern Utah and members of 16 Ute, Southern Paiute, Apache and Navajo tribes.
Led by a local Ute war chief, Antonga Black Hawk, the conflict resulted in the abandonment of some settlements and hindered Mormon expansion in the region. The years 1865 to 1867 were by far the most intense, though intermittent conflict occurred until federal troops intervened in 1872. Black Hawk War - Wikipedia
Butch Cassidy - Robert LeRoy Parker
(April 13, 1866 – November 7, 1908)
Butch Cassidy was an American train and bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Wild Bunch" in the Old West. Cassidy was born in Beaver, Utah Territory, the first of 13 children of Morman Pioneers Maximillian Parker and Ann Gillies. Robert Parker grew up on his parents' ranch near Circleville.
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| Parker Cabin - Circleville |
While a teenager, Parker fell under the influence of an old rustler named Mike Cassidy. He soon left home to ride the outlaw trail. Parker worked on several ranches, in addition to a brief apprenticeship with a butcher in Rock Springs, Wyoming, where he got his nickname (by the word "butcher", which morphed later into "Butch"), to which he soon added the last name Cassidy in honor of his old friend and mentor.
Parker engaged in criminal activity for more than a decade at the end of the 19th century, but the pressures of being pursued by law enforcement, notably the Pinkerton detective agency, forced him to flee the country. He fled with his accomplice Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, known as the "Sundance Kid", and Longabaugh's girlfriend Etta Place. The trio traveled first to Argentina and then to Bolivia, where Parker and Longabaugh are believed to have been killed in a shootout with the Bolivian Army in November 1908. The exact circumstances of their fate continues to be disputed. Butch Cassidy - Wikipedia
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| "Fort Worth Five" c 1900 |
The Wild Bunch
Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch gang performed the longest string of successful train and bank robberies in American history. This image is known as the "Fort Worth Five Photograph."
Front row left to right: Harry A. Longabaugh, alias the Sundance Kid, Ben Kilpatrick, alias the Tall Texan, Robert Leroy Parker, alias Butch Cassidy; Standing: Will Carver & Harvey Logan, alias Kid Curry. (Fort Worth, Texas, 1900)
The Friki Tiki Ice Hut, Circleville, Utah
Before leaving town we stopped at the Friki Tiki Ice Hut for an ice cream cone. The hut is housed in a 1950's style trailer with a grass skirt around it. Curiosity got the better of us. We just had to investigate. With reports like "best cherry nut ice cream ever" and "Bahama Mama shaved ice is to die for" it was impossible to resist. We had to indulge. We sat at the picnic table in the shade of a grass umbrella to finish our sweet treats! The Friki Tiki
State Highway 62 Utah
We backtracked on Hwy 89 to Hwy 62 turning east into the Kingston Canyon. This 42 mile route is incredibly beautiful. Hwy 62 winds and twists through the Kingston Canyon following the East Fork Servier River.
Along this route of red rock cliffs is a grouping of hoodoos. The hwy then exits the canyon and follows the valley north through a lush farming area known as Grass Valley.
Fish Lake Scenic Byway - Highway 25 Utah
Fish Lake Scenic Byway, traversing 29 miles through the Fish Lake National Forest, runs from State Route 24 to State Route 72. It passes though sagebrush flats to a high mountainous terrain before descending into the Fish Lake basin. It continues northeast (as Forest Road 640 and Forest Road 36) passing Johnson Valley Reservoir and ending at the junction of State Route 72.
The Fish Lake Scenic Byway from State Route 24 to Johnson Valley Reservoir was designated on April 9, 1990 and increased in August 1992 from Johnson Valley Reservoir to State Route 72.
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| Pando Aspen Clone |
Pando Aspen Clone - The Trembling Giant
This incredible aspen grove is actually one single organism. Each of the 40,000 individual trees is a clone growing out of one massive underground root system.
This Pando Clone is believed to be the world's heaviest living organism, as well as one of the world's oldest creatures. The grove is located about one mile southwest of Fish Lake. Pando Tree - Wikipedia
Fish Lake Lodge
We stopped at Fish Lake Lodge for lunch. Before entering the dining room, we explored the old Lodge and visited the Fish Lake Interpretive Center. The Center provides an abundance of information and history about Fish Lake, the area, and the Fish Lake National Forest. We stopped at the gift shop before heading to the dining room where we were seated at a table along the windows overlooking the lake. A great view and relaxing meal. Who could ask for more?
Fish Lake Lodge was constructed between 1928 until 1933., and built of native spruce logs, the lodge measures 80 X 320 feet, and is one of the largest and most impressive log structures in the United States.
The Fish Lake Cut-Off - Old Spanish Trail
Of the 1,200 miles comprising the trail, 35 miles are found on the Fish Lake National Forest. The Fish Lake Cut-off of the Old Spanish Trail was a 72-mile shortcut that skirted the western shores of Wahsatch Lake (Fish Lake). Reaching elevations near 9,000 feet, the trail crossed mountain valleys that provided abundant quantities of fish, grass, water, and cool summer temperatures for travelers using this alternate route.
This "southern branch" rejoined the main Old Spanish Trail near Kingston, Utah.Fish Lake Cut Off - Historical Marker Database.Also, further reading USDA - Forest Service
Forest Roads #640 and #032
Just north of the resort area hwy 25 became Forest Road 640 which took us over the top of Johnson Valley Reservoir then became Forest Road 36 heading southeast generally following the Fremont River. We passed several recreation areas, campsites, and the Mill Meadow Reservoir before connecting with Hwy 72 and Hwy 24. There were a coupled of interesting areas noted on the map - Spatter Drip Canyon and Spatter Canyon but I was "virtually" unable to find out anything about them.
Thousand Lake Mountain Road Scenic Byway
"Thousand Lake Mountain Road is a 35-mile scenic backway that begins in Fremont and loops through the Cathedral Valley section of Capitol Reef National Park. The road climbs steep cliffs and towering rock formations, leading to stunning panoramic vistas. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended for the two hour drive along the mostly dirt and gravel but well-maintained road." Thousand Lake Mountain - Capital Reef Country
We drove to the entrance to the byway but I got cold feet. It had rained the night before and the entrance of sandy clay was deep rutted and wet. As usual, Karen was game - I was not. In addition, it was getting late in the afternoon and we still had to do our laundry in Torrey! Those are my virtual arguments.
Highway 24 Utah
We've travelled this stretch several times and if we were asked about this area we would probably say very pretty but rather unremarkable. And, we would be wrong. Today, checking out the history of the small towns of Fremont, Loa, and Lyman, I found out they are not so unremarkable after all. In fact, in the 6 miles between Fremont and Lyman I found nine historical markers. Who knew that Loa was named in 1876 after Mauna Loa, the beautiful 13,000 foot high volcanic mountain on the Island of Hawaii. Loa, Utah - Historical Marker Database
Bicknell, Utah
Another "unremarkable" town along Hwy 24 with an interesting history and very specific name. Bicknell, population 327, was originally called Thurber, or Thurber Town, for A.K. Thurber, who in 1879 built the first house in the area.
In 1914 Thomas W. Bicknell, a wealthy eastern author, historian, and Education Commissioner for Rhode Island, offered a thousand-volume library to any Utah town that would rename itself after him. The town of Grayson also wanted the library prize, so in a compromise in 1916, Grayson took the name of Blanding, Mr. Bicknell's wife's maiden name. The two towns split the library, each receiving 500 books. Thomas W. Bicknell - Wikipedia
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| Nielsen Gristmill c 1875-1899 |
Nielsen Gristmill - Bicknell, Utah
The Nielsen Gristmill is located about three miles south of Bicknell at the foot of Thousand Lake Mountain. Constructed around 1893 for Hans Peter Nielsen by his son-in-law, Niels Hansen, the mill was known as the Thurber Rolling Mills.
Water for powering the mill was channeled from the Fremont River. The Gristmill was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on June 18, 2975 as #75001835.
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| Chuckwagon Motel (2008) |
Torrey, Utah
The town was established in the 1880s by Mormon settlers. Its proximity to Capitol Reef National Park, Fish Lake and Dixie National Forests, and Scenic Byway 12, make Torrey the perfect hub for tourists.
We booked into our cabin at the Chuckwagon Motel. While Karen went to the deli, I started doing laundry. We went for a drive around town then spent the rest of the evening relaxing on our porch.
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| Torrey School (2008) |
Torrey Schoolhouse
The historic Torrey Log Church-Schoolhouse in Torrey, Utah was built in 1898 as both a schoolhouse and a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The one story log structure served as the school until 1917, and as a meetinghouse until 1928.
 Post Note - Day Seven:
Wow! Day Seven took four full days on the computer to drive. For the first time on this trip, as soon as we turned onto Highway 25, I was in totally uncharted territory and I felt lost. It was necessary to research more to get a feel for the area. I got totally derailed when I found the Pando Aspen Clone. I have never heard of such a thing and ended up spending a long time reading the information.
Also, I never did figure out where the Thousand Lake Mountain Road Scenic Byway begins and ends. The Cathedral Valley (part of Capital Reef National Park) is certainly one area I'd like to see. I could find the road to Cathedral Valley but could not find the "loop". All indication is that our vehicle would have no trouble on the road but The NPS Website says "The south end of the Hartnet Road near Highway 24 requires fording the Fremont River. There is no bridge over the river. Do not attempt to cross the river during floods or other periods of high water." What? I'm almost afraid to let Karen know it even exists.
It takes no imagination to settle in at Torrey. We've been there so many times, I can "feel" it. I can even smell the "old wood" of the Chuckwagon General Store mixed with the smell of fresh baked bread as you walk in the door. I can hear the wood door with the screen slamming behind me as the curly-cue spring pulls it shut. Amazing the things that your senses remember, isn't it?
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