Friday, August 19, 2011

Ice Cave Peak

 About an hour from our home is a quiet little place with a most spectacular view.  It is called Ice Cave Peak on Mosby Mountain.



The peak most immediately overlooks Whiterocks Canyon.  Our perch sits at 10,000 feet, the creek below, at 7200; which makes for a pretty breathtaking precipice.  The views into the canyon are wonderful!  As if that weren't enough though, one can see King's Peak, Mt Emmons and other lofty 13'ers of the High Uintas.  Additionally, from the same seat you can see almost the entire Uintah Basin, plus the rim of the Book Cliffs and deep Desolation Canyon to the south.  To the east Blue Mountain is clearly visible with views of Round Top and Wild Mountain, Harper's Corner and the back side of Split Mountain.


The air was fresh and cool, despite a clear sky and little shade.  Sweetie and I were delighted to watch a pair of Peregrine Falcons cavorting just before us on the updrafts rising from the deep gorge.  One kept stooping on something quite invisible to the naked eye.  Upon inspection with binoculars we found a very confused Monarch Butterfly gliding out there, being thoroughly harassed, but completely unharmed by the awesome bird.  Sure wish we'd have had our camera with the long lens.






Mosby Mountain is accessed by way of the Deep Creek to Paradise Park Road out of Lapoint, Utah.  The ride up the mountain first wanders through  sage and cedar and a series of pleasant homesteads in the foothills, then rises quickly through a lush and massive forest of Quaking Aspen to a piney, flat top summit interspersed with grassy meadows and parks.  It has been a wet year and the wildflowers are abundant.  I went mushrooming hoping to find some morels -no luck - but I did find some ten other species of mushrooms which were amazing, but unfamiliar, so I didn't harvest any.

I had been up here earlier with a couple of good friends and we found and explored the ice cave with is not far from the view point.

Our trip home took us by way of Treaty Line Road, Deep Creek, Pine Ridge and Dry Fork Canyon all areas of wonderful scenes and pleasant memories.

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