ATV Adventures: Two Manti Mountain UTV runs are set for this year
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- Riding high on Skyline Drive looking down on Ferron Reservoir.
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- An example of the beautiful trails you will ride on the Manti Mountain Run.
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- Riding the Arapeen Trails in the majesty of the mountains on the Manti Mountain Run.
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- Lynn Blamires
What was an annual event in July when the Manti La-Sal mountains are rich in full summer splendor is now offered again in September when the glory of fall colors is on display. The Manti Mountain UTV Summer Run and the Manti Mountain UTV Fall Run have been huge successes.
These trails are found on the Arapeen Trail System, a 600-mile system of trails that showcase the mountains above Ephraim and Manti and on the east side above Ferron and Orangeville.
You’ll experience some of the most beautiful trails Utah offers with great vistas, gorgeous wildflowers and crisp mountain air as you ascend to over 10,000 feet in elevation along Skyline Drive. Experience great fun, delicious food and warm friendships as you enjoy guided rides along the famous Arapeen Trail system in the Manti La-Sal National Forest at these jamborees.
Registration opened Jan. 1 for both events, providing plenty of bang for your buck. The fees are $99 per rider including two breakfasts, two lunches, a catered dinner and a Mountain Run ATV T-shirt. The summer run is scheduled for July 8-9 and the fall run will be Sept. 18-19. Registration, itineraries and meeting places are found at https://utvevents.weebly.com.
When you go to that site, view the YouTube videos featured there. They will have you forgetting the cold outside and have you dreaming of summer fun. Plan to attend both events — the difference between the seasons is dramatic.
They cater to three different riding skill levels — the first level is designed for those who like beautiful scenery on easy trails. Skyline Drive would be an example of this level. Riding at elevations above 10,000 feet, you look down on lush green valleys and deep blue lakes. On the second level, you will be on narrower trails that wind through huge groves of aspen on trails rated as moderate. The third level will be more challenging and you will focus more on the technical aspects of the trail than on the beautiful scenery you will be traveling through.
Jamborees have provided a lot of opportunities to meet like-minded people. I have made a lot of new friends at these events. Many of them don’t live close, but jamborees provide the opportunity to meet again and ride together.
I was on the trails 42 days last year, but no riding year would be complete without a few days on the Arapeen Trail System, both in the summer and the fall. When I participated in the Arapeen Sunset ride held in June, my wife and I spent three days with my nephew’s family riding these trails, and I enjoyed a two-day ride from the rest area in Spanish Fork Canyon on Skyline Drive to Ephraim and back.
Ephraim and Manti are great places to stage rides on the Arapeen Trail System. They have motels and great places to eat. After a hot shower, you can find good Mexican, Chinese, American and Italian food. I found a great hamburger at a reasonable price at the bowling alley in Ephraim. My days of camping are in the past. I have learned that camping is where you spend a whole lot of money to live like a homeless person.
Five jamborees are held each year that focus on trails on the west side of the mountain. Skyline Drive on top divides the Arapeen Trails into sections on the east and west. The Big Mountain Lodge in Ferron provides all the amenities for staging rides on the east side of the Manti La-Sal Mountains. Two years ago, I led a ride from Ferron to Salina where we spent the night and returned the next day. It was a great ride.
My favorite trails are the ones I have never ridden before. I love learning about and having experiences on new trails. I got an email from a friend who told me about a trail that connects Levan with Ephraim. There is a pretty trail that goes up Chicken Creek. I have ridden that trail and have explored trails to the north, but not any trails that go south. I hope to arrange a ride with him to take that trail to Ephraim.
This article is about two of the five jamborees scheduled for this year. These two opened registrations early. Watch my articles for information on the other three, which are not open yet. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and consider seeing Utah’s backcountry at these jamborees.
Contact Lynn R. Blamires at quadmanone@gmail.com.
