2017 BMW MOA INTERNATIONAL Rally Riding Salt Lake City By Jeff Thurmond #110159


ONE OF THE MANY THINGS UTAH offers riders is great roads, especially those running through canyons. A ride visiting Big Cottonwood Can- yon, Guardsman Pass, Midway, Heber Valley RR, Provo Canyon, Sundance, Alpine Loop and Timpanogos Cave National Monument can take a half- day, or if you explore the different destinations along the way, it’ll easily take a full day. Along the route, there are plenty of places to get refresh- ments and food and depending on the size of your fuel tank, you may need to buy gas before getting back. Total ride is 120 miles The Wasatch Mountains are on the


east side of the Salt Lake valley and at the ends of many of the canyons are ski resorts. To start this ride, get on I-15 heading south in downtown Salt Lake City, then in a few miles pickup I-215 heading east. Exit at Exit 6 for the Ski Resorts. Take Wasatch Blvd southeast to Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, 7200 S (known locally as Brighten Canyon). For reference,


there is a traffic light, and a 7-11 store on the southwest corner of the intersection. Turn left at the traffic light and head east


up the canyon. It is just over 14 miles to the top of the canyon, with the road following Big Cottonwood Creek—very lovely ride on a meandering canyon road. There are two Cottonwood Canyons within 10 miles of each other, and this is the longest, hence the “Big” in the name. The canyon is named after the cottonwood trees that grow along the creek. As you ride up the canyon you will see many turn-offs for camping and picnics. Near the top of the canyon you will pass Solitude Ski Resort, and at the top of the canyon is Brighton Ski Resort. There is a one-way road making a loop around the resort. Brighton is the oldest ski resort in Utah,


dating back to 1936. It started with a rope tow pulled by the motor from an elevator. The base elevation in the parking lot is 8,766 feet and the top peak is 10,750. As you enter the one-way road, on the left is the Brighton General Store, a good place for coffee. Across from this is a ranger station and Silver Lake which has a fairly level 0.9


mile trail around it plus some hiking trails off the back side that take you up to some hidden lakes at over ten thousand feet. Nice walk around the lake even if you don’t hike up the mountain side. Just past the lake on the right is Millicent Chalet, which offers a variety of okay food and outdoor seating Ride around the one-way loop and start


down the canyon. In 300 yards you will see a fire station on the left and on the right is State Road 190, Guardsman Pass Road. Turn right onto this. You will be using first gear a lot as you climb rapidly up the side of the mountain. There is a parking area at the top of the Brighton side of the mountain— great scenic overviews from this 9,700 foot high vista. Head down the somewhat paved road, keeping to the right as the road forks in just over a mile. If you took the left of the fork you would come out in Park City. That is a ride for another day. The road from here to Midway used to be dirt, then gravel. The county put down asphalt a few years ago, but it is not a smooth service; watch for potholes and loose rocks on the turns. The


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BMW OWNERS NEWS February 2017


RALLY


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