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Best way to see Logan Canyon
is on foot -- go hiking
By Cody Huot
March 23, 2005 | Some people prefer
to play in 90-degree weather, and some prefer to have
fun in 20-degree weather. Here in Cache Valley you can
do both. The best way to experience the beauty of Cache
Valley and the breathtaking Logan Canyon is by walking
through them.
Logan Canyon has some very remote but amazing places
that are accessible only to hikers and snowshoers. The
canyon has a very unique but perfect wilderness, most
everyone in Cache Valley and surrounding communities
have a personal attachment to at least one aspect of
Logan Canyon.
One of the most beautiful and scenic hikes you will
find anywhere according to go-utah.com
is the hike to White Pine Lake. The hike begins at Tony
Grove, which is located in the middle of Logan Canyon.
This is a more difficult hike than most but well worth
it. It's seven miles round trip and the elevation is
about 8,500 ft., so come prepared. The best time to
visit White Pine Lake is the first part of August when
the wildflowers are at their fullest. The first half
of the trail passes through a series of pine tree covered
meadows that are overwhelmed with acres of purple, pink,
blue, yellow and white wildflowers. The last half of
the hike is a undescribable surprise, you'll have to
go there to find out.
There are many breathtaking hikes to choose from in
and around Logan Canyon, ranging from an easy day hike
to the more difficult overnight hike. Another popular
and scenic hike you can experience is Steel Hollow Trail
it starts at Right Hand Fork. It is located just off
the right hand side of Logan Canyon, hence the name.
This hike provides a rather long loop starting at Right
Hand Fork, then takes you up through a variety of terrain
that is surrounded by towering aspen trees and fir groves.
The trail then turns and takes you pass Old Ephraim's
grave. Old Ephraim was the last known grizzly bear in
Utah. There is a stone monument you can see on your
hike where the gigantic bear was killed for eating farmers
sheep. He was killed on August 22, 1923 by Frank Clark.
Ephraim's enormous skull is owned by the Smithsonian,
and can be seen at the Utah State University Special
Collections Library in Logan. If you stay on the trail
it will lead right back where you started.
"The amazing trails you can hike and the breathtaking
scenery are endless," says local hiker Duste Moffit.
Logan Canyon provides a wonderland for all tastes, whether
it is overnight summer hikes, or a pleasant winter day
snowshoeing event. You can do it all here in Cache Valley.
Vince Nickerson an avid Utah sportsman said, "Cache
Valley is the best place on earth. I love it there,
I've grown atached to the amazing lanscape and beautiful
mountains. I would rather live in my tent in Logan Canyon
than live in a mansion anywhere else in the world."
Along with all the diffrent trails you can take to
experience the back country, you are a car ride away
from a paradise unlike anythig you can imagine. In the
canyon, enormous jagged cliffs and mountain tops tower
over the miniscule road on both sides.
Our culture here in the valley has become inertwined
with the canyons landscape. Today Logan Canyon is reconized
by surrounding communities as a place to reconnect with
yourself along with nature.
Jim Sinclair, author of Cache Trails, wrote
"Much can be said regarding the benefits of hiking.
It offers a tonic to our fast-paced, hectic world, where
silence has all but disappeared and opportunity to connect
with our larger natural community is rare." Hiking also
provides a venue to renew old freindships along with
building new ones. It allows you to find yourself away
from the computer, TV, and telephone. To get away from
our every day lives. Jim Sinclair stated "that health
professionals frequently acknowlege the therapeutic
values of immersing oneself in the natural world to
reduce stress and regain a balance in one's psyche."
So if you're a once in a while day hiker, or an avid
overnight backpacker, come give Logan Canyon a try here
in our beautiful Cache Valley.
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