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'You can see forever' atop Jardine trail, but first you must climb a mountain on a bike
By Casey Hobson
Minda Henderson, 24, an environmental analyst from Logan, bikes along the trail that follows the Logan River. Like many Cache County mountain bikers, she rides for the exercise and the scenery. / Photo by Satoru Koyabu Editor's note: This story was produced for the USU mass communication class "Beyond the Inverted Pyramid," COMM 3110. Josh Perks scatched his scruffy, blond goatee as he stared at the ceiling. He seemed momentarily lost, as though someone had just asked him to describe quantum theory in 150 words or less. The question he was trying to answer wasn't that difficult. There wasn't even a right or wrong answer. Yet Perks gazed at the ceiling, perhaps seeking help from the heavens, perhaps looking for the answer next to the fluorescent light fixture in his kitchen. He leaned against the graham-cracker-brown counter top and looked down, as though the answer might be there instead. Perks is 5 foot, 10 inches tall, but shrunk 2 inches when he leaned against the counter. "The Jardine Juniper Trail," Perks said. The Jardine Juniper trail was his favorite in the Logan River Canyon. "You can see forever. You can see for a long way from up there." Perks is a sophomore at Utah State University in Logan. He's from Salt Lake City and frequently visits the Logan River Canyon. He estimates he goes mountain biking in the canyon once or twice a week. "I'd probably give it a six (on a ten scale) -- maybe," Perks said of the Jardine Juniper Trail's difficulty. "It's a technical trail. It's got some pretty good climbs, and it's really high exposure. The sun beats down on you, and there's not a lot of shade." The trail is named after a Jardine Juniper tree that sits at the top like a mangled piece of driftwood that washed ashore and wedged itself in a cluster of rocks. The tree is estimated to be nearly 1,500 years old, though the sign at the trailhead says it's 3,000. Though mostly dead now, the tree still has some greenery at the top of its twisted trunk. Maurice Linford discovered the tree in 1923. Scientists took a core sample of the tree's pith during the 1950s and were able to estimate its age based on their studies. The Jardine Juniper Trail is one of the wider single-track trails in the canyon. It is nearly 4 feet wide and just over four miles long. It begins at the Logan River, just east of the Wood Camp Campground, and winds through the north side of the canyon. It climbs from 5,400 feet at the trailhead to 7,200 feet at the top, where it loops out to the canyon's ridge and past the Jardine Juniper tree. On a clear day, one can see from Tremonton on the western horizon to the mountains on the edge of Bear Lake. Rocks, ruts and tree roots all add a higher level of difficulty to the Juniper trail. The path is scarred from horses that have passed on it and disappears completely in spots where heavy rains have washed it away. However, Perks said that's all part of the challenge. "It's definitely a fun trail," he said. "I like getting out and riding it - just getting away from things. There's no emotional release in it for me. Sometimes I guess it could be, but most of the time it's not." Though the Jardine Juniper Trail isn't the most difficult ride in the canyon, it is one of the most popular. Ben Kofoed, a 16-year-old from Logan, said the trail's popularity might be a result of the well-rounded ride it offers. "It's not really that technical," he said. "It's kind of a wider path. It's got some switchbacks; it's got some climbing and some down hill (parts) in it too. It's not too technical. It's just right up the canyon." Spencer Fugal, another sophomore at Utah State, agreed. "I think my favorite (trail) is the Jardine Juniper," Fugal said. "I like the mixes. It's not too much of a climb or too little. It has a gorgeous view once you get to the top." "It's got some switchbacks; it's got some climbing and some down hill (parts) in it too." Though the Jardine Juniper Trail may be the most popular trail, it's not the only one the canyon offers. In all, there are 19 trails that wind through various spots of the Logan River Canyon. The Logan Ranger District rated the difficulty of each trail, ranging from easy to very difficult. Old Ephraim's Grave and Logan Peak are two of the canyon's most difficult trails. Old Ephraim's Grave Trail is 25 miles long and climbs a total of 2,200 feet. The trail is named after the last grizzly bear known to roam Logan Canyon, Old Ephraim, and passes by his grave. Old Ephraim was the largest known grizzly bear in America. The trail begins at Temple Fork and loops south to Marie Spring and into Cowley Canyon before dropping back out on US Highway 89 at Lodge Campground. The Logan Peak trail is just over 31 miles long and climbs from 5,440 feet at the trailhead to 9,700 feet at Logan Peak. The trail does not loop, meaning riders must return the same way they came. Thus, by the time people complete the trip, they've covered over 62 miles of terrain. Riders must pack their own water because all water sources on the trail are subject to giardia and other bacteria. River Trail, according to the Logan Ranger District, is one of the easier trails in the canyon. It is three miles long and follows the river and highway through the canyon. The trailhead is just west of the first dam. Most of the ride is on a gravel and rock road. With the exception of a few rolling hills, it is a flat, basic trail. The Logan River Canyon offers a variety of trails, and the Jardine Juniper might just be the perfect blend of them all. Maybe that's why Perks and so many others name it as their favorite. Perks gazed at the ceiling again, this time scratching his head as he searched for another relatively easy answer - an answer to a question that, once again, had no right or wrong response. "I'd recommend them," he said of the canyon trails. "I think it's
a pretty good area to ride. I think a beginner could (ride the Jardine
Juniper Trail). It'd be a challenge - a good one for a beginner to say,
'Yeah, I did that.'" |
Archived Months:
September
1998 |
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