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Bunchgrass Trail
(via White Pine Lake)
The Bunchgrass Trail starts at Tony Grove Lake in Logan Canyon. This
very pretty singletrack trail is 11.2 miles long (if you do the little
loop at White Pine Lake). With the shuttle option, it's suitable for intermediate riders,
although some might struggle on the rocky areas. Expert riders will hammer this one and
love it. There's a moderate amount of climbing, but the ride offers miles and miles of not-too-technical high-speed
downhill singletrack.
Bruce heads up toward White Pine Lake
on October 1, 2008. Trail review based on rides in 2008 and 2009. Photo by Gene
Poncelet.
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| The ride can be done as a shuttle by leaving a car at the
bottom of the Tony Grove road, or as a 19-mile loop by riding the bike up
the 7-mile paved road to the lake. You'll do the White
Pine Lake trail, but instead of returning to Tony Grove, you'll
descend to the highway in Logan Canyon first along White Pine Creek, then
via Bunchgrass canyon.
The singletrack trail starts from the Tony Grove Lake parking lot and
climbs 800 vertical feet over 2.5 miles -- a fairly pleasant rate of
climb. There are a few spots of embedded rocks for a little line-picking
practice but most of the climb is on buff trail.
Gene picks his line to attack a turn
in a rocky section of the climb. |
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You'll be riding through a fir and aspen forest with many
small meadows. The ride has a bit of everything: Grand vistas, a pretty
lake, a few slightly-tech uphill spots, some slightly tech downhill spots,
and a lot of straight-ahead warp-speed cruising.
View west toward the mountain above
Tony Grove Lake. |
| Once you reach the peak altitude of 8800, you'll descend a
couple of switchbacks toward White Pine Lake. There are a few rock
challenges here, but each one is short, forgiving, and very doable. A fun
start to the downhill.
Riders
roll over the ridgeline to begin the drop toward White Pine Lake at the
foot of Mount Gog. |
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As you reach the 4-way near the lake, go left down to the
lake then loop clockwise along the lake and around the camping area.
You'll see a few trails -- and these may change based on camper and cattle
traffic -- but just mosey up and east from the north end of the lake and
you'll find yourself on a southbound trail that returns you to the 4-way.
Now go left.
Bruce cruises the loop trail at White Pine Lake.
In the background cliffs of quartzite (white layer) and dolomite
(glue-gray layer) tower above the lake. |
| Soon after leaving the lake, you'll drop a moderately steep
area with plenty of round river-rocks. Just keep your brake action light
and surf your way down.
The trail crosses White Pine Creek, then begins a long smooth
singletrack descent. Sage meadows alternate with wooded areas. At mile
7.5, keep right at the fork where the White Pine trail goes downhill and
Bunchgrass turns a bit uphill.
2500 vertical feet of downhill - just
getting started. |
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Now come two stiff hike-a-bikes, the 2nd worse than the
1st. At the top of the second, you'll drop a steep loose section then
begin a high-speed cruise toward the bottom of Bunchgrass Creek. One of
our riders hit 29 mph. The singletrack is narrow, straight, and smooth.
This bottom two miles just flies by: whiz through a
meadow, wind through the trees, into another meadow. Very pretty; great
fun.
Even this late in the year, there's plenty of
water in White Pine Creek. Wet feet for the rest of the ride. |
Riding notes, from Tony Grove Lake:
0.0 Northwest corner of parking, pick correct trail
N41 53.705 W111 38.552
Elevation 8000 feet
(Check sign! White Pine
Lake)
0.3 Fork R N41 53.900 W111 38.558
0.9 Fork R N41 54.351 W111 38.647
2.6 Top of ridge 8800 feet, descend
3.5 4-way: L=lake loop, R=descend
N41 55.381 W111 39.008
4.2 Back at 4-way, go L to continue
7.5 Fork R (L=Pine Creek) N41 55.269 W111 35.861
7.6 1st of 2 stiff hike-a-bikes
11.1 Fork R N41 53.545 W111 34.074
11.2 At road N41 53.505 W111 33.948, go R (down) on 89
11.7 Turn R then L onto Tony Grove Rd Elevation 6300 feet
Gene flies down the soft smooth trail
in the lower canyon. |
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Getting there: In Logan, turn east at 400 North
on US-89 towards Logan Canyon (about 2 miles). Drive 21 miles from the
canyon mouth. At the sign for Tony Grove Lake, turn left, then immediately
turn left again. (Right goes to a campground.) Now drive 7 miles uphill to
the end of the pavement at Tony Grove Lake. There are bathrooms and
camping at the lake. The trailhead is at the northwest corner of the
parking loop N41 53.705 W111 38.552. Tony Grove is a fee area ($7 per car
in 2018). |
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