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Edelweiss Trail
The Edelweiss Trail is a 1.2-mile singletrack at the top of Traverse
Ridge in Draper. It begins across
Suncrest Drive from the eastern end of Eagle
Crest then crosses the ridge
to join Ann's Trail at 0.5 miles from the Peak View trailhead.
Edelweiss was added to Corner Canyon's
trail system in late 2021. It's not a "destination trail" but
can be used to tie other trails together for a satisfying ride.
Climbing across the ridge on Edelweiss from Ann's
trail. Review by Bruce on April 26, 2022.
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| The trail surface and the slope are suitable for beginners.
The riding season is late April through November, with top elevation of
5950 feet.
In addition to tying the trails of the Eagle Crest area to those of the
Peak View area, Edelweiss
creates a continuous 8.4-mile loop of singletrack around Traverse Mountain
when combined with Ann's Trail, Ann's
Connector, and Eagle Crest.
Following the trail corridor through the homes. The
Edelweiss trail is half wilderness and half somebody's back yard.
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Reaching the Edelweiss Trail |
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Via Ann's
The northern end of Edelweiss lies on Ann's Trail. From Suncrest
Drive, take Canyon Pointe Drive until it becomes the Peak View trailhead
access road. Park there. From the Peak View trailhead, pedal west on Ann's Trail
for 0.5 miles, then veer left at the fork.
From the Potato Hill trailhead, take the Potato Hill trail east, then keep
right to take a short connector to Ann's Trail. Turn left (away from the
underpass) to go eastbound on Ann's. Climb uphill for 1.7 miles, then take
a hard right onto Edelweiss.
Bathroom and picnic pavilion at the paved Peak View
trailhead. |
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Via Eagle Crest
Edelweiss' southern end is on Suncrest Drive, just across from
the Eagle Crest trail. Don't even think
about parking here. To ride from this end, you'll need to connect from the
Eagle Crest trail. The closest parking is the Eagle Crest trailhead at the
end of Traverse Ridge Road. Ride 1.5 miles from the Eagle Crest trailhead
to Suncrest Drive. While Edelweiss is just across the street, the
preferred place to cross is up the sidewalk 200 yards at the crossing
light on Edge Road. Find the trail at the northeast corner of that
intersection.
Arriving at the sidewalk on Eagle Crest. It's
recommended that you pedal on uphill on the sidewalk to the marked
crossing where there are warning lights. |
Edelweiss Trail (described north to south) |
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The Edelweiss trail is 1.2 miles long. From the northern end
on Ann's Trail (0.5 miles from the Peak View
trailhead), it will climb 200 vertical feet to cross Traverse Ridge. It
will then descend a bit from the ridge to end at the intersection of
Canyon Pointe Drive with Suncrest Drive.
The Edelweiss trail is half forest and half subdivision trail corridor.
Trail fork where Edelweiss forks left from Ann's
Trail. |
| The climbing pitch is fairly easy during the first 0.6 miles
while the trail is in forest. Here the surface is compact dirt, surrounded
by tall maple and oak.
When coming the opposite direction (south to north) this section is a
fun downhill romp.
Climbing westbound through oak and maple. The trail
will make a semi-circle around the hill to reach the subdivision.
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There will be occasional views over the Salt Lake Valley
when riding from Ann's. In the other direction, you'll be treated to the
tall peaks of the American Fork Canyon area rising above Traverse
Mountain.
Looking east from Edelweiss. The tall peak to the
left is Box Elder. |
| When you reach a meadow area, you're almost ready for the
"civilization" side of the ride. For the next 0.6 miles, you'll
follow a trail corridor through the subdivision. The space is generous, so
it's not too claustrophobic. But it's not forest.
Approaching the homes. We're not through climbing
yet. |
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On the trail corridor, the pitch of the trail is less
pleasant for beginning riders. The trail winds back and forth to decrease
the brutality of it. You'll cross three roads. Don't pinch-flat on the
curbs; there are no ramps. At the traffic light on Edge, cross Suncrest and
continue south on sidewalk to Eagle Crest. (The trail continues 100 yards further to
Canyon Pointe Drive. Use this trail section if your target is Mercer
Hollow or Mercer Mountain.)
Crossing the a subdivision road on the trail
corridor, complete with Moron-ATV extruder hardware. |
| Ride Option: Loop with Ann's Trail (8.4 miles)
Select a trailhead. For simplicity, we'll start from the Maple Hollow
(Deer Crest) trailhead at the west end of Eagle
Crest and go counterclockwise. Pedal east, passing south
Maple Hollow, Zooropa, Vertigo, and Woods
Hollow. Now cross Suncrest Drive to Edelweiss at mile 2.6. When
Edelweiss ends on Ann's Trail at mile 3.8
turn hard left. Follow Ann's down past Potato Hill
at mile 5.3 and under the road. Pass the Little Valley
trails, then start cranking uphill. The Maple
Hollow DH trail crosses at mile 6.9. When you reach Ann's
Connector at mile 7.3, turn left uphill and pedal back to the
trailhead.
For added miles, take any of the above connecting trails to do a little
loop.
On Eagle Crest looking southwest down at Suncrest
Drive.
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Getting there...
Deer Ridge (Maple Hollow) trailhead: At the
stop sign in Suncrest, get on Deer Ridge Drive (right turn from SLC,
straight from Utah Co). Go 0.9 miles.
Just before the road crosses a bridge, turn right onto Elk Glen Drive and
immediately turn left to park at the small picnic area.
Eagle Crest trailhead: From the hill-top stop sign above, go
south on Traverse Ridge Road (straight from SLC, left turn from Utah Co).
To to the end of the road and park.
Peak View trailhead: On Suncrest Drive, turn onto
Canyon Pointe Drive. Keep straight until you find yourself on the narrower
paved trailhead road. It's 0.7 miles from Suncrest Drive to Peak View.
This trailhead has bathrooms, water, and repair facilities.
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