What kind of nut would ride 14.7 miles, climbing over 3000 vertical feet, just to visit the gravestone of a BEAR? Well, that would be me. And why not?

Old Ephraim was Utah's last grizzly bear, and the largest griz ever shot in the contiguous United States. Eleven feet tall on his hind legs and weighing 1100 pounds, Old Ephraim unfortunately developed a taste for cattle and sheep. His body was buried here and his huge skull was sent to the Smithsonian.

Jackie investigates Old Ephraim's monument, while Dr. Jekyll (the bike) gets a moment's rest. All photos by Bruce Argyle, September 24, 2001. 

Start the ride by heading up the Right Fork of the Logan River. Just after crossing the river, at mile 0.6, fork left and continue up the river. Just before the river enters a narrow canyon of limestone cliffs, the trail turns to follow Willow Creek uphill.

At mile 3.6, the trail becomes doubletrack in a meadow at Mud Flat. Reaching the dirt road, turn right and begin a stiff climb to the top of Long Hollow. Now give back over 1000 feet of that climb, descending down to Logan River's Right Fork.

View along the trail, as maples and aspen among the firs contribute to the fall colors.

Cross the river and begin climbing again. About 0.8 mile later, you'll see the turnout for Old Ephraim's grave on your left. Have some lunch and pay your respects.

Leaving the gravesite, you'll climb south 1000 vertical feet over the next mile and a half. Pass Dog Springs on your left, then pass a double-track branching right. Watch for Steel Hollow Trail on the right, exactly 1.8 miles after leaving Old Ephraim's grave. (If you pass a stock pond in a big meadow or reach a dirt-road intersection, you missed the trail.)

View up the doubletrack road in Long Hollow.

Singletrack threads through the aspens of Steel Hollow.

When Steel Hollow joins Rick's Canyon Trail, keep right downhill, then arrive back at the Willow Creek - Right Fork trail 0.8 miles later.

The peak altitude is 7600 feet, just before the Steel Hollow trail, 2000 feet higher than the trailhead. The dip down through the Right Fork adds 1000 vertical of climbing.

The trail heads through the Right Fork of the Logan River.

An unusual rock outcrop is fossilized casts of worm trails. Sand collected in the burrows of shoreline worms during the Ordovidian Period, about 500 million years ago. As the softer lime matrix has weathered away, it leaves quartzite casts of multiple worm burrows. (Car keys are for size comparison.)

Getting there: From Logan's main street, turn east towards the mountains on US-89 (4th North). Pass Utah State University and enter Logan Canyon. 8.7 miles up the canyon, watch for the Right Fork turnoff, a small paved road on your right just after a bridge. Drive up this road 1.2 miles, then keep left at the fork on the road, continuing on gravel. Pass the Girls' Camp, and arrive at the parking loop 0.6 miles from the fork.