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HAM Trail - Dawn's Trail
Connectors from Armstrong to Spiro
HAM
There's not much to say about the HAM trail itself. It's a short (0.8)
mile connector trail jumping the gap between upper Armstrong
and upper Spiro. HAM isn't a
"destination" trail -- it's a way to get somewhere else faster.
Our featured ride uses HAM to create a shorter version of the Armstrong-Spiro
loop ride for less-strong riders.
View toward Park City Mountain
Resort's ski slopes from the upper HAM Trail. Review and photos by Bruce
on July 9, 2012.
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| The loop ride is 6 miles of singletrack with 1000 vertical
feet of climbing, easier-intermediate technical. When climbing Armstrong
(a one-way uphill trail), HAM forks away to your left at mile 3.7 from
Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) parking. After descending a bit, it turns
toward the valley and traverses to Spiro (mile 4.5). Descend Spiro. At
mile 6.4, you're back to pavement. At PCMR parking, you're at mile 6.8.
The fork from Armstrong onto HAM.
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The other use of HAM is as a shortcut to reach the
northbound Midmountain Trail from Spiro. If you
climb Spiro (instead of the longer, less-steep Armstrong), then jump over
to Armstrong via HAM, you'll bypass about 3 miles of riding. (Spiro turns
south before reaching Midmountain. Northbound HAM skips this detour.)
View up-canyon as we start downhill on
HAM from Armstrong. After about 1/3 mile, the trail turns back down-canyon
and zooms toward Spiro.
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| HAM is also useful for a shorter trip to the Wasatch
Crest from Park City. As above, take Spiro to HAM to upper
Armstrong, but then fork hard left on southbound Midmountain and
climb a bit further to the Pine Cone Ridge trail, a new route to the
Wasatch Crest Trail.
Typical trail view on the HAM traverse
near Spiro, in groves of maple and chokecherry understory.
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Riding directions, HAM loop from PCMR
parking:
0.0 Leave parking to North
N40 39.247 W111 30.550
Cross to Three Kings
Dr northbound
0.3 L uphill on Crescent N40 39.382 W111 30.813
0.4 R to gravel area, L onto ST
N40 39.401 W111 30.899
0.5 R on Armstrong N40 39.341 W111 30.900
2.1 Keep R on Armstrong (L = Dawns)
N40 39.045 W111 31.735 |
3.7 L on HAM N40 38.898 W111 31.979
4.5 Keep L on Spiro N40 38.807 W111 31.622
5.4 Keep L (R = Eagle) N40 39.163 W111 31.129
6.3 Keep L (R = Silver Spur) N40 39.306 W111 30.895
6.4 Hard R at Armstrong/Spiro junction
N40 39.341 W111 30.900
6.5 Onto pavement
6.8 Back at parking |
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Dawn's Trail
Dawn's Trail is lower on the mountain than HAM, creating a shorter loop
with less climbing when combined with Armstrong and Spiro. It forks off of
Armstrong 1.7 miles uphill at an altitude of 7350 feet.
View through the fir trees in a shady
portion of Dawn's. (October 26, 2015) |
| The trail is 0.8 miles long, curving around the canyon
between Armstrong and Spiro and climbing 150 vertical feet. It meets Spiro
just above the Eagle Trail fork, 1.3 miles from the bottom.
At 0.7 miles from Armstrong, Dawn's Trail splits. The part straight
ahead and downhill is hiking-only. Bikes take a right turn and climb a
couple of switchbacks up to Spiro.
Even in the dryer areas, it's hard to
catch any views through the trees. We're curving around in through an area
of sage and gambel oak. |
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From the bottom of the Spiro singletrack, a loop of
Armstrong uphill, Dawn's, and Spiro downhill is just under 4 miles long
with 700 vertical feet of climbing.
Climbing up the switchbacks to Spiro. |
Riding directions, Dawn's loop from PCMR
parking:
0.0 Leave parking to North
N40 39.247 W111 30.550
Cross to Three Kings
Dr northbound
0.3 L uphill on Crescent N40 39.382 W111 30.813
0.4 R to gravel area, L onto ST
N40 39.401 W111 30.899
0.5 R on Armstrong N40 39.341 W111 30.900
2.1 L onto Dawn's
N40 39.045 W111 31.735 |
2.8 R and uphill (straight =
hiking only)
N40 39.186 W111 31.363
2.9 L downhill on Spiro
N40 39.167 W111 31.337
4.0 Silver Spur N40 39.307 W111 30.897
Option L for ST return
4.1 R to stay on Spiro (L = Armstrong)
4.2 Bottom of Spiro
4.6 Back at parking |
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Getting there: In Park City, follow the signs
to Park City Mountain Resort. As you see the first parking area, turn in
and park there. Now ride your bike back out onto Silver King Drive,
heading west (uphill, toward the mountain, and the way you were heading
when you first saw the parking lot). Turn right onto Three Kings. The next left will be Crescent Drive.
Turn uphill. Look for some yellow posts on the right, where Crescent Drive
turns left. Go R through the posts and find
the singletrack on the uphill side. N 40°
39.390' W 111° 30.895'
Parking: Not at trailhead! Use north Park City
Resort lot.
Water: None at trailhead.
Bathrooms: None.
Bike services: Multiple in Park City, includes rentals
Camping: Hailstone on US 40 |
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