On Friday afternoon, Oct 5, 2012, some of the young men (YM) leaders (Zach, Seth, bishop Kessler, and Dee) and two of the boys (Jason G and Jason W) enjoyed a great autumn day of mountain biking in Draper’s Corner Canyon.
Seth’s panorama shot taken at Anne’s Point
Draper has done a great job at developing fun and safe mountain bike trails in Corner Canyon. There really are a lot of trails, and Draper City has published a nice trail map. They have also installed signs at trail junctions.
I have only ridden in this area once before. Seth and Zach have been there a few times. Together, and with the advice of a friend of mine, we selected an appropriate route that would provide some good exercise, be a lot of fun, and be relatively safe.
Here is the GPS record of our ride. It was about 6.3 miles long and included just over 950′ of climbing – mostly in the first 2.8 miles.
Our route
We parked at the the Coyote Hollow trailhead, which is just southeast of the Draper Temple. It was a beautiful autumn day, but the temperatures were on the chilly side – especially with the breeze coming off the mountain.
We followed the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) to the northeast until it crossed the Canyon Hollow trail, which was our chosen route to the top. The first part of Canyon Hollow is a dirt road, but it quickly turns to a nice and smooth single-track trail which climbs steadily to Brock’s Point. A few sections were too steep for me to ride, but I am not too proud to “hike-a-bike” when necessary.
We stopped for a brief rest and snack break at Brock’s Point, and then began the fun cruising downhill ride back to the car. Our chosen route down was longer than the way up, giving us a safe, but fun descent. We rode the new Anne’s Trail (called “Draper Rim Trail” on the Corner Canyon trail map). This trail was an absolute blast! The trail bobbed up and down as it meandered through the brush and trees, with occasional great views of the temple and the Salt Lake Valley.
We stopped at Anne’s Point and took a few photographs. Bishop Kessler took the opportunity to talk to the boys about the significance of temples and their importance in our lives.
Jason W, Jason G, Seth, Bishop
Anne’s trail continues on until it reaches a tunnel under Traverse Ridge Road. We turned right at this point and descended Potato Hill. This portion of the trail is somewhat steeper and narrower, so we had to slow down our pace a little bit. The trail then merges with the BST, which was a fun cruise back to the car.
We completed the ride in just under two hours, then returned to my home for a BBQ. It was a great ride. I just wish more of the boys could have joined us. Everyone had a great time.
Gardiner Family Adventures 