Cook Creek Rim
Out of all of the trails we had planned for that day, Cook Creek Rim looked the best on the map. It was really squiggly, it ended at the high point of a ridge overlooking the Williams Fork Valley, and it seemed to be off of the beaten path. Unfortunately, this trail was a let down.
When we found the trailhead we were excited because it immediately took us uphill on a narrow and rocky trail. We found some ATVs on their way down almost immediately, but they were able to pull to the side and we worked our way through. We were really enjoying the climb.
Then the narrow and bumpy trail smoothed out and it got wide and well maintained. There were people loading ATVs onto trailers pulled by big trucks in a large parking area. We saw campers and tents set up in places. They obviously didn't come up the way we did, so it must be an easy trail the rest of the way out.
When we got to the intersection we could see that the bigger vehicles had come up from the east. We still had hopes for a fun time on the western spur, so we turned left.
The trail was twisty as it wound its way through the trees. We were almost always surrounded by tall pine trees, and the twists in the trail made visibility very limited. Near the end, we could catch glimpses of the valley below us through the trees at some points.
We came around a curve and the trail suddenly ended at a wide spot. That was it! It was one of those trails that didn't seem to go anywhere or do anything other than provide a fun uphill climb at the start. From now on, that's the only part of the trail we'd probably do. We turned around and headed back, going out the easy way this time.
We talked about doing yet another trail, Kinney Creek, but it was getting late. Matt headed for home while Bill and Monica headed for camp. It was a long and scenic day, and we were ready to get out of the Jeeps.
