North of Monticello Utah, Anything Interesting?

Along Route 191, north of Monticello, there are more county roads and I decided to check some of them out.  My first venture was about three hours where I cruised up and down CR 120 (Gordon Reservoir), CR 333 (North Long Drive) and CR 332 (Hickman (s) Flat Road).  On the map, CR 120 is highlighted in yellow, CR 333 and Hickman is in light blue.

CR 120  - Gordon Reservoir

1/10th of a mile from mile marker 75, due west, is CR 120; a graded dirt/gravel road for almost three miles; then more rocky and less maintained to the ATV trails.  For the first 2.5 miles, both sides of the road are private property and farms; however, you get a great view of the Abajo Mountains.

 

 

At 2.5 miles there is an ATV trail heading southward; there's no fencing or private property signs, or any signs at all, so it looks to have been made simply by local riders.  From the map, it looks like it might lead to Gordon Reservoir itself, but here's a topographic view anyway.

 





There is also an abandoned home along the way; why anyone would simply abandon their home, especially with the view of the mountains behind, is beyond me. Seems to be the norm in this area to just pick up and leave.

At 2.8 miles the graded road ends, there is a steep ascent to a rocky unmaintained road, but at the 3.4 mile mark are three ATV trails, one heading east, one going west, and the middle one going south.  How far do they go and what is there to see?  That's up to you to find out; I do know that there is a dried pond along the eastern one, but that's as far as I could travel in the SUV.

To get back to Route 191, simply backtrack along the road just traveled.

CR 333 - North Long Drive and CR 332 - Hickmans Flat Road

Directly across from CR 120 is CR 333; this entire road is private property and fenced off farmland.  You can take the other roads that branch off of it, but they too are private and fenced off.  However, if you want some great panorama views of the Abajo Mountains, with Monticello lying below them, this is the road for it.  CR 333 goes for about 6.4 miles before it either continues north to Hickmans Flat Road, or east onto Farmers Road.  Hickmans can take you either back to Route 191 or to the Colorado border.

This photo appeared on the front page of the San Juan Record, June 4, 2014 edition; taken on Hickmans Flat Road.

Now this story would not be complete without mentioning the wildflowers that can be found along the roads.

Purple Three-Awn (Grass family)

Silvery Lupine (Pea family)

Vernal Daisy (Sunflower family)



Common Globemallow (Mallow family)

So, to answer the question in the title of this post, sure there is!  All you have to do is take off those blinders, open the eyes wide and LOOK!!!  Keep remembering, life is adventure or nothing at all...do you want an adventure or nothing?

Mary Cokenour

Coal Bed Canyon, the Upper Section.

Just because I was done with the roads around the Eastland area, does not mean I'm done with finding roads to get into the canyon areas.  Now past CR 312 (Horsehead), heading east on Route 491, were three more county roads to check out.  CR 366 is closed off from the start; CR 314 (North Lockerby) is only 1.5 miles before it reaches CR 339 (East Lockerby); CR 377 is only 1.4 miles in length before CR 339 is again reached. 

At this point I wondered if this was it, I'd reached the "end of the road", so to speak and headed on down CR 339 towards Eastland.  Ah ha!  Another San Juan County road sign, this was CR 341 (Coal Bed) and finding out if it truly went to Coal Bed Canyon pumped up the adrenaline once again.

CR 341(Coal Bed) is only 1.4 miles from the junction of CR 377 and CR 339; at first it looks as if the road goes directly to a pump jack, but simply drive on past.  At 9/10s of a mile is the CR 343 junction; looking at the map of where Coal Bed Canyon was located, guesswork told me go left onto CR 343.  At mile mark 5.4 is when CR 343 goes off towards the left and you can pick up CR 341 once again heading off straight.  One more mile down is the junction for CR 345 which leads to Cedar Point; a settlement established in 1918, it's basically a wilderness area which is watched over by the Dove Creek, Colorado Fire Department. Now to post a map to give you a better idea of what I've been describing directional wise; follow the yellow hi-lighted road.

The strange thing about the road through Coal Bed Canyon is that you're not entirely sure if you're in farmland, shrubland or canyon; it's an ever changing scenery.  Just as you're traveling up a narrow stretch of roadway with canyon off to your left; you get to the top and surprise!, open farmland is now surrounding you.

As you can see from the above photos, the road tends to go down and around, then up and around, then, well you get the picture.  At mile mark 11.8 is when my journey through Coal Bed took a turn, literally!  I came upon the junction for CR 372 - Monument Canyon; Oh! I'd heard about that canyon and had wanted to see it, and here was my chance.  This is why this post is labeled "Coal Bed Canyon, the Upper Section" as there is a lower section that looks to come out at Montezuma Canyon Road; that will be for another day. 

Coal Bed Canyon



Desert Mountain Lilac

Along the road I came to almost a screeching stop when I saw "feathers" being blown by the breeze; they were the flowers of the Desert Mountain Lilac.  The photo doesn't do it justice as it is so much prettier up close and personal.  I would so love to have this in my garden area!

 

...and that's that for now.  The Monument Canyon adventure will be next and if you thought the road through Coal Bed would be white knuckle driving, you ain't seen nothing yet!

 

Mary Cokenour

County Roads off San Juan County Road 312 - Eastland.

As promised, I've updated the most recent map of the San Juan County area that Roy and I are working on. Yesterday I road up and down, what I call, secondary roads that came off of CR 312 - Eastland; mostly 4-wheel drive friendly, but too short to have any real adventures on.  I chose to drive back down first to CR 354 and CR 353, then work my way back towards Route 491 up along CR 312.  I think what amazed me the most was that I was out for four hours doing this, but it only felt as if I'd been out for a couple of hours.  Proof that time does fly when you're having fun!

CR 354 is 6.8 miles along CR 312 is only 1.1 miles in length before it dead ends at another of those abandoned homesteads.  I truly enjoy photographing these old homes, made from logs cut in half lengthwise, planks, or a combination of both; they have such character!  Sometimes the stones used to create a fireplace are still in place; and I look to see if newspaper was used to fill in the spaces between the logs, so I can date the buildings.  At first I thought the wheel standing up in the sagebrush was a simple wagon wheel, but it was actually part of rusting farm equipment.

An ATV trail goes up a steep incline nearby, but quickly loops back down to the main section of road; nothing exciting to brag about.  From the amount of spent shotgun casings I could see on the ground, this area is for locals to practice shooting at an old refrigerator, or just blow off some steam.





Back to CR 312 and to mile mark 8.7 for CR 353; only 1.4 miles in length before it dead ends at...farmland (starting to sound like a broken record with these dead ends).  The large building in the background of one panorama is where the loop road for the canyon overlooks begins; and the ATV trail that goes out into Big Water Canyon.

Now to backtrack closer to Eastland itself and check out side roads nearby.  CR 340 - Pearson seemed very promising on actually getting close to or, maybe, into Pearsons Canyon.  At 1.4 miles I came upon CR - 381; I'll get to that later.  5.4 miles along is the first viewpoint of the Canyon; 5.8 miles Pearsons Point can be seen eastward; 7.5 miles there is an area I could walk out and see a grander view of the Canyon.  At 8.7 miles, BAM!, a padlocked gate stopped me in my tracks; to say I was disappointed is an understatement...I was pissed off!!!

Pearsons Point

Pearsons Canyon

Fine, back to CR 381 and see where it goes to; well not very far, a half mile before it dead ended at...another farm.  Now here's a real kicker; there is a mountain peak called Ginger Hill, but its location is blocked by the dead ends on both CR 340 and CR 381.  The landscape in the area is rolling, so it cannot be easily seen until you get closer to its location.  Ginger Hill is 6,857 feet and ranks as the 1175th highest mountain in Utah.  Ok, so not as majestic as Abajo Peak at 11, 360 feet, but still, it would have been nice to see and photograph.

 

 

CR 351 - Eastland is actually three separate streets that make up central Eastland; the LDS Church and Eastland Fire Department are located here besides residential homes.

 

 

One more road and then stick a fork in me, I am done, done, done with CR - 312 and Eastland!  CR 367 - Shupe dead ends 1.4 miles at a, need I say it again, farm.  I did take a photo of the fence decor as it looked so awesomely southwestern in style, and I love the yellow rose bush.  However, out of curiosity and a "what the heck" attitude, I decided to take a dirt road which was 9/10ths of a mile along this County road.  It lead directly to CR 338 - Boulder CTF Road which eventually lead to CR 311 - East Boulder Point and up to Route 491 and home.  Lost?  Refer to the map I posted on June 12, 2014.

 

The next posts I do on San Juan County roads will be more fun as I did make it down to, and out of, some canyons.  No screaming, but lots of expletives and white knuckle driving.  Till then...

 

Mary Cokenour