Mustang Pass

After eating Thanksgiving leftovers for two days, it was high time to get outside and do a hike!  So, under sunny skies, with little to no wind, we decided to explore Mustang Pass - one of the trails located near our new neighborhood.  Although we planned to do it as and "out and back", we came across an unmarked trail that allowed us to make a loop hike by incorporating the Icehouse Trail on top of Broken Mesa.  This route made for a most enjoyable afternoon hike!

The right arrow points to Mustang Pass . . . our original destination
The left arrow points to our "sneaker route" to the top of Broken Mesa . . . more on that later!

 Mustang Pass skirts along the left side of Peak 3714 . . . an old volcanic cone
(Hiking to the top of Peak 3714 is on our list for another day)

The trail (actually an old road) leads up to the pass

Kent is working his way up to the saddle
(This picture is looking back towards where we started - near the base of the prominent black ridge)

Up on top we had nice views of the Red Cliffs and a decision to make . . .
Should we continue on the Mustang Pass Trail, hike Peak 3714, or take an unmarked trail up Broken Mesa?

Looking back at Mustang Pass and the backside of Peak 3714

We figured we'd come back for Peak 3714 and the thought of hiking back the way we had already come,
paled in comparison to a loop hike that had some nice elevation gain . . .
So off we went on an unmarked trail, hoping that it would connect with the Icehouse Trail

We learned later that Mustang Pass was the sight of an old earthen dam . . .
What the purpose for it was or where they got the water to fill it was unclear to us,
 but somebody put a lot of work into it! From atop Broken Mesa, the old dam site berms were clearly visible

Desert marigold

Kent is pointing to Peak 4184 . . . a hike we did a few weeks ago

We were right . . . the unmarked trail did join up with the Icehouse Trail!
Now it was time to head to the end of Broken Mesa, and then descend, to complete our loop

Here's a good view of the cut where the Mustang Pass Trail passes through
(Earlier, we saw a small airplane fly through the Pass . . . it was below both rims!)

Coming off the mesa and heading for the trailhead that begins at the edge of the houses

Altogether, we were able to log just over four miles and about 650 ft of elevation gain.  Just about what we were hoping for on this late November Saturday.  Now, it was time to head home and set up our Christmas tree!  What an enjoyable afternoon . . . you may want to consider this hike if you have a couple of extra hours on your hand!

Ice House Trail

In case you haven't heard, we moved!  After considering the possibility of relocating, for over a year, we felt that it was the right time to downsize both our house and property . . . And so, after saying our goodbyes to Hurricane, we moved down the road to Washington, Utah.  Not that Washington is that far away (maybe 10 miles as the crow flies), but after living in the same home for 26 years it was still a major life changing event for us!

Now that we are settled in the Green Springs area, our first "order of business" was to explore one of several trailheads that begin in our community.  Today's pick was the Ice House Trail that so prominently snakes it's way up a mesa viewable from our new home.  It certainly was good to leave the packing boxes behind and get on to another outdoor adventure!

Access to the trailhead is located in the Green Springs Villas neighborhood . . .
 Parking spots have been provided, so you don't have to park on the street . . . very nice!

 The Red Cliffs Desert Reserve offers over 130 miles of non-motorized trails . . . 
You can hike, mountains bike or ride your horse on many of the trails

Today we are taking the trail to the left . . . we'll do Mustang Pass another time

Ice House crosses the Middleton Powerline Trail and begins making it's way up the mesa

Scorpion weed  . . . strange name for a pretty flower

The trail ascends on the southwest side of Broken Mesa

It's a nice gradual climb on what appears to be a very old road . . . sure would have hated
to have been the one tasked with forging the road from all the lava rock!
Rumor has it that this trail was used to bring ice down from a storage cabin near the
Pine Valley Mountains in the early part of the century . . . and thus the name

Looking south, from atop the mesa, toward Green Springs and our new home

We continued north to get nice views of the Red Cliffs

Plains Prickly Pear cacti were just starting to bloom

So delicate yet so prickly

The diverse landscape of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve is unique and special . . .
Kent is planning a future hike that will take us across the ridgeline of the middle portion of the Red Cliffs . . .    they say it is doable . . . we shall find out!

White flowering bush

Pink Sego lily

From our house we can see this bush on the end of the mesa . . . 
We always thought it was a flag someone had placed up there . . .
We were surprised it was only a bush when we hiked along the mesa rim on our way back! 

 We are thankful there are several places in Washington County to access the Reserve . . .
 It goes to show that you only need a couple of hours to see some amazing scenery!

Well, now we know what's on top of the mesa near our new home!  It was certainly nice that it had rained the previous evening and combined with the cool temperatures, made for an enjoyable hike through the springtime cacti and flowers that are now coming into full bloom.  Altogether, we hiked about three miles (r/t) and gained approximately 600 feet of elevation.  More importantly, it opened our eyes to several more hikes that we want to do!

Our Hurricane home (1998-2024) . . . Thanks for the memories!

Our new Washington home (2024-present) . . . Time to make some new memories!