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Walking Miles on the Round Valley Trail |
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Written by Julia Brenner
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Tuesday, 01 July 2008 |
Being from New Jersey, I find it hard to believe that after only 15 minutes of walking you can feel so far away from civilization. This thought hit me very shortly into my hike with Miles on the Round Valley Trail in Snyderville Basin. Very quickly after beginning the hike, we were in the middle of a valley with mountains surrounding us and no houses in sight. The air was crisp and we were enveloped in nature.
This Sunday excursion was planned by a friend and our party was quite large. There were six humans and three dogs, Miles and I included. We were prepared for a two to three-hour leisurely hike with water for all, and a few toys for the dogs. The plan was to begin hiking on the Round Valley Trail, a popular mountain biking trail, into the basin and then walk around following different trails until our thirst for hiking was satiated.
We parked at the trailhead on Old Ranch Road and leashed up our dogs. A sign there said that dogs should be kept on leashes because of rattlesnake sightings. As we began walking, we quickly realized another good reason for keeping our dogs on a leash: mountain bikers. Round Valley Trail is a popular mountain biking trail and we saw many bikers making their way both up and down during the beginning of our hike.
The first 15 minutes of hiking was easy, with many switchbacks leading us up the side of a small mountain. The trail was packed dirt with some larger rocks jutting out of the ground and was wide enough for two people or two dogs walking next to each other for the most part. Immediately, Miles wanted to be at the front, leading the hike, with his canine playmate, Layla. The two of them led us back and forth up the mountainside. This was Miles' third or fourth hike and he already knew to stay in front and keep walking at a steady pace.
Once we reached the ridge, the basin was a maze of trails. One member of our group frequently explores this area and was very knowledgeable about the trails. Our group went straight ahead following the blue Round Valley Trail signs. At an intersection of trails, we turned left heading toward a low hill, still following the blue signs. In the valley, the terrain was very easy. The trails varied from two person-wide walking trails, to wider, old 4-wheel dirt roads. Once we reached this basin, the number of mountain bikers decreased almost to none.
On the left, we came upon a small pond. We let the dogs off their leashes for a short swim, but Miles refused to get into the water. The other dogs were swimming and chasing tennis balls while Miles ran along the edge trying to play. Next, we took a detour up a small hill. This hill was the steepest part of the whole hike, but easy because of the large, well worn dirt road leading up. In five minutes we reached the top, where we had an incredible view of Park City and the surrounding areas.
Unfortunately, we could not finish the six-mile hike to the National Ability Center, so we turned around and headed back to the cars — dusk was beginning. The hike back to the car was easy and quick, and we made it just as the sun was beginning to set. The dogs were tired and we were hungry.
I wish we could have finished the trail, but we did not allot enough time for all of it. I definitely plan on going back and exploring more of Snyderville Basin. There were many trails that were dog friendly and if I planned well enough in advance, I could easily finish one in a day.
IF YOU GO:
• The Round Valley Trail is a six-mile trail that has a trailhead on Old Ranch Road and at the National Ability Center off of Route 248 (Kearns Boulevard). The Old Ranch Road trailhead has parking for only six-eight cars.
• To get to Old Ranch Road, take I-80 to Park City (Rt. 224) and take a left onto Old Ranch Road. Follow this road past the housing developments and golf course to the trailhead. Maps and directions can also be found at www.basinrecreation.com.
Miles is a border collie/hound mix puppy just getting his paws wet out on the trail.
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