Cedar Mountains Wilderness, Utah

About an hour west of SLC on I-80, past Grantsville, past Skull Valley, lies the Cedar Mountains, which form the last range going west before the expanse of the Great Salt Lake Desert.  The Cedar Mountains are quite arid, and remarkably undisturbed.  If you want solitude, they are an awesome resource, and it's heartening to know this range was designated as wilderness.



Yep, the ill-fated Donner Party went through this range on their
way to California, before getting really bogged down in the
salt flats trying to get to Pilot Peak, the nearest fresh water on
an 80 sprint across the GSL desert.





Looking SW toward the Deep Creek mountains, and the
Snake Valley, currently a controversial issue because
Las Vegas wants to take their already meager water supplies.





Looking NW toward the Newfoundland Mountains and Desert Peak.





From the top of the Cedar Mountains, looking east to Deseret Peak
 in the Stansbury Mountains.  See all that snow? 
That's why I'm not hiking the big peaks quite yet.  lol.





On the way to the summit.  Pretty easy hiking, a good workout at 7000+ feet.





The day was mostly cloudy, windy and cold, with a cold front dropping
the temperature about 20F during my hike, but the sun broke out
later to give me some nice shadow effects against the sparsely forested foothills.





Almost sunset, back down on the road on the west side of the range
some Cedar trees provide a nice foreground to their namesake mountain range.





A couple of Ferruginous Hawks trying to stay out the wind.





Cedar trees lined up in a row at sunset.



 

Newfoundland Mountains, NW Utah

The Great Salt Lake desert is an expansive flat area of playa, mudflats, salt flats.  In the middle of this vast, uninhabited area is a small ranges called the Newfoundland Mountains.  This range is very isolated, though the hike to the top of Desert Peak is rewarding.

Crossing the railroad from Lakeside (about 25 miles of gravel
road, max speed about 35mph) you travel south and to hike
Desert Peak I went along the western "shore" of this range to
an old mining trail, and got up as high on the bench as I could.

Along the south ride of Desert Peak, looking
south along the eastern side of the range as it
extends like the tail of a scorpion.



Another shot looking south from Desert Peak





Looking north from Desert Peak.  There were rain squalls moving
through, and three prarie falcons above making a lot of racket.





Coming back down, as the day turned to dusk,
a view to the W-SW with Silver Island Mountains and
Pilot Peak behind.





Looking north down the western side of
the Newfoundlands, with the Grouse
Creek Mountains in the distance.





Last few moments of sunlight, looking toward
NW corner of Newfoundlands from mudflats.