My past eight posts have been about Southern Utah and my trips to Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. The landscape is so dramatic there that it has been a struggle to get back in a Northern Utah frame of mind for the blog. However slow posting does not mean I have not been out looking at the west and exploring. Shortly before leaving for Moab I met up again with the Utah Xterra Owners Club for an afterwork outing on Skyline Drive above Bountiful. When the outing was first being discussed I had misinterpreted where we were meeting and discovered that there are many skyline drives in Utah. Our trip that evening was cut short due to a gate being locked but we did find a few nice spots to pull over and enjoy the sunset. Though the view is nice the overall experience is a bit squalid. The area was crawling with people most of whom were on ATV’s and dirt bikes and many more camping on the side of the road. Literally on the side of the road. Like not even ten feet from the road. Needless to say this area is not on my list of places to camp. However the view is worth it and I saw more than a few 2WD cars up there so give it a look if you are in the area. The road starts near the big “B” above Bountiful. When the road is fully open you can drive all the way up to Bountiful Peak (elevation 9259 ft.)
The photo above is from another Skyline Drive. This road is in the Caribou National Forest just over the Idaho border. Given the location you will see more cattle than people and the area was ATV free during our visit. I would recommend starting from the Cache Valley side vs. the I-15 side as it’s a bit tricky to find the road on the west side. From the small town of Weston head west toward Weston Canyon. The road to Dry Canyon Campground is the road you want to start the drive. It’s a decent gravel road and not challenging. The views are not spectacular in a postcard kind of way but subtle, relaxed and quite. When I came across this small herd of cattle tucked away along this creek I had to stop and take a picture. It really says “the west” to me.
Looking at the West 
Such beautiful country!
I love the muted mountains and sky of the top photo, and my goodness, that sky and the way it colours and lights the hills in the background of the bottom photo–spectacular! Thank you for these. ~ Lily
Thanks for your comment.
breathtaking!
Great pictures, thank you
well shot, very like them
Well Captured!
Classic West. I love the cattle. Sometimes our home turf can seem humdrum and it can be harder to write about, but then you see the details, like people who strangely camp right by the road. Nice work.
So true. Seeing your surroundings with new eyes is difficult but worth the effort. For the second skyline drive image I wondered if it was too different from the first to be in the same post. After some consideration it did not matter that it was not as dramatic on fist glance but rather it is an image that lets you contemplate what is in there. The cattle, the creek, the enclosed space, the limited view from the cattle’s location and the more expansive view from where I was, the impending weather, the feel of isolation… the list can go on and on.
Gorgeous last photo. I saw many skies like that on my recent trip to Wyoming.
Just scrolling through your blog -I must say that the colors and landscapes you capture are magnificent!
Thanks for looking Jack. Yes they are magnificent, I feel lucky to have many of these places close to me that I can visit and revisit.
Beatifull Utah…