An Early Salt Flats Condition Report

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Created on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 12:46

Published on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 12:46

Written by Frank Whitby

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The salt is dry and hard. I led the scouts on an intriguing campout last weekend. We left the freeway, turning hard right, a few hundred yards past (West) of the Tree of Utah sculpture along I-80.  This takes you along the narrow dike all the way out to Floating Island Peak.  We camped just on the NW side of Floating Island Peak in one of the bleakest spots imaginable.  

We then hiked up the peak the next morning.   Our troop does quite a bit of hiking, so this was a pretty simple hike. The views up there are spectacular.   I never realized just how far NE the salt extends towards the Gunnison Mountains across the bombing range.

The peak has a wicked cliff on the North side that must invite parachute activity. As near as we could tell, hardly anyone ever goes out to Floating Island Peak and not many people ever bother to hike up it. Amazingly enough, the peak is so short and so close to the higher mountains that form the Silver Island Peaks, that you cannot see Pilot Peak from Floating Island Peak.   Pilot Peak cannot be more than 15-20 miles away or so over on the Nevada border, but it does not poke its head high enough to be seen.

We broke camp and drove back via the Silver Mountains bypass road, coming out down by the gas station at Exit 4 near Wendover. It was a memorable campout.

The salt looks to be as dry and hard as I have ever seen it. The conditions are probably about what you would expect in August, not in May.We will be out of town at the beginning of August, so I am afraid we are out of HellFire again this year.

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