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Shram Creek Loop
The Shram Creek Loop is an 8.7 mile loop in Payson Canyon with 7 miles of singletrack and 1.7 miles of pavement. The ride starts at 6850 feet elevation, with a gain of 1400 feet to 8250. Total climbing will be around 1700. This is an intermediate technical ride. There are many tiny creeks and a few small ooze-bogs you'll cross. This is a tiny spring along the Jones Ranch trail as we're climbing. Photos June 5, 2006. |
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| The terrain alternates between forest riding and open
meadows. Trees are mostly aspen and fir, with occasional spruce. The
meadows often turn into a riot of flowers in June as the Mule's Ears
bloom.
The trail is usually ready to ride by early June. Expect a few muddy spots due to ooze from small springs, even into late summer. Because horses are frequent on this trail (and begin riding before the snow is off the trail), you may find yourself bouncing over deep, rock-hard hoof-holes on occasion. View east as we cross a meadow climbing the Jones Ranch trail. |
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You can park to begin the ride at two spots. If you park at
Shram Creek, you'll climb the paved Nebo Loop road first, and finish
downhill. If you park in the "corral" at the Jones Ranch
trailhead, you do half your climb at first on singletrack, then finish
with the second half on the road.
This is Rock Spring. We're about half-way through the loop. |
| Jones Ranch is a smooth, easy climb (as of 2006). The Rock
Springs trail rolls up and down three hills, with some rough rock and
erosion damage. The descent down Shram Creek is fun, with some technical
spots, usually due to erosion and/or horse damage.
View west as we reach a large meadow area on the Rock Springs Trail.
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Riding notes, clockwise from Jones Ranch
trailhead: 0.0 ST uphill on R side of road N 39° 56.544 W 111° 39.449 1.7 Trail joins from L (Payson Lakes) N 39° 55.383 W 111° 38.939 1.9 Go R uphill on Rock Springs (trail 101) rough, rocky N 39° 55.204 W 111° 38.908 3.1 Fork, keep R N 39° 54.775 W 111° 39.812 3.9 Fork R downhill on Shram Creek (trail 122) N 39° 54.765 W 111° 40.674 Keep L at first fork Jackie scopes the scene at Lizard Lake, on the Rock Springs trail just before the fork to bomb downhill on the Shram Creek Trail. |
| Clockwise loop, continued... 5.6 Fork R N 39° 55.890 W 111° 40.868 6.1 Trail joins from R, continue straight N 39° 56.056 W 111° 40.634 6.9 Keep R until trail drops to cattleguard N 39° 56.595 W 111° 40.571 R up gravel road to Nebo Loop R on pavement 8.7 At parking. Most of the Shram Creek trail is a downhill plunge in aspen, fir, and spruce. Here we've hit a smooth meadow, looking north towards Lone Peak. |
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Getting there: Going south, take
the Payson exit 250 from I-15 and turn left. Head into Payson on U-115 to
the traffic light, then turn left (100 North, U-198). About 1/3 mile
later, at the top of a small hill, turn right at 600 East. Zero your
odometer here. Shram Creek trailhead -- Drive 9.1 miles up the Nebo Loop Road. (Pass the Grotto Trail and Bennie Creek Cutoff Trail.) As you approach a cattleguard, there's a dirt road on the right. Parking is at the wide area on your left. The trail starts about 150 feet down the dirt road, just across the cattleguard, on the left. Jones Ranch trailhead -- Drive 10.9 miles up the Nebo Loop Road. (Pass the Grotto Trail and Bennie Creek Cutoff Trail. Pass the Shram Creek trailhead and cross a cattleguard, then go another 1.8 miles up the road.) Watch for a parking area with a wood-rail fence on your left. The trail starts uphill on the right side of the road, across from the parking area. N 39° 56.544 W 111° 39.449 |
| Riding resources for this trail: Single-page riding guide GPS track files (right-click and "Save as..."): Garmin Garmin, including upper Jones Ranch National Geographic Google Earth GPX Large-format topo map (700K): download |
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