Sunday, September 18, 2005
The Alpine Loop Traversed
I mentioned a few posts ago that I would be reviewing the Alpine Loop drive. Well, I completed the drive on Saturday and I'm obliged to report that it was a very pleasurable afternoon. Kristin got home from work around 12:00 and we put away all the groceries and proceeded to head out on our previously-planned drive on the Alpine Loop. After a brief stop at the local Jamba Juice for some semi-liquid refreshment, we proceeded south to our rendezvous with S.R.92.
The drive begins just after highway 92 leaves the town of Alpine, Utah and heads east up American Fork Canyon. Don't let the initial straightness of the road fool you. It quickly becomes anything but straight. The road winds and twists through the rugged Wasatch mountains, at times becoming so narrow that only one vehicle can pass at a time. There is basically no way to maintain the posted 35MPH speed limit through the drive. Some of the switchbacks are blind and do require considerable caution to avoid some of those SUVers who like to come barrelling down the hill in great danger of simply rolling down the mountain. To give you an idea of how narrow and crooked this road gets, there is a sign at the beginning indicating that vehicles over 30 feet in length should not proceed. That's basically your pickup truck with a trailer, though from my experience, taking even one of those through there is higly dubious.
The drive not only challenges the typical highway driver, but also captivates all vehicle occupants with the sheer beauty of the Utah wilderness. This time of year is very pretty because many of the leaves are turning vivid shades of orange, yellow and red. To see this harmony of vibrant colors, you'd better hurry and take the drive because it won't be there much longer. The drive also offers very grand vistas of the canyon and surrounding brush.
On the way up to the summit, there is a side road that heads to a little place called Cascade Springs. I haven't been there for many years, but from what I remember, it is quite a nice little diversion. Back on the Alpine Loop road, you will continue up and through the forest of quakies until you reach the top where you begin a certainly decided change in inclination. The eastern side of the drive is certainly less appealing than the western side, primarily due to the large BYU facilities placed in locations throughout the forest. Also, the road widens and becomes considerably more tame.
One last diversion to cap off the venerable Alpine Loop scenic byway is Bridal Veil Falls. You come to the falls not long after leaving the Alpine Loop road and merging with the highway heading down Provo Canyon. These magnificent falls descend from the tops of the mountains and cascade over large faces of rock now covered with moss. There is a turnoff and parking available with a short, paved hike down to the bottom of the falls. You can then take a hike up the mountainside to the site of the falls for a closer look. Also, upon arriving, you will notice the ruins of a cable tram station and cables leading up to a building very high on the mountain. This used to be a restaurant but has been out of service for many years due to an avalanche. You can still see and explore (sort of) the tram station at the base of the falls. This building was destroyed in 1996 and measures have been taken to prevent the use of the cables leading up to the restaurant.
Overall, this drive was a very nice excursion. I would like to try this one by motorcycle.
A few things to keep in mind with this drive:
The drive begins just after highway 92 leaves the town of Alpine, Utah and heads east up American Fork Canyon. Don't let the initial straightness of the road fool you. It quickly becomes anything but straight. The road winds and twists through the rugged Wasatch mountains, at times becoming so narrow that only one vehicle can pass at a time. There is basically no way to maintain the posted 35MPH speed limit through the drive. Some of the switchbacks are blind and do require considerable caution to avoid some of those SUVers who like to come barrelling down the hill in great danger of simply rolling down the mountain. To give you an idea of how narrow and crooked this road gets, there is a sign at the beginning indicating that vehicles over 30 feet in length should not proceed. That's basically your pickup truck with a trailer, though from my experience, taking even one of those through there is higly dubious.
The drive not only challenges the typical highway driver, but also captivates all vehicle occupants with the sheer beauty of the Utah wilderness. This time of year is very pretty because many of the leaves are turning vivid shades of orange, yellow and red. To see this harmony of vibrant colors, you'd better hurry and take the drive because it won't be there much longer. The drive also offers very grand vistas of the canyon and surrounding brush.
On the way up to the summit, there is a side road that heads to a little place called Cascade Springs. I haven't been there for many years, but from what I remember, it is quite a nice little diversion. Back on the Alpine Loop road, you will continue up and through the forest of quakies until you reach the top where you begin a certainly decided change in inclination. The eastern side of the drive is certainly less appealing than the western side, primarily due to the large BYU facilities placed in locations throughout the forest. Also, the road widens and becomes considerably more tame.
One last diversion to cap off the venerable Alpine Loop scenic byway is Bridal Veil Falls. You come to the falls not long after leaving the Alpine Loop road and merging with the highway heading down Provo Canyon. These magnificent falls descend from the tops of the mountains and cascade over large faces of rock now covered with moss. There is a turnoff and parking available with a short, paved hike down to the bottom of the falls. You can then take a hike up the mountainside to the site of the falls for a closer look. Also, upon arriving, you will notice the ruins of a cable tram station and cables leading up to a building very high on the mountain. This used to be a restaurant but has been out of service for many years due to an avalanche. You can still see and explore (sort of) the tram station at the base of the falls. This building was destroyed in 1996 and measures have been taken to prevent the use of the cables leading up to the restaurant.
Overall, this drive was a very nice excursion. I would like to try this one by motorcycle.
A few things to keep in mind with this drive:
- Best for use with a small or mid-sized car, not a truck or an SUV.
- Be prepared for lots of braking and sharp turns, many of which are blind.
- Please be courteous and respectful of other people.
- As always, take this drive with the windows down.
