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FR170 North Mtn Rd(sh)

1.START-END NORTH:jct UT57-Ut10, south end of Castle Dale 2.profile turns from Ut29 onto unpaved FR170 3.TOP, 7740ft 4.profile stays left at this junction 5.route joins Ferron Canyon Rd 6.START-END SOUTH:jct Canyon Rd - Ut10

Approaches

From North. The profile follows up a very luxurious feeling climb, smooth pavement, relatively gentle rolling grade, very little traffic, even if it is sometimes a double trailer coal trucks hauling coal from one of the numerious mines up here. They all left plenty of space when they passed.

The road eventually reaches a long reservoir dammed between gentle north-south ridges with rocky outcrops, just to accent their shape a bit. Ut29 continues its scenic climb to Skyline Drive, from here on unpaved roads, unmaintained through the winter. Continuing to ride around the lake instead, now on FR170, pavement remains a little longer. Even after it disappears, the climb continues in the same character, just rolling along and climbing up the next wave in the landscape. Eventually the last wave is the top.

From South. Views from the top are not bad but limited. But the road is in for a change. While the rolling gravel road turns back east and continues to climb, the profile follows an OHV trail dubbed the Black Dragon Road , continuing to head north, aiming to connect to Ferron Canyon. It first does so in a relatively civilized manner, with steep banked turns, but no rocks - so very cyclable. However things slowly disintigrate. After the jct with a 4 digit forest road, this three digit road decends steeply over rocky terrain to Ferron Canyon. But in the end, after this rocky interlude Ferron Canyon saves the gravel ride. The decent continues quickly on the shallow and smooth remains. The profile ends on streets, as wide as some in small medieval villages are long, in Ferron.