Bunker Creek Trail

by Dave Johnson

June 8 2009

Bunker Creek Trail is an awesome downhill trail IF you do it a month from now. I learned my lesson and I won’t be soon forgetting it. Let’s just say the snow patches on the mountain look smaller they are.

Bunker Creek Trail

On Thursday Statton and I decided it would be fun to do a trail while we were up here on a camping trip. I’ve wanted to do Bunker Creek for years and was finally able to do it. When my dad dropped us off near the top of Brian Head, we had to hike over a snow patch that covered the road before we could even get to the trailhead. To add to the situation the wind was cold and must have been blowing at 60 mph

Bunker Creek Trail

The trail starts at about 10,500 ft. We had to spend most of our time hike-a-bike through the snow that covered the trail in patches. Once we started dropping it started drying off and was a nice smooth ride until we got to where the trail forks left and right. We took the right fork of Bunker Creek (left fork from top) and instantly ran into snow again.

Bunker Creek Trail

Again after we started dropping in altitude we were cursing down some fun rock gardens and switchbacks without snow. We soon ran into another problem, since it was so early in the season there were tons of trees that have fallen over the trail and the Color Country Bike Club hadn’t had time to do trail work yet, and I give the Color Country Bike Club props for cleaning up this trail every year.

Bunker Creek Trail Looking at Parowan

After climbing over three dozen trees the trail turned into an ATV track and turned into some smooth riding that is until I got bucked forward and went over the handle bars at 30+ mph and landing on my face. Good thing my head was resting on my left arm and my right hand. After I crashed I was in so much pain could swear my shoulder was broken and the same for my wrist. After lying on the ground for a few minutes the pain started to dull and I was able to determine that I fine except all for all the road rash on my knees, arms, shoulder, and a scratch on my face. It took me 10 minutes to figure out where my bike went, but I soon found it upside down in a tree 15 feet down the trail from where I was sitting (last picture). I figured I flew/skidded 15ft from the start of the crash.

Bunker Creek Trail Bunker Creek Trail looking back

This would be an awesome trail in July, but I will never do this trail again in June or any time before it. On a side note I thought it was really cool watching the ground fly by 2 inches from my face.

Bunker Creek Trail bike in tree after crash

One Response

  1. Statton
    11:28 pm on June 9th, 2009

    That trail suck was windy and fallen trees every 30 feet and crashed i ran in to a log and fell into a bunch of sticks.

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