by Clint Thomsen

GUEST COLUMNIST

Spring fever is a tough bug to beat, especially when you've been anxiously awaiting spring since fall started.

Mother Nature's cruel teases -- the deceptive sunrays, budding tulips, a semi-warm day here and there -- if not followed shortly thereafter by the real deal, trigger an amusing display of obstinacy. For my family, it's the outright refusal to further acknowledge a lingering winter. My wife and I have used the grill almost daily for two weeks despite the cold, and my car's ice scraper has officially -- though prematurely -- been retired from the front floor to the trunk. Our kids decided last week that the long pants were going back into the winter bin, as it would be shorts and flip-flops from here on out -- uncooperative weather be danged.

I would have to check the statistics, but it seems like this winter has been exceptionally long. Either that or I'm just more in tune with the weather this year. You see, what you read in this space every Thursday is almost completely dependent on the weather of the preceding Saturday. If I've learned anything in the five months I have written this column, it's the importance of having plans B, C, and D.

There was not a plan B last weekend. Spring fever had me laser focused on two things last week: my mountain bike and the Oquirrh Range. A bike ride it would be, come snow or shine. Saturday morning had me driving south towards Tooele under gloomy skies, chasing a sliver of blue that disappeared as I turned into Settlement Canyon. At the suggestion of Mikel Brewerton of Tooele hikers, I had come to ride Dark Trail.

The four-mile loop is a moderate ride, perfect for beginners and seasoned riders looking to renew their mountain biking chops after a long off-season. Three fishermen sat bundled up on the north shore of the reservoir and several others carried their tackle boxes toward a sandy shoal near the road. I rode down to the trailhead and started south along the dual-track that leads to the main trail.

Though I've ridden many a trail, I consider myself a novice at best. I am slow and uncoordinated, and my old bike is a rattletrap dinosaur compared to the tricked-out rigs some of my friends ride. I would love to own a bike that costs roughly the same as a decent used car, but my hand-me-down Marin still rides fine. Even the die-hard mountain biker will admit that it is less about the gear and more about being out on the trail.

After about 200 yards, the trail became a narrow single track and paralleled the main road southward. Lines of scrub oak and cottonwood arched over the trail in many spots, creating a virtual tunnel. The branches were still bare, but I imagine the shade provided by their late spring foliage makes "Dark Trail" a fitting name.

The ground was surprisingly solid in spite of the wet weather and sporadic patches of snow up to 2 feet deep. I rode straight through most of the snow patches and walked my bike through the deepest ones. The trail climbs steadily and evenly until it passes Legion Park where it begins a series of dips and rises. Exposed rocks make this the most technical stretch of the trail. After the dips, the path remains fairly straight, but the corridor narrows as it runs between a wire fence on the east side and a steeper western slope.

A small green gate at Sawmill Flats marks the end of this leg of the loop. From here, riders can merge and return to the trailhead via the asphalt canyon road or simply ride back on the same trail. A third option -- one requiring permission -- is to continue farther past the gate, where the trail continues to climb parallel to the road. I continued past the gate and planned to continue riding until the trail either faded or was no longer passable.

Just past the gate, the tunnel of trees opened into a small meadow. The trail cut a petite path through a grassy floor, creating the perfect scene for the cover of a nature-sounds CD. The ground was muddy, but I stayed on the trail so as not to disturb the grass on either side. The snow patches became deeper and more frequent the farther I rode, and I finally rested my bike against a tree and hiked another hundred yards. Though the ride up was relatively short -- I estimated 2 miles -- my veins coursed with the cycling version of a runner's high. The weather no longer mattered, and I was as happy to be there in the snowy "fake spring" as I would have been in the summer.

The downhill return ride was a blast, especially with no switchbacks, but even the shallower snow patches made things a bit tricky. I reached the trailhead much too quickly, so I explored some of the dual-tracks closer to the road. Only after I returned home did I realize the rare nature of my escape. By the time I sat down to write this article, another storm had left a good inch of snow on my lawn. I hope it melts soon, because my coat and gloves are stored away in the winter bin, and I don't plan to retrieve them until November.

Clint Thomsen is a Stansbury Park resident who grew up climbing mountains, wandering desert paths and exploring Utah's wilds. He may be contacted via his Web site at www.bonnevillemariner.com.

TRIP TIPS

To get to Dark Trail, turn southeast onto Settlement Canyon road at the Camp Wapiti road sign on the southern end of Tooele's Main Street (SR-36). Drive 1 mile to the toll gate and park in the large dirt lot. The canyon is maintained by the county Parks and Recreation Department, and though the road is officially still closed, bicycle and foot access is permitted. The trailhead lies on the south side of the road about 200 yards from the toll gate. Much of the land in Settlement Canyon is private property. Contact Tooele County Parks and Recreation (843-4000) for information about access restrictions.