The Silver Island Mountains
Tooele County, Utah
Dave Crockett, Ryan Crockett, Jim Drysdale

This familiar scene is the Silver Island Mountains northeast of Wendover. Rising from the great Bonneville Salt Flats, the Silvers often create a mirage-like image of floating on the desert. This dry and seldom-explored range of mountains may appear as though it hasn't much to offer (no doubt a similar sentiment was expressed by members of the Donner party), but for the hiker, and at the right time of year, exploring is quite pleasant.

Ryan, Jim and I met in the lovely community of Delle (a.k.a. gas station in the middle of nowhere with one dog, a couple of trucks, a gang banger chick with four inches of make-up, and a stack of railroad ties). It was 7:30 AM, and already shaping up to be a truly sublime day for a bit of desert hiking. Once all inside the same vehicle, we headed west toward Wendover and exited the Interstate at the Bonneville Speedway, turning north along the western edge of the Silvers. For a brief moment we considered ourselves alone in the vastness of the Great Salt Lake Desert. But rounding a curve we had to slow for a child sporting expensive riding gear and a helmet. A few yards beyond him was an entire city of off road enthusiasts riding about on the soft, white desert floor.

We drove a little further north to the foot of the interesting formation pictured above. It reminded us of a scene from the House Range. We decided to take a short walk up the slope to broaden our view. As we started up the trail, a sign warning would-be vandals against defacing the ancient anthropological site increased our curiosity.

It was a cave in the mountainside where, obviously, someone had once lived, worshipped, sacrificed virgins, or something. We looked and moved on.

Looking down at the city of motor homes, trailers and bikers, we marveled at how, in this vast expanse of open space, they seemed to confine themselves to an area about the size of a football field.

After taking in the view, we continued our northward progression. The view before us was of "Floating Island", an aptly named range of smaller mountains rising from the desert floor to the north of the Silvers.

Another road heading up a canyon soon came into view. It led to an abrupt end at a mining claim. The view from the interior of the range was quite different from that of the exterior... almost as if this range may actually support mammalian life, despite the absence of water. Sure enough, after a little more hiking, the presence of deer was quite apparent.

So... we ventured further north and rounded the northern end of the range. Pilot Peak was now clearly in view--a spectacular rise from the desert floor, holding what appeared to be a decent snowpack by comparison. But, it being a drought of major proportion this year, the snowpack was still significantly thinner than in in a normal year.

Pilot Peak from closer-up (Jim Drysdale)

A few miles further, we beheld yet another city. This one, however, was inhabited by people with an altogether different purpose in life. These folks were not here to play, but to tend to the arduous duty of shearing their sheep.

It gets lonely out here...

Dave in the guzzler... (????)

Another fork in the road took us up this canyon, with a view of the valley on the west side of the range and Pilot Peak on the horizon. This time, we exited the vehicle for a longer hike.

We agreed that this would not be the place to go tooling around aimlessly in the heat of the summer. But the mild 70 degree weather of late March was perfect, and we had packed plenty of water and light snacks.

Up the saddle to a rocky ridgetop, we sat and enjoyed the splendid views in every direction, reminiscing, planning the next trip, and reveling in the solitude.

A word to the wise... do not venture here in the summer unprepared. You'll die. Tell someone where you are going, take twice as much water as you think you might ever need, and take it slow. It's hot, dry, remote, and unforgiving. To see the Basin in all its glory, however, these are the conditions you must seek... happy travels.

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