The old Marysvale Bridge

I just updated an article on Marysvale's website about the old bridge east of Marysvale.  Growing up in Monroe, with roots deep in Marysvale, my family visited often.  We came to Marysvale every May to decorate graves for Memorial Day.  I remember crossing the old bridge, the unique rumble sort of sound it made, I wondered if we might fall through.  When I was doing the research for my article, I learned the old Marysvale Bridge was built to handle a 20 ton live load, we weren't at risk of falling through.  Darin remembers his Grandpa Haws and others working for the VCA frequently crossing the old one lane bridge with a semi truck loaded with uranium, around 40 tons a trip.  The old Bridge, built in 1910, has withstood floods and ice flows and still stands strong today.  A two lane bridge eventually replaced the wooden one lane bridge.  No one wanted the beautiful old bridge torn down, so the new one was built north of the old one and the road re routed to the new one.  The Marysvale Bridge today is accessible by foot, some of the planks have been robbed from it's deck, still fun to walk out across and see the craftsmanship of a day gone by.  Visitors to the Paiute Trail pass by the Marysvale Bridge when connecting to several trails departing east of Marysvale.

Busy Weekend

My neck of the woods had tons going on this weekend!  Marysvale Chamber Bingo Night Friday was a blast, fun times with some great people.  Saturday was Sevier Valley Center day with the Commissioners Art Show, Home and Garden Show and the Natural Resource Fair.  The kids especially enjoyed the Natural Resource Fair, we got free trees, saw a turtle from Hogle Zoo, planted seeds in worm poop, petted bunnies, baby goats and llamas, we also got tons of free goodies and good information.  Sunday we took a drive up Bullion Canyon to a pull off where the kids could play in the water and look for pretty rocks.  I don't know what I'm gonna do with all these pretty rocks!

#5 Visit the Eagle Rock Train Tunnel

My Grandpa Wilcock was a yard man for the D&RGW railroad depot in Marysvale, Utah. My aunt Ruth used to tell me trains ran in our blood. I love the legacy of the Marysvale Line, the people it brought to Marysvale, the jobs it provided, and the gold and ore it hauled away. Years have passed since they closed the Marysvale line, the track has been torn up, the rail grade converted, in part, to a spur of the Paiute ATV Trail on the south end, and the Candy Mountain Express Bike Trail on the north end, and the depot and rail yard have long since been re-allocated. The only evidence left that a train came to Marysvale, is the Eagle Rock Tunnel in Marysvale Canyon.

The Eagle Rock Tunnel, completed in 1896, measures 200 feet in length and is curved to accommodate the Sevier River on the south end. The tunnel can be accessed via the Candy Mountain Express Bike Trail north of Big Rock Candy Mountain. If bicycling isn't your thing, there are two pull offs along Hwy 89 near mile marker 187, the tunnel is a short walk across the bike path. It was originally planned to include the tunnel as part of the Candy Mountain Express Bike Path but this was not feasible due to the cost, and the loss of historic value in order to retrofit the tunnel to safe standards.

The openings to the Eagle Rock Tunnel has been fenced off, however you can still see inside from the gate. Take note of the high ceilings still stained with black soot from the trains. There are still black soot stains on the outside rock over hang on the south end of the tunnel. Notice the huge two foot by two foot timbers shoring up the wood cribbing at both 25 foot high portals. Don't forget the fact that this massive undertaking was executed in 1896 with pure, raw, man power. I'm proud of the fact that people like my Grandpa Wilcock were part of this great era of building America, the era that celebrated mans accomplishments with acts such as greeting an incoming train with a band.

#4 Fish the Sevier River

Things to Do and See in Marysvale #4
Fish the Sevier River
Something about kids, and an impromptu fishing expedition, brings a feeling of nostalgia for me. I grew up in a fishing family, not a weekend of summer went by without a fishing trip to one of the many local fishing hot spots. My mom liked to sit in a chair and shore fish, while my Dad would take me walking up and down the Sevier to do a little fly fishing. I don't remember if we caught any fish or not, the time spent with my Dad was the biggest catch of the day.

So when my kids ask if we can walk down to the Sevier River with their friends and fish, I can't say no. We stopped and picked up some night crawlers from Tugs, Dave Pratz was there and reported the river was still low enough for a good catch, Tom suggested we try Power Bait on a treble hook. Down at the river we met up with other families from town, all of us there with the same intention, to build memories more so than to catch dinner. Though a dinner of fish would have been nice. A few days earlier one of the young men had caught a 3 pound trout from the Sevier River, so expectations were high.

Brown trout are stocked annually in the Sevier River in Marysvale Canyon Rainbow trout move downstream from Piute Reservoir and some wild rainbow trout are recruited to the river from tributary streams, such as Deer Creek, Pine Creek, Clear Creek, and Beaver Creek. Whether you fly fish, bait fish or spin, the fishing on Sevier is usually excellent. Don't forget to bring a camera along, the biggest catch of the day may be the memories you create.

#3 Bullion Falls Photography Expedition

Things to See and Do in Marysvale - #3
Spring 2010 in Marysvale offers a rare opportunity to see and photograph the spectacular Bullion Falls in its full splendor due to the significant snow pack Piute County received this winter. The Falls are set back, off the beaten path, and must be hiked into. The trail head to Bullion Falls is located about 8 miles up Bullion Canyon on the north side of Pine Creek at Bully Boy Flats. Once the snow has cleared from the road, the Bullion Falls trail head is accessible by automobile or ATV via Paiute ATV Trail #77. The hiking trail to Bullion Falls is about a 1 mile meander along Pine Creek. Sam Steed of the Rocky Ridge Resort is planning a photography expedition to the Falls April 24th and again on May 1st. If you would like to join Sam, you can contact him at the Rocky Ridge Resort, Marysvale, Utah 1-877-766-0654.

#2 Photography

Spring time in Marysvale brings with it lots of opportunities for amateur and professional photographers alike.  Marysvale is surrounded by majestic mountains, unique rock formations, mining ghost towns, desert and mountain wildflowers, the Sevier River, creeks and snow run-off streams, and wildlife in all shapes and sizes.  This morning our family ventured up Bullion Canyon to where the road became impassable due to snow, about 6 miles up.  There we found a beautiful section of Pine Creek, still surrounded by snow, with melt-off pouring down the cascading rocks.  100's of pictures later, I picked out my favorite to share here.  The landscape around Marysvale changes daily, soon the snow will give way to the wildflowers and before you know it, we will be surrounded by fall colors.  I never leave the house without camera in hand.

Rainbow 10 mile hike goal

The goal - 10 mile hike, from my house, up Rainbow to Bullion and back down to home by August 1st.  Elevation increases nearly 1000 feet, lots of gradual inclines with a few steep sections.  Darin and I drove as far up Rainbow as we could get before the snow and mud made it impassable, 4 miles.  We marked every 1/2 mile increment and so far I'm hiking just past the first 1/2 mile mark and back, total of 1.34 miles.

A note on Rainbow, going directly west out of Marysvale, it's known locally as the Rainbow Mine Road.  It's Official name is Revenue Gulch Road.  As the mines closed, Revenue Gulch Road became less of a thoroughfare and is now maintained as a Fishlake National Forest Service road, #577.  In recent years the road has become a designated part of the Paiute ATV Trail system.  Rainbow is a 5+ mile section of Paiute ATV Trail #77.

#1 Fly a Kite

One thing for certain about Marysvale in the Spring, the wind blows. Lucky for us, we love flying kites! There are plenty of wide open spaces in and around Marysvale to launch a kite. Today my family went to the open space near our home to test our 3 new kites. Flying dragons, pterodactyls, and giant butterflies easily took flight and maintained in the air. Some of our local birds of prey circled high overhead in wonder of the odd sight. Who minds the wind when there are kites to be flown.

Mission

I am fortunate to live in an amazing little town with a fascinating history, easily accessed beautiful mountains, modern adventures, and friendly people. My intention with this blog is to share Marysvale with those who would enjoy reading of visits to the past and adventures in the present. I plan on filling the summer of 2010 with the 100's of things to do and see in and around Marysvale, Utah. Surrounded by miles and miles of the Paiute ATV Trail, Tushar Mountains on the West and Monroe Mountains on the east, numerous fishing hot spots, wildlife galore, natural wonders and rich mining history, I'm sure to have a very busy, fun filled summer!

Bullion Ave

Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Marysvale City Park

Yes, I know this is pre-blog, but it fits with the 2010 goal of 100 things to do and see in Marysvale.

Marysvale annual Easter Egg Hunt is one of the many highlights of Spring in the Vale. Kids up to the age of 12 gather at the city park where the Town of Marysvale in conjunction with the Marysvale Girl Scout Troop have laid out several hunt "zones" for different age groups. At the sound of a horn the kids are off! Treats and toys hid high and low entice the mob to action. My three kids all scored some great loot, best of all, families came together to share the day. After a very long cold winter, this first event of the season is a welcome friend.