Destination Unknown P2 - Brian Head Peak Agates & The Orange Cliffs Of Cedar Breaks

In case you missed my post yesterday, we left off at Dinosaur Tracks Recreation Area. Now it was time to head up the mountains to Brian Head. As I made my way across the foothills I had no idea what lay ahead of me, not even the Brian Head peak views. I just knew there were agates near the summit so that is where I was heading.

A few miles climbing into the mountains I saw an interesting sight. It was a weathered rock face jutting out of the forest that was layered in shades of orange and white on top. It was something I might have expected to see about 45 miles south around St. George, but not here. It would set the stage for what was to come.

I kept driving and reached the town of Brian Head fairly quickly. It's one of the highest resort towns in American at 9800' above sea level. One of the reasons I made it up the mountain so quickly is Cedar City is located 5800' above sea level so you only have to climb an extra 4000' to Brian Head.

The town of Brian Head was a bit disappointing. There isn't much there other than ski lifts, a few sparse shops, and condos. Everything is spread out and there isn't much there. I was expecting something like Mammoth, CA with a city center and lots of shopping. I know the skiing and boarding here is amazing though.

Driving through the town you could see Brian Head peak close by and so I drove straight through the town towards the peak.

From the highway it's a graded 3-mile dirt road to the peak. I sped up the dirt road until the last couple hundred feet which became a bit rough, but nothing a 2 wheel drive couldn't handle. 

The photo above shows the dark peak in the background. The lighter colored areas around the trees are agate exposed ground. Actually, even the area under the grass is agate as I would find out on my back down from the peak.

On the peak stands an observation building made of stone. It was built in the 1935 and I was glad it was there. When I got out of my car I hadn't thought about the temperature this high up or the fierce wind blowing. Down in Cedar City it was in the 60's so I was in sandals, shorts, and a short sleeve shirt. After taking a few steps out of the car I was already freezing cold and ran to the shelter as it kept the wind from hitting me head on. This is what I saw when I got there.

The view was incredible. Right to the center is the route I came up with the town of Brian Head visible and far off in the distance is Parowan Gap. Center-left
you can see the edges of Cedar Breaks which I would later discover.

Here are some close up shots from right to left.

I sprinted back to the car and by the time I arrived my extremities were numb, I was winded from the altitude and thinking how stupid it was that I didn't put on some warmer clothes before I got out of the car. Here is a short clip to give you an idea of the wind and the view.

I made my way back down the peak to the agate spot mentioned earlier. There was a couple from New Mexico collecting when I arrived which made me think it was definitely a good spot to check out. When I got out of the car I could see the agate was everywhere.

Every rock on these hills was a piece of agate.

I looked around for a bit checking out all the different rocks, being very selective with what I would take. I was looking for blues & reds with unique patterns. When you are on a mountain of agates it's easy to get carried away and collect everything!

Sometimes you see boulders and think, maybe I can roll it down the hill and load it in the car.

I managed to find some great blue pieces along with a few reds.

Heading down the hill I saw a piece I had missed on the way up. It had whites, blues, and reds which together make spectacular cabochons.

After being cleaned up.

Being content with the material I had collected I headed over to those orange cliffs I saw in the distance. When I arrived there I found out I was in a National Monument called Cedar Breaks. You've probably never heard of it before because it's more famous neighbors, Zion and Bryce Canyon are larger and more spectacular. Don't let that fool you though, Cedar Breaks is amazing too.

When I walked out to the lookout point I was blown away.

Honestly I'm still speechless writing this. It's one of the most beautiful natural formations I've seen, rivaling Yosemite in my opinion. What I like about Cedar Breaks is the greenery juxtaposed with the orange colored rocks. What's more, this wasn't even the best view. I jumped in my car and drove down the road a few miles to the visitor's center.

The lookout point here provided a much wider view of the "amphitheater" as it's called.

It was easy to get lost in the view, looking at the various formations and colors.

You could see Brian Head peak in the distance.

A little bit about the rock. It get's it's orange color from iron. The area is part of a large plateau known as the Markagunt Plateau. The sediment layers of limestone, shale, and sandstone were deposited by a massive, ancient lake called Lake Claron that existed 60 million years ago. As tectonic forces reshaped the landscape, the plateau rose to create these mountains. During that time erosion did it's work slowly chiseling away at the cliffs exposing the ancient rock.

I stopped by the gift shop for some "omiyage" gifts for my wife & friends and headed back down the highway. Before leaving I passed a natural spring the BLM had set up for people to refill their water bottles. I filled one up and it's still half full sitting here on my desk as I type this. It tasted a bit like tap water so I was somewhat disappointed.

A mile or two past the visitor's center there was a lookout overlooking Zion. It reminded me a bit of the entrance to Yosemite, a grand view.

I've never been to Zion, but after this trip,
I now know I have to make time for it next time I come collecting in Utah.

Winding down the mountain road back to Cedar City there were many more beautiful rock formations to stop at and take pictures of.

As I exited God's house I was changed. I'd been given the opportunity to have an incredible experience within the span of 5 hours. From petroglyphs
to dinosaur tracks, to agate collecting, to one of a kind vistas, it was a one of a kind day and I'll never forget it.

I encourage anyone visiting
Utah to look into Cedar City and all the amazing places to visit nearby.

But wait! Remember I told you yesterday the whole reason I was in Utah was to collect minerals like topaz. I'll continue with that part of the story tomorrow. Here's a teaser for you.

Come back tomorrow for the continuation of this story, Destination Unknown P3 - TOPAZ!!!

Thanks for reading!

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[//]:# (!steemitworldmap 37.613319 lat -112.837143 long Destination Unknown P2 - Brian Head Peak Agates & The Orange Cliffs Of Cedar Breaks d3scr)