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Lynn R. Blamires and his brother-in-law, Mike, are coming through a water crossing at dusk on the Arapeen Sunset Ride.

Courtesy Lynn R. Blamires

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Riding into the sunset on the Arapeen Sunset Ride above Ephraim in the Manti La Sal Mountains.

Courtesy Lynn R. Blamires

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Riding the wooded trails on the Arapeen Sunset Ride above Ephraim in the Manti La Sal Mountains.

Courtesy Lynn R. Blamires

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Many of the Utah OHV jamborees include night rides in their itineraries. At first, I thought it was to enjoy the splendor of the night sky. While that is a possibility, I have learned by experience that you don’t see much of the night sky because the people who go on these night rides drive machines that are lit up like Christmas trees.

Sponsored by Sanpete County and the city of Ephraim, this sunset ride takes place when the days are longer. The date is set for June 22, and the lineup is on the road to Ephraim Canyon, next to Roy’s Pizza. The ride begins in Ephraim Canyon from the city of Ephraim at 6:15 p.m. after signing in and feasting on pizza at Roy’s Pizza. The pizza is hot and fresh, and it’s an all-you-can-eat dinner, including drinks.

There will be two groups of 30 machines – both rides are rated moderate, with one slightly more so than the other – and a total length of about 33 miles. Both routes turn off the highway onto the New Canyon Road and follow scenic Arapeen trails through canyons and ridgelines. After enjoying the transition from daylight to twilight, the two groups gather around a bonfire for refreshments and entertainment.

When the fire dies down and the laughter trails off, it is time to come down off the mountain. The machines are fired up and lit with light bars, rock lights, and whip lights for the ride into town. What a show it is with 60 machines lighting up the night in a long line coming down the canyon road.

All of this is offered to you for only $28 per person. However, it gets even better. With the opening of the Cobblestone Hotel & Suites in Ephraim last year, and the Willow Creek Inn, you can stay overnight and enjoy a hot breakfast, which both hotels include, and ride another day on the Arapeen trails.

Registration for the Arapeen Sunset UTV Ride is now open. It is limited to 60 machines and includes dinner, a guided evening ride, a free Arapeen trail map, an evening bonfire, and participation in a light parade down the canyon. Register at https://utvevents.weebly.com.

The Arapeen Trail System sprawls across 350,000 acres of Manti-La Sal National Forest, with more than 600 miles of UTV-friendly routes threading through aspen groves, past mountain lakes, and along the high ridgeline called Skyline Drive. The Skyline Drive has about 58 miles of road that stays above 10,000 feet in elevation. Details are in the Arapeen trail map.

The Arapeen Trail map is the best I have seen offered. The system offers three different trail widths – 50-inch, 66-inch, and open to all machines. They are color-coded on the map to help you plan your route. The map offers four different ride plans to take the guesswork out of wondering where to ride. They include two-day and single-day rides, and they are designed to give you premium ride experiences in the Manti La Sal Mountains.

Do you love to fish? The Arapeen map includes 53 GPS coordinates for lakes and fishing holes for you to fish to your heart’s content, or until you reach the legal limit. I don’t think of myself as a fisherman, but my brother-in-law, Bob Smith of Kaysville, taught me how to use a fly on a bubble.

We planned an ATV fishing trip on these trails – some of the places can only be reached by OHV. We used renegade and double renegade flies. I caught over 60 fish on our two-day trip. Tiger trout are plentiful in these fishing spots – they fight and are fun to catch. We loved them and left them, but it was great fun.

In addition to the 600 miles of Arapeen trails, there are many miles of Forest Service roads marked in brown. Many of them are dead-end roads. I am not a big fan because they don’t go anywhere, but some of them connect and are fun to ride.

The map also includes interesting historical items. The trail system, for example, was named after the Indian Chief Jake Arapeen. He was a Ute who roamed these mountains. A skirmish with a drunken rancher, John Lowry, who grabbed the Chief by his hair and yanked him off his horse. This ultimately led to the beginning of the Black Hawk War. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down, and register now for this sunset ride.

Lynn R. Blamires can be reached quadmanone@gmail.com.