Diamond

September 30th, 2024

Early in the morning of the 22nd, I rolled down Provo Canyon and out onto the plain of Utah Lake and the towns of Provo and Spanish Fork. After a quick stop at the Walmart for groceries, I climbed up the Spanish Fork River and turned east to follow the smaller Diamond Fork River. My destination was the U.S. Forest Service’ Diamond Campground.

My concern was whether I would find an unoccupied campsite on a Sunday morning. I don’t usually move on Sundays, but was forced to this time, as the Timpanogos Campground closed. Many weekenders leave on Sundays, though some stay until Monday morning. The question is “what time will they leave?” There were a lot of campers, but there were a handful of sites that were vacant. One of these happened to have good sun exposure for gathering solar rays as well as a view of the northern sky for my satellite dish. By the time I was set up and had some lunch, almost all the other campers had gone. It was quiet except for the occasional bellowing cow.

The campground is very nice. The sites are paved. There are picnic tables, fire rings, and griddles, none of which I ever use. The paved and level site is quite nice, however. The site was relatively private with a surround of just over head high shrubs and small trees, all of which are bright fall colors. The small, shallow river flowed through the campground, adding the sound of small riffles. The cost for me, was $14.50 per night. I was out of the Idaho zone of cheap $5-10 campgrounds.

An advantage of this campground, is that the city of Spanish Fork is only about 10 miles away and there is a Ross Dress for Less store there with a bank of Amazon Lockers. I ordered some necessary replacement parts and gear, which arrived in 2 days, in plenty of time for my 9 day stay.

Another change that this campground afforded, was warmer temperatures. Near Sundance I was used to low 30s at night, and 60s during the day. Now I was back in 50s at night and 80s during the afternoon. If the higher temperatures persist, I will need to slow my movement to the south, or seek higher elevation campgrounds. The problem I have, is that higher elevation campgrounds have begun to close. I may have to rely on dispersed camping. A quick check showed my winter destination in Arizona was still seeing highs of over 100 degrees.

Just east of the campground is the trailhead and parking area for the Red Ledges. This is a sandstone outcrop that has been heavily eroded by wind and water into interesting orange and red shapes. There is a trail, but it consists of sand, and you will find it hard walking, as it follows the steep slope up the small drainage. In addition, and this is true of the area in general, it is open range. You will see cattle everywhere, including right along the road shoulders. Cattle leave presents, both on the road and in the trails. So watch your step.

I never experienced more than just a very slight breeze in my nine day stay. That was enough to begin bringing down the red and yellow autumn leaves from the trees and brush. Unlike my years in the Midwest, the fall colors lingered and even increased over many days. It is dry in this area. No blustery, rainy days seem to come along and put a quick end to the colors of fall.

Tomorrow, I leave and head south. The temperatures appear to be lower, back in the 70s during the day. I am not sure where I will end up next, but it will most likely be 1 1/2 to 2 hours from here.