Pony Express Day 1: The Historic Heart of the Trail

[@brentbaugh9645]

Thanks!

[@byuftbl]

I’m glad for videos like this too, I don’t really have a vehicle that is okay on dirt roads so this enables me to see what I can’t get out to

[@Desertkns60]

Just stumbled on to your channel. Loved this, you are a great storyteller, thank you for taking us along!

[@SirCaptainSteve]

Great video! I have learned to love the West Desert. It's highly underrated for exploring. I am planning on spending more time out there this year and doing a full weekend of camping and rockhounding.

[@exploresouthwest]

That's exactly what this last year has been like for me. For about 40 years the west desert was a wasteland in my mind. Now I'm realizing it's packed full of interesting things I wasn't willing to see. I want to do a lot more exploring of it in the future, I underestimated it.

[@Onelightoftheworld]

Thanks for the video. I absolutely love your dog.

[@jimegan2606]

Just stumbled on this video and as you can tell by my last name I was very interested major Howard Egan is my great great grandfather nice to see all stops and markers on the route

[@Coinbro]

Awwww the wastelands of the west. Thanks for video

[@AdventuresWithPennyLane]

I lived in Eagle Mountain for a few years and ran the Pony Express trail all the way through Nevada. Utah's west desert is an amazing place! I still head out to camp along the trail a few times a year

[@AllenManor]

Your videos are always a treat. Hope to watch it on Christmas.

[@1WillyK]

Great video. Love the story of the Pony Express and scenery is fantastic. Thanks.

[@markbabcock40205]

Another great video. Love the history lesson. Thanks for posting

[@karinheart]

First time seeing one of you adventures and lived every bit. I subscribed

[@RogueBones]

Fantastic video! Looking forward to the next ones

[@IndridCool54]

Many people, especially those from east of the Mississippi River in the United States, don’t understand how big and vast the open spaces of the west are. I’m a native of Arizona and an old desert rat, I take solace in the fact that these open spaces still exist. We need wilderness even if we never go there. It makes “civilization” just a bit more palatable.

[@gdan8259]

I always enjoy your videos, thanks for sharing. Good use of the drone at the hot springs. Yes, those weed seeds are annoying, I seem to be pulling them out of socks for days...

[@curtisburrell8122]

It is. And the approach to the base is a treat because the mass of the wall and the narrow canyon. It’s a great climb and a great place to be.

[@denises.8463]

Thanks for the early Christmas present. I appreciate the great videos and informative commentary!

[@exploresouthwest]

Thanks! I'll see if I can edit the second half of the video in the next week or two. As soon as all the family holiday events die back down. 😄

[@ericjohnson8368]

I need to add this to my bucket list. I have been on sections of the trail. I have spent some time at horseshoe springs and blue lake.

[@jaredhone3814]

Great Video

[@rsonweb2060]

The area around the hot springs has either subsided or the ground water table has risen in the last 50+ years. The road that was once driveable is now basically a spring. Many people have tried to drive out there only to get stuck. They then walk the 6 miles to Fish Springs to ask for help. The large trench you drive around when you first leave the Pony Express road was dug by the manager of Fish Springs sometime in the 1990s. It was to keep people from driving past there. The hot springs are located on military property.

[@devinmathews7809]

The rocks and stuff you can find out there are super interesting. Geodes right off the trail. Ancient pieces of stalagmite along with topaz, garnets, even purple rocks nearby in the mountains

[@exploresouthwest]

I've heard about the purple rocks in some of the mines and apparently in some places you can find them in the tailing hills.

[@TheRockgremlin]

VERY cool!! I'm a Utah native, and I've always known about the presence of hot springs in the West Desert, but never travelled out to see them. One of those hot springs looks like a duller version of the Morning Glory pool in Yellowstone. I too am curious just how hot those springs are. I wonder how many early explorers wandered out to the hot springs and accidentally broke through the crust into the scalding water?

[@JonathanNielsen-n5k]

Enjoyed the video, I've been wanting to explore this route and hope to someday.

[@exploresouthwest]

While it's long it's really easy. It just comes down to how often you want to stop. But it would be a great drive when you have a free Saturday and take a lunch to eat halfway through.

[@jamesgunter9100]

Absolutely enjoyed your video! Love the West Desert! Where can I find out more about the music accompanying the video?

[@exploresouthwest]

I licensed all the music off Epidemic Sound.

[@anthonyhitchings1051]

That wilson hot spring looks to be inside the militarys Dugway Proving Ground

[@exploresouthwest]

It its. Basically where the road ends where I'm standing before turning back. And all the signs start there where the border of the Proving ground starts. Even though it's far from the operational areas they probably don't want liability of people getting injured on their land.

[@curtisburrell8122]

Love the west desert. Shhh don’t tell anyone. The Unitas are almost impossible to enjoy. I’ve been exploring the west desert for years. I also climb Notch peak every year with friends and camp. Great video

[@exploresouthwest]

I've driven past the bottom of Notch peak on the main road with it in the distance; it's so amazing I'd love to see those rocks closer. I've also seen that there is a lot of hold mining buildings and pine/aspen forest up on the top of that range.

[@rsonweb2060]

Tell everyone that it really sucks here in the west desert. Tell everyone that it is a dusty inset ridden hell hole. Do come here. Thanks.

[@TruthSeeker.357]

Great video. Just wish I could find the music you used.

[@exploresouthwest]

I licensed all the music off Epidemic Sound.

[@Dan007UT]

Awesome video. I consider the west desert my playscape. If you havent done it yet... theres a lot of cool stuff in the Dugway mtn range

[@exploresouthwest]

I've been on the pavement through skull valley many times before but the only place off road I've seen was White Rock north of Dugway. But I totally believe you. At white rock I was wondering what other secrets I wasn't seeing yet.

[@Dan007UT]

@exploresouthwest dugway range is the next mtn range you get to after going west past table mtn. Before you go up and over that next pass there's a dirt road that goes north and it loops around to the other side. 👍

[@toddjackson3136]

This looks like a fun experience for a family adventure trip. Did you need to take extra gas cans with you?

[@exploresouthwest]

I did, but I didn't end up using any of it. I made it from gas in Eagle Mountain all the way to Wendover on one tank.

[@rodunsworth2060]

What month were you out there. Fun trip thank you.

[@exploresouthwest]

June, after the roads had a chance to dry but still before the heat got too high.

[@byuftbl]

2:01 I’ve been there at night a lot, doing paranormal investigations. Would be fun to actually go in the daytime and look for the history rather than the ghosts 😂

[@zanjero]

Why did you refer to Horace Greeley as infamous?

[@exploresouthwest]

@@zanjero Don't read too much into it. If I kept rewriting the script to perfect it the vids would take 6 months to complete. The script was written and rewritten in the middle of the night over about 5 days after working 10 hours on a regular job. Basically I got sick of saying "The well known *blank*" every 3 minutes and was trying to find different ways of saying it. You can almost tell when I was tired and wanted to goto bed by how often something or someone is "transcending, untamed, inspiring, fascinating, unforgiving landscape." That's exhausted 2am me saying, "Just finish this damn scene! I want to goto bed before work starts in 5 hours!"

[@NigelNaughton]

Beautiful landscapes and info. It would be really interesting to dive deeper into the Mormon influence in Utah both before and after. It's actually quite crazy.

[@gregoryeastman6804]

On the geode, take it home front I'm going to have to rebuke you and tell you, leave these things for others to discover and enjoy as well.

[@exploresouthwest]

I defiantly agree not to take any if you're not really in the need of having a souvenir or or memento. But here's the BLM site for the beds and what is permitted: www.blm.gov/visit/dugway-geode-beds As far as impact/minimizing impact, there are multiple open pit beryllium mining operations 15 miles south at the other end of the mountain range. This small site set aside for personal rockhounding is small potatoes. And you can tell from the footage, the geode beds have the beauty of a gravel pit. The Geodes beauty isn't revealed until they're opened.

[@CFarnwide]

@@exploresouthwest Yes, the Geode Beds are a well known and public destination for rock hounds. Keep what you find! The only rules are hand tools for digging. I’ve been going there for over 30 years now. Just took my son on his first adventure last June. He had a blast and found some great geodes! There are a couple that are nice sized and super light meaning they are mostly hollow. They are big enough we are waiting on a friend with a rock saw to cut them. It would be a shame opening them with a hammer!