MOAB -- If the Uinta Mountains are the "roof" of Utah, then the La Sal Mountains, east of Moab, must be the "balcony" of the Beehive State.
Straddling Grand and San Juan counties near the Colorado border, this king-size mountain range is a snow-capped island for most of the year, offering a sharp contrast to nearby Arches and Canyonlands national parks.The La Sals boast Utah's eight tallest peaks outside the High Uintas and include 12 summits more than 12,000 feet above sea level. The high point of the La Sals is Mount Peale at 12,721 feet.
Other than here and in the High Uintas, there are only two other places in Utah -- the Beaver/Piute County line and west Juab County -- where elevations top the 12,000-foot mark.
Salt Lake County's tallest summit, American Fork Twin Peaks, is 11,489, or more than 1,200 feet shorter than the high point of the La Sals. Even Utah County's highest point, North Nebo at 11,928 feet above sea level, is more than 700 feet lower than Mount Peale.
In addition, while the High Uintas are more like a high plateau, the La Sals are mammoth mountains towering over Moab below. The vertical elevation difference from Kings Peak to the valley below is just 2,728 feet, but for Mount Peale, the elevation drop to Moab is more than triple that at 8,721 feet -- making it Utah's tallest in that category.
"They're an island in a sea of desert," Glenn Casamassa, Moab/Monticello District Forest ranger, said. "They're one of the most photographed mountain ranges in the world."
He said the La Sals and their closest cousin, the Abajo Range (40 miles southwest), are unlike anything else in Utah and more like Colorado's San Juan Range.
From the national parks below, Casamassa said, the La Sals -- a part of the Manti-La Sal National Forest -- offer an incredible backdrop -- a sharp contrast from redrock country.
"They're unique and a different eco-system from redrock," he said.
They even contain a few unique plants, such as the La Sal daisy -- found nowhere else in the world.
Comments from visitors on the stunning vistas these mountains offer are common.
However, despite their beauty and second-highest Beehive State mountain range status, he admits they're overlooked by many casual visitors as nothing more than a sidelight, since national parks in the area overshadow them.
"People do look to the parks," he said.
For the local residents though, the La Sals are a summer oasis to escape 100-plus degree heat. Temperatures there range in the 70s in summer. The mountains are also popular for hikers visiting Moab into the late fall, especially during years such as the current unseasonably warm season.
One of the best sources for information on the La Sal Mountains is "La Sal Mountains Hiking and Nature Handbook," (Canyon Country Publications) by Jose Knighton.
Knighton eloquently describes the La Sals as "a displaced hunk of the Rocky Mountains stranded amid the Colorado Plateau's high desert, a biological island."
Casamassa said the La Sals are a critical watershed for the area and recharge underground water for Moab.
"Their water is very valuable and it's high quality," he said.
A much closer look at the mountains are afforded by the 65-mile La Sal Mountain Road. This almost totally paved road begins south of Moab and connects with Scenic Byway 128 on the north that goes by Fisher Towers and through Castle Valley.
The road is closed in winter but open March through November in normal years.
Casamassa said only a small portion of the road is unpaved, but that gravel segment is easily passible in cars.
This loop road also accesses the many dirt roads and trails through the La Sal Mountains. Some of these mountain roads are not clear of snow until mid-July, though. Some gravel roads leading off the paved La Sal Loop connect with the 8,800-foot elevation Oowah Lake campground and the 9,400-foot Warner Campground and others.
The general hiking season in the La Sals is Memorial Day to late October, but August and September are the best months for exploring the highest peaks.
Knighton describes the La Sals as having a "maze of unmarked trailheads."
Indeed, Casamassa said the La Sals are still an uncrowded place to escape civilization.
"They offer dispersed kinds of recreation opportunities," he said. "A chance to get out on your own."
He said the mountains and their trails and campgrounds are being used but not to their limits. Hiking, biking and horseback riding are their three prime warm-season activities.
In winter, cross country skiing is the best activity in the La Sals. However, Casamassa stresses these are avalanche-prone mountains full of steep chutes.
There have been some feasibility studies done on future ski resorts in the La Sals. He said such resorts are possible but not practical until the population base grows enough to warrant them.
Knighton cautions the La Sal mountain trails should be hiked when they're free of snow. Otherwise, an ice ax and snow climbing equipment should be used.
There is no trail to the top of Mount Peale, and so hikers should consult a hiking guide for information, or the Forest Service.
At best, the hike to Peale is a difficult, five-mile roundtrip hike that climbs more than 1,000 feet per mile. However, this hike begins at La Sal Pass north of Medicine Lakes where the elevation is already over 10,000 feet.
Casamassa said there has been no flood yet of "peak baggers" who come only to climb the state's tallest summit outside the Uintas.
A hike to Mount Waas is even more difficult than Peale because it is longer at 11 miles roundtrip and the starting elevation is only 7,000 feet. There's also lots of private property that must be avoided in the Miner's Basin area.
Casamassa said most private land in the La Sals is on its east side and clearly marked.
Today, there are no mining operations in the La Sals and only minor logging operations on their east side.
-- For more information on driving the La Sal Loop Road, contact the Moab Information Center, 805 N. Main (259-8825) or the Moab Forest Service Office, 446 S. Main (259-7155).
If you plan to hike the La Sals, contact the Forest Service for conditions.
Also, Jose Knighton's "La Sal Mountain" book is also invaluable (Canyon Country Publications, P.O. Box 963, Moab, UT 84532, published in 1995) for hikers.
Another good source is "High in Utah: A Hiking Guide to the Tallest Peak in Each of the State's Twenty-nine Counties," by Michael R. Weibel and Dan Miller, University of Utah Press, 1999.