Happy Canyon via Poison Spring —> Black Jump Jan 9/10?

Hey all,

Looking to get into Happy Canyon next weekend. Not finding recent info on condition of Black Jump, will be contacting BLM Monday, but figure they may not head up that old mining trail often if ever. I know there’s been good snowfall recently, but it’ll be warmer and way less snowy than home.
Solo trip, truck is always stocked with a weeks worth of necessities, First aid, inReach as a last resort.
Trucks got OME lift with Dakar leafs, 285/75-16 Wrangler MT/R. Experienced driver.

Thanks in advance!

 

Going up the old uranium mining road? I haven't been up there in a couple years but that road would be dangerous if it's wet. It's clay most of the way with some semi-exposed sections next to the cliff

 

Orange is what I believe is the mining road. Never been on these particular roads.

Also topo can confirm sketchiness if wet

 

If you've got any experience technical crawling or on shelf roads already the road *should* be nothing for you as long as it's dry. There wasn't anything really technical and the shelf sections weren't bad at all, but someone who's new to offroading might pucker in a couple places. Only issue that might pop up besides wet clay is a rock fall cutting off more of the road that what's already damaged. On your map close to the end where your track cuts to the west/southwest is where the road ends. Right there is a large landing where there's plenty of room to camp. There's another landing to the south where you can camp too but will extend the hike to the canyon by a mile or so round trip. If you look at satellite imagery you can actually see the rock fall where it wipes out the road a short bit after the second landing

If you're going there for photography I'd recommend camping 2 nights up there and give yourself an entire day in the canyon. The trip out there is definitely one of the most rewarding I've ever done.

 

Thanks for the info. Rockfall could be fun I guess, get a friend to haul me an excavator out of GJ. Hahaha. Just exploring for the hell of it. Plan to camp at the end of the mining trail Sat. (Topper is an incognito sleeper setup) then hike in day 2 with ultralight overnight gear and camp once I pop out of the canyon to the east.

 

When I did the hike out there it was really easy even though it's like 10-11miles IIRC. it's basically flat easy waking along the mining road until you descend the cliff on the use trails and then the river crossing is basically at the bottom of the decent. Only hard part is descending the cliff.

How do you plan to get back to your truck?