Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 44 minutes ago
S9 E1 Swell Night Out (Modified) Bikepacking Loop Emery County Utah May 2020
Editors note/correction: References to tires in this video are meant to refer to tubes.
On my first trip back to the Swell after quarantine, I tested out an improved bikepacking system for the first time in the desert. Inspired by a trip published the bikepacker.com entitled "A (San Rafael) Swell Night Out" linked below, I started from Tan Seep before pedaling around Temple Mountain to meet up with Behind The Reef Road. From there I camped in Chute Canyon on the first night and Hidden Splendor on the second night. My return to Tan Seep on Day 3 bypassed the Tomsich Butte/Hondu Country area to make for a 57-mile loop.
Special thanks to bikepacking.com contributors for sharing details of this route at the following link from which additional media was sourced for this video:
bikepacking.com/routes/swell-night-out
Wild horses and burros have occupied the San Rafael Swell area since the beginnings of the Old Spanish Trail in the early 1800's. Unlucky travelers would lose animals or have them run off by Indians or rustlers. Many of these animals were headed for sale in California and were of good breeding. The herds were also augmented through the release or escape of domestic horses from local ranches.
During the late 1800's and early 1900's, a man named Joe Swasey was the owner and operator of the Temple Mountain uranium mine. The mine was on the northeastern boundary of what is now the Sinbad Herd Management Area. His family was known for their sheep herds and horse operations. In the early 1900's they ran as many as 800 head on the San Rafael Swell. Near the Muddy Creek Herd Management Area they ran Thoroughbreds from Kentucky and sold them to the Army. A few of these Thoroughbreds ran on open range near the Sinbad Herd Management Area, but Swasey also bred Welsh ponies. The pony herd was started sometime between 1925-1930 with 30 head from Kentucky. There was only one stud in the band, named Moony. The ponies were used briefly in the mining operations, but were soon retired and put out on the desert just in case they were ever needed again.
By the early 1900's wild horse and burro numbers had soared and they were being captured and sold by "mustangers." This practice continued until the passage of the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act in 1971. Since then, the herds have been managed by the BLM. The dominant colors of the burros in the Herd Management Area are black and gray. The most common colors of horses are black, buckskin, grulla, and bay in that order. The horses range from 700 to 1000 pounds and stand 13 to 14 hands. The Sinbad Herd Management Area has enough forage to support 50 horses and 75 burros. To prevent overgrazing and habitat damage, the BLM gathers excess animals every 2 to 5 years.
For more information on wild horses and burros in Utah, go to: ut.blm.gov
Or call the Price, UT BLM office at (435) 636-3600.
A portion of these notes were sourced from the following link:
blm.gov/adoptahorse/herdareas.php?herd_areas_seq=86&herd_states_seq=6
For more info on the Old Spanish National Historic Trail visit:
nps.gov/olsp/index.htm
Check out Joey's Channel over at MyOwnFrontier linked below:
youtube.com/channel/UC2u9cXRD29jeYdJr6Ha0aqg
Check out Jarl's Channel over at Norwegian Xplorer linked below:
youtube.com/c/NorwegianXplorer
Soundtrack by:
Washed Out
"Too Late"
Death Cab For Cutie
"Gold Rush"
S9 E1 Swell Night Out (Modified) Bikepacking Loop Emery County Utah May 2020
Editors note/correction: References to tires in this video are meant to refer to tubes.
On my first trip back to the Swell after quarantine, I tested out an improved bikepacking system for the first time in the desert. Inspired by a trip published the bikepacker.com entitled "A (San Rafael) Swell Night Out" linked below, I started from Tan Seep before pedaling around Temple Mountain to meet up with Behind The Reef Road. From there I camped in Chute Canyon on the first night and Hidden Splendor on the second night. My return to Tan Seep on Day 3 bypassed the Tomsich Butte/Hondu Country area to make for a 57-mile loop.
Special thanks to bikepacking.com contributors for sharing details of this route at the following link from which additional media was sourced for this video:
bikepacking.com/routes/swell-night-out
Wild horses and burros have occupied the San Rafael Swell area since the beginnings of the Old Spanish Trail in the early 1800's. Unlucky travelers would lose animals or have them run off by Indians or rustlers. Many of these animals were headed for sale in California and were of good breeding. The herds were also augmented through the release or escape of domestic horses from local ranches.
During the late 1800's and early 1900's, a man named Joe Swasey was the owner and operator of the Temple Mountain uranium mine. The mine was on the northeastern boundary of what is now the Sinbad Herd Management Area. His family was known for their sheep herds and horse operations. In the early 1900's they ran as many as 800 head on the San Rafael Swell. Near the Muddy Creek Herd Management Area they ran Thoroughbreds from Kentucky and sold them to the Army. A few of these Thoroughbreds ran on open range near the Sinbad Herd Management Area, but Swasey also bred Welsh ponies. The pony herd was started sometime between 1925-1930 with 30 head from Kentucky. There was only one stud in the band, named Moony. The ponies were used briefly in the mining operations, but were soon retired and put out on the desert just in case they were ever needed again.
By the early 1900's wild horse and burro numbers had soared and they were being captured and sold by "mustangers." This practice continued until the passage of the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act in 1971. Since then, the herds have been managed by the BLM. The dominant colors of the burros in the Herd Management Area are black and gray. The most common colors of horses are black, buckskin, grulla, and bay in that order. The horses range from 700 to 1000 pounds and stand 13 to 14 hands. The Sinbad Herd Management Area has enough forage to support 50 horses and 75 burros. To prevent overgrazing and habitat damage, the BLM gathers excess animals every 2 to 5 years.
For more information on wild horses and burros in Utah, go to: ut.blm.gov
Or call the Price, UT BLM office at (435) 636-3600.
A portion of these notes were sourced from the following link:
blm.gov/adoptahorse/herdareas.php?herd_areas_seq=86&herd_states_seq=6
For more info on the Old Spanish National Historic Trail visit:
nps.gov/olsp/index.htm
Check out Joey's Channel over at MyOwnFrontier linked below:
youtube.com/channel/UC2u9cXRD29jeYdJr6Ha0aqg
Check out Jarl's Channel over at Norwegian Xplorer linked below:
youtube.com/c/NorwegianXplorer
Soundtrack by:
Washed Out
"Too Late"
Death Cab For Cutie
"Gold Rush"
