Sheep Mountain
Sheep Mountain is riding pretty good this April. Best to ride clockwise from just past the Elko Transfer Station (on Elko Mill haul road) and go up the new Sheep Mountain Road (signed). Near the start of the ride make sure to take the left fork in the first 1/2 km of climbing, the right fork climbs steep and ends on a log landing. The new road climbs steady for 200 vertical meters and ends at a logging landing (1084m). Walk 50 meters south and join the old road, riding another 100 vertical meters to the summit and Ingy Cell Tower at 1205 meters. At the summit descend southward on the old dirt road on the west side of the Cell Tower, it eventually hooks around back northward and descends down to Highway 93. Continue northward on the dirt road back to where you started.
While at the summit make sure to stop at the Ingy Cell Tower and walk west 200 meters to an excellent viewpoint that overlooks the confluence of the Wigwam and Elk Rivers. Check out these pictures that are taken from the viewpoint and look east toward the Wigwam Flats, at the confluence of the Elk River and Wigwam River. Just below the viewpoint you can see the old Ingham Farm buildings in the open meadow at the base of the hill.
This ride is a 10 kilometer loop and climbs just over 300 vertical meters. The entire loop is within a wildlife management area and the road is closed to motorized traffic. Should be about a two hour ride and you get 5 tower cell coverage to check out the hockey scores.
