Hiking, Climbing & Exploring Western Utah's Jack Watson's Ibex Country

This is a hiking and mountaineering guide to parts of Utah's West Desert. The West Desert is the Great Basin section, and the western third of Utah. Climbing areas are topped by Notch Peak, which has one of the highest vertical faces in the world. Also included are other high summits in the House Range, as well as Crystal Peak, made of 33-million-year-old pure-white volcanic tuff. Also, Granite Peak is made of solid white granite, but with several half-million-year old volcanos just to the north. The hiking & climbing section has 17 mapped areas.

In addition to hiking & climbing, perhaps the most emphasis, at least page wise, is the life & times of a sheepman named Jack Watson. This author is related to Jack, by marriage, and after several years of begging, had the opportunity to copy Watson's 12 diaries which date from 1886. This was when Utah's sheep industry was in its infancy. In the end, Jack had a little store & hotel with post office, litterally in the middle of no where until 12/5/1935, when he crushed his hand in the gears of a BLM built well & pump, which was later amputated. His diary, plus interviews with other old timers who knew him, makes this the best account of Utah's sheep industry.

Also, this book has the life story of a locally-famous hermit named Bob Stinson who lived in a cave house; plus the history of the Antelope Spring & Painter Spring CCC camps built and operated during the 1930's--as told by the men who were there. Also included is the story of the dreadful winter of 1948-49, as told in one sheepman's diary. Western Millard County is also one of the premier fossil hunting areas in the world, and some of these sites and fossil hunting are discussed.