Delano Peak is the highpoint of the Tushar Mtns, the third highest range in
Utah. It has well over 4,000ft of prominence, is the highpoint of two counties,
lands on the LVMC list and best of all, isn't
that hard to get to. It also happened to be on my way across the western US to
Telluride, CO where I was to meet up with friends for a week. Leaving I-15 at
Beaver, UT, I drove paved SR153 east for a number of miles to the signed
turnoff for Big John Flat. This good dirt road can be driven by any vehicle for
the first four miles to Big John Flat with high clearance vehicles able to
drive many miles beyond that. Big John Flat seems to be quite popular with RV
and ATV enthusiasts as well as a sizeable herd of 
cattle
found grazing in the
lush meadows. In contrast to the surrounding deserts of the Great Basin, the
range appears to attract local weather systems and stays green all summer after
the snows melt. Having rained the day prior,
I drove in on damp or wet roads during the night, parking to
the side shortly after reaching 
Big John Flat. I tried to reach
the TH for the
Skyline National Recreation Trail a mile further, but the road had begun to get
a little rocky and it didn't seem worth taking extra chances. In the morning I
repositioned the van to be better off the road and struck off on my intended
hike, a loop taking in three peaks of the Tushar Range.
I followed the road northward to the intended trailhead and then a little
further before 
leaving the road
to gain Delano's West Ridge on a cross-country
route. 
The trees give way from the start to 
open alpine terrain,
climbing some
1,700ft in a mile and a half. I'd seen photos of folks struggling up steep
talus but they must not have gone this way - the entire route is rounded,
green slopes, portions of which have a decent 
use trail
(perhaps cow trails?). Clouds hung around all day, reducing 
some views,
but it never rained and kept temps on the cool side. I reached the summit of
Delano in an hour and a half. Someone has erected a 
good-sized sign
with the peak name and elevation, as well as a 
mailbox register. It
seemed grossly out of place and I was beginning to
understand why some folks see summit registers as trash, rather than treasure.
Along with the assorted random scrap papers that such registers attract was a
2013 notepad left by Sue and Vic Henney - Californians doing their
thing across the nation.
Despite the low-hanging clouds, most of the high peaks of the Tushar Range were
visible. 
Baldy and Belknap
lay to the northwest, Shelly Baldy to the west,
Brigham and Edna to 
the northeast, and Holly to 
the southeast.
I dropped down a somewhat 
steep slope in this latter direction
heading to Holly, finding
that those photos I had seen must have been staged somewhere in this vicinity.
Once down this section it becomes a very easy hike over to Holly, taking about
45min. Lower by a few hundred feet than Delano, Mt. Holly comes in at just under
12,000ft. A pile of rocks had been left to mark 
the highpoint,
but thankfully no signage. Continuing 
southeast, I soon came upon a
herd of about 
two dozen goats grazing the slopes. They spotted me soon
afterwards, deciding I was one too many and 
sauntered off over the
north side of the ridgeline and out of view.
The last peak I visited was 
Lake Peak,
another 600ft lower than Holly which sits askew off the main ridge. After
intersecting 
the Skyline Trail I continued
cross-country to Lake Peak, climbing the east side whose last hundred feet or so
comprised a 
jumble of rock
with little vegetation. I descended back down the
same side, finding 
the Skyline Trail
which I used for most of the return. About
half a mile from the TH I had passed by earlier in the day, I
left the trail to shortcut the return with a more
direct descent down to the main road. It
looked good on the GPS I consulted and worked out well in practice, with no
bushwhacking required as I descended the slopes towards Big John Flat. Back on
the road for only a short distance, I was surprised by the number of
ATVs I
crossed paths with - the place seems exceedingly popular with this crowd though
they have no trails leading to the higher summit reaches - those places are left
to the foot travelers and the goats.
Continued...