Birch Creek Mtn. UT

[Jeremy Osburn]

Thanks in advance for all the help, I am lacking in time to prepare for this trek!!!

I am moving across the county in a few weeks but prior to that I have to finish all my obligations on the east, take an epic hike of the northern most 120 miles of the AT with my dog and my dad, pack my apt up into a storage container, and then actually do the awesome trip I am planning of camping my way across this great amazing USA of ours!!! All in about one and a half months it would be stressful but I tend to just wing it so no stress here.

Anyways one of my stops is going to be in Beaver, UT and while I am in the state for the first time I might as well climb a tall mountain. After looking at USGS Quads and google terrain I am set on climbing the Birch Creek mountain range. I need some recon help that sadly (no time and no experience) I am ill prepared to do this trek.

Here is what I would really appreciate some BPL help in the prep work:

1. What is water like in the mountains of southern Utah around the end of September?

2. Any strict rules I need to know about for Fishlake National Forest?

3. How is my dog going to handle this trek? (extremely technical, sharp granite rock, extremely exposed, high heat in the sun…)

4. How is off trail navigation in Utah? (Be advised I have no issues leaving the trail compass wise anywhere in the extremely dense forests of the east coast, I am more referring to random 20' un-negotiable cliffs that might appear)

Really sorry in advance for the total lack of knowledge that I have about this area, but I am kinda pulling this whole thing together within the last 2 months just to make sure it is an experience ;)

Thanks in advance for any and all help. Bonus Karma points on this one (if you agree with that sort of thing)

P.S. I will be spending the next week trying to answer these questions on my own but I sure would appreciate the local knowledge.

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