[N8ball]

Nearly all the high schools and universities have a letter on a mountian. It's a western thing. Utah = U, BYU = Y, Bountiful high = B. The Trails by the U are part of the Bonneville Shoreline biking trail. I pedal up there all spring, summer, and fall. After riding up, there are some sweet downhill MTB trails. It's good for walking the dogs but rattlesnakes make summer not the best time for it.

As far as riding straight onto public land, look around Heber, Midway, and Kamas. Those are all in the mountains and 35-45 miles from SLC but if I could afford 5-10 acres out there I would commute. My brother rents a 2.5 acre mini ranch in Silver Summit, near Park City ($$$), and he can ride a mule(kawi) to his work at Promontory Ranch Club. There may be some east draper neighborhoods (maybe Suncrest) thaT COULD ACCESS the corner canyon area I mentioned. Possibly in west herriman you might get up in the southern side of the oquirrh mtns.

The further you get from the city, the better chace you have of finding direct access. Eagle mountain is out there a ways but if you could work in Lehi or american fork, it wouldn't be too bad.

Yeah having the mountains so close has kind of spoiled me. I will be in SLC as long as I can't afford that land I've always wanted. My next door neighbor is selling his place for 380K which seems crazy with the .07 acre lots we sit on, but everything in the house is new and top of the line. He is 36, retired, and not in a hurry to sell so he priced it high. I paid less than a third of that but it was back in '02 before banks started giving money away and driving prices up.

Anyway, don't sweat asking all the questions. I am happy to help, and I can't answer a lot of the technical ?s people ask on here so this is my contribution.