Channeling her inner Julie Andrews from “The Sound of Music,” my wife, Carole, held out her arms and twirled magically in a meadow of golden rabbitbrush high in the Uintas. In the distance, the peaks of the Wasatch Range stood mystically in the haze of wildfire smoke. More than 3,000 feet below , the Weber River coursed through a lush green valley on Thousand Peaks Ranch, down Weber Canyon and on toward Oakley. For a moment, it felt as if we had this immense landscape entirely to ourselves. There are few more magical places in the Uintas than standing above Moffit Pass and looking out over the western skyline. This adventure started a few weeks earlier. My wife was engrossed in the first episode of the Paramount docudrama “Marshals.” We play this game called We Were There. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as “Marshals” star Luke Grimes rode through a stunning “Montana” landscape as Kayce Dutton, with the unmistakable profile of Moffit Peak and the Uintas rising behind the action. Hey, we were there! Of course, we in Park City are proud to have TV crews use our landscape as a stand-in for Montana. But the real beauty is that we Parkites can easily travel there ourselves on a simple Sunday drive. Well, maybe not all that simple. Moffit Pass, at 700 feet below the 11,014-foot Moffit Peak, is essentially the extension of Weber Canyon beyond Smith and Morehouse Reservoir. The only thing is you can’t get there from there. A few years ago, we crawled up the Gold Hill route to Moffit Pass off the Mirror Lake Highway. It’s a great 4WD adventure. This time, we approached from the north, following Chalk Creek Road east from Coalville and traversing miles of ranchland on a remote county road before reaching Whitney Reservoir.  For mile after mile, Chalk Creek Road carried us through sprawling ranchland, where shepherds were moving hundreds of sheep from one high meadow to another. What struck us most was the vastness of this unspoiled corner of northeastern Summit County, a landscape most Parkites will never see despite its being practically in our backyard. The farther we drove, the more the modern world seemed to fall away. Signs of human life were few: two pickups that passed us along the way, a lone shepherd on horseback, and a dirt bike rider frustratingly fixing a flat tire. Otherwise, there was simply the road, the mountains and an enormous sweep of open range. After an hour on the gravel road through the ranchland, I had grown complacent. But as we began the climb toward Moffit Pass, I dropped the Rubicon into four-wheel-low. The narrow track demanded careful tire placement. Its undulating terrain could easily catch you off guard with unexpected dips and doodles. Whether on foot or in a 2011 Rubicon, summiting is an exhilarating experience. We emerged onto the high ridge and suddenly the world seemed to open in every direction. We stood beneath the sheer rock faces of Moffit Peak, looked northwest toward the wonderfully odd profile of Humpy Peak, and turned east to a staggering skyline of the High Uintas, with Hayden Peak anchoring the southern horizon, then Kletting and A-1 marching northward. But it was the view west that stopped us. Layer upon layer of mountain peaks fading into the hazy sky. The bright green valley of the Weber. Tens of thousands of acres of open land. And a light breeze ruffling the wildflowers around our feet in a mountain meadow.  DETAILS Getting There You have multiple options, and they’re all similar — about two and a half hours from Park City to Moffit Pass. You will need a 4WD vehicle with high clearance for the final segment to the top. We used the Coalville to Chalk Creek Road to Whitney Reservoir and up past Beaver Lake, then looped back to the north on return. You can also access from Mirror Lake Highway at Whitney Road (mile 43.9) or Gold Hill Road (mile 43.3). The full loop is 135-140 miles from Park City. Head there with a full tank. Ability Level The Beaver Lake route up to Moffit Pass requires four-wheel-low and some knowledge. It’s rocky with uneven terrain. The return route to the north toward Whitney Road is a easier. Private Land If you take the Coalville route out Chalk Creek Road, you will ultimately drive for nearly 20 miles through private land. Respect that it’s private and stay on the road. These are working ranches. And thanks to the long stewardship of Thousand Peaks and Two Bear Ranches. Dining This adventure is begging for a burger, beer, and a game of pool at The Notch (kids welcome). The post Sunday Drive: The hills are alive appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less