Mystery Books and Mountain Graveyards: A 15-Mile Scavenger Hunt at Three Peaks

There are days when a mountain bike ride is just a great workout under a blue Southern Utah sky. And then there are days when you accidentally ride straight into a forensic files episode.

A few days ago, I headed out to Three Peaks Recreation Area for a solo 15-mile ride. It was a spectacular day—crisp air, empty trails, and a tough route that guaranteed a solid workout. For about two and a half hours, I didn't see another single human soul. It was just me, my bike, and the dirt.

To keep myself company, I had a mystery audiobook playing in my ears.

Now, normally, a good mystery just passes the time during a long, grinding climb. But about midway through the ride, the universe decided to provide some highly immersive special effects.

Over the course of 15 miles, I stumbled across sun-bleached bones on three completely separate occasions.

Finding the first set of ribs under a cedar tree was a little eerie. By the time I spotted a pile of bones in the sage brush, the silence of the desert started feeling a little too quiet. With the narrator in my ears spinning tales of strange disappearances, my mind immediately went to work inventing all the wild, creepy possibilities of how these skeletons got scattered across the hills. I found myself looking over my shoulder more than once.

But the grand finale took the cake.

After pushing through a brutal, leg-burning uphill climb to reach the top of a ridge, I was completely gassed. I hopped off my bike to catch my breath, looked down, and found a random, rusted barbecue grill sitting in the middle of absolutely nowhere at the summit.

And what was sitting right on top of the grill? Another pile of bones.

At that point, you just have to laugh. You grind up a mountain by yourself, listening to a true crime mystery, only to find a prehistoric-looking kitchen setup waiting for you at the top.

That is the beauty of exploring our backyard. You go out looking for a standard 15-mile cardio burn, and you come back with a wild story, a slightly overactive imagination, and a profound appreciation for the weird secrets hidden in the sagebrush.

Just another casual day on the trails. If anyone is missing a rib cage—or a grill—I know exactly where to find it.