On top you can find a concrete navigational arrow, an ancient medicine wheel, and a cave. DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO THE TRAILHEAD:
The lower part of the old western trail is now on private property and the public parking, trail head, and approach has been moved to the north side of Shinob Kibe at the end of Paiute Drive. From Telegraph St, turn south on 300 East, left (east) on Indian Springs Drive,
left (north) on Red River Road, continue as it curves to the right becoming Apache Drive. Continue on Apache Drive, turn left on Pocahontas Drive, left on Uinta Drive, then right on Paiute Drive and follow it all the way to where the pavement ends. You can park somewhere on the road near where Paiute Drive's pavement ends, or, if the gate at the end of the drive is open, you may be able to continue on the dirt road a bit. The trailhead starts at the biggest, tallest rock on the right hand side of the flat, at the bottom of the slope just past the gate at the end of Paiute Dr. at approximately N 37 07.296, W 113 29.438. Plan on 20-30 minutes to reach the summit. HISTORY:
Welcome to Shinob Kibe, properly pronounced Shih-NO-bee KY-bee. (The B's are long in the Southern Paiute language). We know this because Winnemucca, Chief of the Paiutes, taught the Paiute language to Brigham Young who was appointed the first Governor of Utah Territory and Superintendent of American Indian Affairs by President Millard Fillmore. Young acted as an ambassador and mediator between the Paiutes and the US Federal Government. Young also taught English to Chief Winnemucca. Because English was Winnemucca's second language, and because the B's are long in his native Paiute language, Winnemucca would pronounce Brigham's name as BEE-rig-um. Shinob Kibe (3,300 elev) is the very recognizable tilted mesa with a white strata stripe sitting next to the Virgin River in eastern Washington City, UT 84780. Shinob Kibe was used by the Paiute Indians in the mid 1800's as an easily defensible position during the raids by the Utes and Navajos who would attempt to kidnap the Paiute women and children and sell them to the settlers as slaves. Because Shinob Kibe is named for the Southern Paiute deity Shinob (Great Spirit) and incorporating the word kiab (mountain), it would seem that the Paiutes thought the mount sacred and most likely performed sacred rituals on the top of the mesa for generations. A LINK to the Washington County Historical Society's Shinob Kibe info site with some interesting facts and photos. http://wchsutah.org/geography/shinob-kibe.php
CONCRETE NAVIGATIONAL ARROWS:
In the early 1930's, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) planned an air route from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City to carry mail. A large concrete arrow on the summit was one of many arrows the FAA built to be used as visual navigational aids for the planes flying the mail route. The closest arrow to the west is on top of the Bloomington Overlook and the next arrow to the east is near the rim of the hill west of Quail Creek Reservoir. To read more about the interesting arrows go here: http://www.aarongifford.com/article174.html
WATCH A NARRATED VIDEO OF THE HIKE:
The original trail ascending Shinob Kibe from the west was built so pack animals could bring supplies up to build the arrow. You can view a 17 minute video of a narrated hike to the summit by going here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc5YT-3fT9I
FLOWERS:
There are several types of flowers on Shinob Kibe that bloom during the spring and early summer. See how many of the blues, reds, whites, pinks, and yellows you can find and identify. GEOCACHING:
There is a geocache (jeek) hidden somewhere on top of the mesa, and thousands of other jeeks in Washington County. To learn more about geocaching, go to www.geocaching.com and watch the short video. SIGN THE REGISTER:
There is also a Register Log at the summit for all to sign and read the entries of others who have documented their trek. You can also post an entry about your hike and some pictures on this page. Feel free to write a bit about yourself and your day at the top. ENJOY:
Please enjoy the splendor of Shinob Kibe and its rich history and wonderful views. Please tread lightly, take only memories, and leave only footprints. POST HERE:
Please feel free to post on this page any cool pics or entries about your adventure.
