Thursday, November 27, 2008

HENRY'S FORK OF THE SNAKE RIVER




This wasn't a very strenuous hike, but a beautiful one. We hiked along the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Island Park, Idaho at sunset. It was an amazing sight! The geese and swans were out and the reflections off the water were amazing. We couldn't sneak up on them very well because the snow was crusty and loud, but got close enough to enjoy them. It was chilly and a refreshing break after eating the big Thanksgiving meal.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

MESA FALLS, UPPER & LOWER

Lower Mesa Falls

Top of Upper Mesa Falls with ice wall and edge of waterfall.

Upper Mesa Falls

This was more of a walk than a hike, but such a beautiful place I wanted to share the photos. The lower falls is seen from more than a distance, but more stunning, in my opinion. The lower falls are a shorter hike, as well. The upper hike was longer and along a snow-covered boardwalk. As you came upon it the ice-encrusted rock wall across from the falls could be seen through the trees along with the horizon of the falls.

Friday, November 14, 2008

PETEY BISHOP'S


HIKERS: Amy & Kim
DATE: Friday, Nov, 14
RT TIME: About an hour
WEATHER: Cool autumn day, High 50's

AMY'S NOTES: Finally I found a couple hours to get outside! It feels like a major accomplishment. Kim and I started with the intention of summiting but fell short by, oh, about half way. Life has been busy for everyone so there has not been much blogging or hiking going on. Petey's is still a beautiful hike (see earlier posts for descriptions) and the first third reminds me of the rolling hills you find in middle california. It was great to breath air from the outside and see the sun. I suspect these may be our last days of warmth. The picture is Petey, or at least one version of him.

Monday, October 27, 2008

BAPTIST DRAW-LOWER CHUTE CANYON

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Hikers: Amy, Kim, Cory, Durke, Sam, Joni, Casey, Dane, Drew, Christian
RT Length: approx. 7 miles
RT Time: 10:15 am- 3:30 pm; 5 hours 15 min.

Kim's Notes: This was a hike with surprises galore! I saw beauty I'd never seen before and smelt things I'd never want to smell ever again. We hiked, climbed, rappelled, jumped, hopped, braced, waded, and swam. Talk about versatility! This hike has everything. It starts out as a hike through cedar and brush and turns into a slot canyon surprisingly quickly. We had a great time in Baptist Draw experiencing the fabulous scenery. The first rappel wasn't too long, but it was a tight space. Christian was afraid- it was his first rappel- but he did great! Then we hiked to the second rappel. It was quite a drop- approximately 75 ft. The slot canyons were very chilly and we were glad to get down into the sun after the rappel. As we headed back up Chute canyon, however, there was a long stretch of frigid, smelly, swamp water waiting for us. It was chest-deep for the adults and Dane and Drew had to swim through it! (Durke was kind and hauled Christian through on his back). The rest of Chute canyon is a blur, unfortunately, because we had to hurry to keep warm. We need to go back and just do Chute canyon so that we can appreciate it better. It was even more amazing than Baptist Draw and I feel like I missed it. When we got out into the sun we still had about 2 miles to hike back to the truck, which was a good thing because we were dry by the time we got there. Overall, it was a great hike and more adventurous than any I have done before.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

MAPLE CANYON


Kim & Jamie

Amy & Isa the Dog




Hike: Maple Canyon View Point Trail
Hikers: Kim, Amy, Jamie & Isa
Location: Wales, Maple Canyon
Begin: morning
Summit: 39 min
Elevation Summit: 8040 ft.
RT time: 1 hour, 40 min.
Distance: 1.1 miles one way
Weather: clear, sunny, crisp fall morning

Notes: Maple Canyon is on the west side of Sanpete Valley near Wales and is part of the Uinta Forest Service System, not to be confused with the Uintas which are northeast of SLC. People come from all over the world to climb in Maple Canyon. On the weekends you will hear more foriegn languages than english. Kind of cool that the small remote valley of Sanpete is host to so many dedicated climbers. We began our hike at the trailhead located at the top of the campground on the left, this is the start for the View Point trail which eventually loops back to the mouth of the canyon. We didn't do the loop but rather hiked to the View Point and doubled back.

The trail begins as a wandering single wide path through low shrubs and oak and then opens up to a canopy of towering pines gaurded on all sides by mounds of conglomerate rock. The contrast between the heavy greens of the pines, pale yellows of the rock, and bright reds of the turning leaves is stunning. The sounds of birds and small animals bounce off the canyon walls and mix with the chatter of our footsteps and heavy breathing. It is a steep climb. Towards the top of the canyon there are several stretches of steps recently built to help steady the erosion. At the top of the steps the pines disappear and the view expands out across the entire valley with a spectacular vista of what look like stacked waves of conglomerate rock mounds.

HOT PINK


3 REASONS TO WEAR A HOT PINK SKIRT WHILE HIKING:

1. You won't get shot.
2. Fashion.
3. When you fall off a cliff, you'll easily be found.

NEBO PHOTOS














Notes: This is hands down the most beautiful hike we have done all summer. Every view in every direction from start to finish was sublime. It's the stuff Ansel Adams photographs are made of. We lucked out on the choice of weekend - the weather was cool and sunny, and the fall colors spectacular - did I mention the views? Since then, Nebo has been covered in snow! This was a tough strenuous hike worth every bit of muscle ache. I want to do it again next year, but spend the night on the mountain and make a sunrise summit.

Friday, October 10, 2008

KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON


Yes, we are still hiking.

I just felt like our blog stopped at Mt. Nebo and that isn't the end for us. We are still hiking twice a week at least and sometimes three. We get up in the morning and hike up to the screen on Bald Mountain. It takes us about 25 min. and is a great, short workout. We just don't have the time now that school has started and the weekends have been miserably stormy, so nothing out of the ordinary. Our goal is to try to get in one last Maple Canyon hike before the snow flies, so stay tuned....

Saturday, September 27, 2008

MOUNT NEBO SUMMIT


Amy & her hot pink skirt, ready for action!

Kim, not as snazzily dressed as Amy, but ready to go.

Amy's tired, aching feet with the summit in the background.

HIKE: North Route to Mt. Nebo's highest Peak
HIKERS: Kim & Amy
START: 8,100 ft., 7:20 am
SUB-PEAK: 11,834 ft.
SUMMIT: 11,928 ft., 3 hrs.
ELEV. GAIN: 3,800 ft.
ROUND TRIP: 7 hours, 8.84 miles
END TIME: 2:21 pm
WEATHER: a beautiful, sunny autumn day

KIM'S NOTES: Yes, we are truly amazing women! This is a hike to be proud of- not that our others aren't, but this was one serious Hike (with a capital H). It is the most fabulous, grueling, magnificent hike, in every way, I have ever done. We could not have chosen a more perfect day to do it. The fall colors were in full swing and gorgeous scenery bombarded us wherever we were. I think one my favorite things about this hike was that there are payoff views at every point on the trail. The last mile or two up to the summit was by far the hardest. It was straight up and got rockier and rockier as you progressed, until at the top we were just climbing up a pile of shale (which wasn't as hard as coming down it). When we reached the summit we did so with 6 other people, but I guess that's lots better than Timpanogos, so I won't complain. It was such a great moment, to sit there on top of the world and see so far because we had climbed there. The down trip was harder than the up. We started a list of aching body parts and added as we went, but made it down safely (I only fell 9 times). Overall, this is a memory I will always cherish- very worth the aches and pains I am suffering now.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

PETEY BISHOP SUMMIT- AGAIN


Here's Amy enjoying the view

Hike: Petey Bishop trail
Hikers: Kim & Amy
Location: Ephraim
Begin: 3:27 pm
End: ?
Summit: 4:28 pm- 1 hour, 1 min.
RT time: 1 hour, 40 min.
Camper: 22 min.
Fork: 29 min.
Flood Zone: 37 min.
Weather: clear, sunny, 70 F

Notes: This is a great hour hike! It is very strenuous, but with some ideal level outs for resting. It was my first time doing this hike all the way to the top and I loved it. Hopefully we'll be able to keep doing it for a few months. The fall weather was perfect.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

SKYLINE





Hike: Skyline Drive, Fairview to Ephraim
Date: Saturday, Sept 5 2008
Location: Fairview, UT
Hikers & Bikers: Amy, Zina, English, Kelly, Carolyn & Ash
Begin: 10:00 am
End: 12:30 am
Distance: 11 miles
Weather: Beautiful & clear, low 60's
Elevations: about 10,000 ft

Notes: Amazing views of Sanpete Valley, Horshoe Mountain, and all kinds of flora and fauna (including hunters). This was organized by E and K and was originally planned as a 30 mile stretch along Skyline Drive beginning at the top of Fairview Canyon and ending at the top of Ephraim Canyon. We did about one third of the stretch - English was violently ill trailside. See the above pix, he looks pretty miserable. However, despite English's misery, the rest of us had a great time. Zina and I rode our bikes, English ran, and Kelly, Carolyn, and Ash were the driver support team. There were a a couple spots where I walked the bike up a hill - it was faster than riding - and I did manage one crash while enjoying the view rather than watching the ruts and rocks. A note about electricity, there is a spot where the road goes under major power lines, I thought I was being stung by bees but realized after a few moments that I was getting shocked by the metal on my bike due to the electric static in the air. Excited to do the full 30 miles next fall. And for the record, English returned the following weekend and ran the full 30 miles at 10000 feet. Amazing.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

HANGING LAKE



Notes: This is always a beautiful hike. It is only 2.4 miles round trip, but it does gain over 1,000 ft. in elevation. We took it easy and just had a good time. Even Phoebe who is only 5 did the hike without too much fuss. The view at the end is a great reward and it takes away any discomfort the hike may have caused.
Hanging Lake rest area can only be accessed from the East bound lanes of I-70 in Glenwood Canyon. If you're coming from the west you must pass hanging lake, turn around at Grizzly Creek and head back east on I-70 to the Hanging Lake exit. The Hanging Lake exit is nearly 10 miles East of Glenwood springs. After taking the exit for Hanging Lake simply follow the road into the parking area. This area can be crowded during the summer, so you may have to park a ways away. (And don't park on the on-ramp if it is crowded, you'll get a ticket!)

Monday, August 25, 2008

PETEY BISHOP SUMMIT (from creek)


Hike: Petey Bishop's
Location: Ephraim, UT
Hikers: Amy, Jamie
Begin: 6:56 am
End: 8:36 am
Summit: 7:56 am, 7800 ft.
RT Time: 1 hour 40 min
Camper: 22 min
Fork: 29 min
Flood Zone: 39 min
Weather: clear, 69 F at the end
Elevations: ?' - 7800'

Notes: Jamie and I started at the base of Petey Bishop's where the small creek crosses the trail. With school starting everyone is much shorter on time. We had no intention of making the summit this morning but every bend and every hill crest looked as though we might almost be there. So we continued. It was a "just till the next bend..." kind of morning. After the flood zone the trail becomes very steep and the footing is loose all the way to the summit. It felt great to get to the top so unexpectedly and fast - one hour exactly. I must say, I think we're in pretty good shape. We saw several deer along the way and a man. Human encounters are rare. However, despite our good cardio shape none of us have dropped very much weight - so we've all committed to losing 5 pounds by October 1. Now it's in writing. Glad to be alive and healthy living in such a beautiful place.

Monday, August 18, 2008

BALD MOUNTAIN SUMMIT!





Hikers: Kim, Amy, Jamie
Begin: 6:15 am
Elevation: 5900'
Rocky Bend: 53 min.
Summit: 1 hour 53 min.
Elevation: 8464'
End time: 9:50 am
RT Time: 3 hours 35 min.
RT Mileage: 9.2 miles
Weather: 51F to start, 71 F to end. Cool, but sunny and clear.


Notes: WE DID IT!!! Our goal of the summer was reached. We were very proud of ourselves (and still are). We really kept our pace going and reached the Rocky Bend in record time with no stops until then. This was almost the half-way point and we were still going strong. The trail stayed moderate until the last 15- 20 min. We were thrilled to see the top and broke out the camera, granola bars and water right away. We had pictured a nice relaxing breakfast on the mountain, but the swarm of bees had a different idea. Wherever we went they went too. In the end, we just decided to let them have their hill and went back down. At the bottom, tired, sore and faint from hunger (but still happy we had accomplished our goal), we decided to go out to breakfast and were able to do justice to our large meals. It was very satisfying. *sigh of contentment* Now, if we can just make it to Mt. Nebo....

Friday, August 15, 2008

PETEY BISHOP'S

Hike: Petey Bishop's
Location: Ephraim, UT
Hikers: Kim, Amy, Jamie, Isa the dog
Day: Friday, Aug 15
Begin: 7:09 am
End: 8:43 am
RT Time: 1 hour 34 min
Summit: Flood Zone, 7:59 am, 7175 ft.
Weather: 53 F, clear and cool
Elevations: 5935' - 7175'

Notes: Petey Bishop's Round II. We reached the Fork in the Road (our summit on wed) at 7:50 am. An improvement of several minutes from Wednesday. I think 6 minutes...? Mornings are getting cooler and darker. Signs of summer sadly on it's way out. Early monday morning is our first and last attempt, for the season at least, to actually summit Bald Mountain. Though we have hiked it a couple dozen times we have yet to make to the top. Time is always the issue. This morning was a leg burner for everyone.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

PETEY BISHOPS


Hike: Petey Bishop's
Location: Ephraim, UT
Hikers: Kim, Amy, Jamie, Isa the dog
Day: Wed, Aug 13
Begin: 7:14 am
End: 8:30 am
Summit: Fork in the road, 6981 ft.
RT Time: 1 hour 16 min, approx
Weather: 56 F, clear and cool
Elevations: 5935' - 6981'

Notes: Whew! So this was Petey Bishop's the front way. We started at the end of Cane Valley (past the elk ranch) on a long stretch of flat which provided a good warm up and cool down. But other than that, it was all up. Someone pointed out, that it makes the grind of Bald Mountain feel like a warm-up. We hiked hard and fast and it felt great. After hiking a solid 40 minutes we stopped to catch our breath. We all noticed that we had recovered within about 30 seconds even though we had moments ago been pushing our bodies and lungs to our personal limit. And that's what's interesting. It doesn't necessarily get easier, you just recover faster. We ran out of time before reaching the true summit and had to turn and head back. Another time.

Monday, August 11, 2008

RACE LOOP


Hike: Race Loop
Location: Ephraim, UT
Hikers: Kim, Amy, Jamie, Isa the dog
Day: Monday, August 11
Begin: 7:10
Summit: A distinct summit was not found
RT Time: 1 hour 3 min
Weather: 56 F, clear and cool

Notes: The race loop begins by Tank Hill just west of Larsens. This is where we parked. Kim had vague and distant memories of the bike trail loop supplemented by more recent information from Cory (her husband), and between the two, was able to lead us up, down, around, over, and under every hill and pinyon pine on the lower eastern bench. The climax of this mornings' hike was a very steep descent appoximately 3/4 of way through down a loosely graveled hillside. The best way to approach this particular descent is to put aside notions of traction and think speed and snowboard stance instead. It was agreed by all, except the dog who can't talk, that this small section qualifies this hike as "somewhat hazardous." Sorry no pictures.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

NEW CANYON/ PETEY BISHOP'S




Location: Ephraim Canyon
Hikers: Kim, Amy, Jamie, Isa
Day: Wed, 6 Aug
Begin: 7:08 am, 6230 ft.
EZ PZ rock: 22 min. 6680 ft.
Summit: 1 hour 9 min., 7800 ft.
Rt. time: 2 hour 5 min.
Weather: 67 F, overcast, humid

Notes: We haven't done this hike since the beginning of the summer, so it is interesting to note our increased speed and strength. At the Petey Bishop turn-off the road got much steeper, but there was a great reward in the fact that we could see most of the Sanpete Valley from the top.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

UINTAS





Location: Crystal Lakes TH - Lakes Country Trail
Hikers: Amy, Daniel
Day: Friday, 1 Aug - Sunday, 3 Aug, 2008
Rt time: 2.5 days
Weather: 70's in the day, high 30's at night, breezy and sunny
Elevations: 10,750
Pace: 1 mi/hr uphill, 1.5 mi/hr downhill (approx)
Distance: 8 miles RT
Notes: Why have I not visited the Uinats sooner? A pine speckled pale rock landscape with basins full of water. Lots of water. Weir Lake, Pot Lake, Duck Lake, Island Lake, Long Lake, and lots of many little unnamed lakes inbetween. Temperatures were perfect. Backpacking at midday in full sun was actually a pleasure. We started on Friday afternoon, and camped at Duck Lake, 3 miles from the trailhead (mostly downhill), then headed up to Island Lake the next morning (1 mile). On Sunday we packed out via Long Lake (3 miles) completing the loop. Wildflowers were out in abundance, particularly above 10,000 ft, and we spent some time learning plants and chasing an elusive woodpecker. Unfortunatley, the weather was too good and I didn't get to try out my new big agnes tent in windy and stormy weather. Of the listed lakes, Long and Island were the highlights.