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!)