BAPTIST DRAW-LOWER CHUTE CANYON

Make a Smilebox slideshow

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.

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.

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....