Thursday, April 30, 2009

BACKDOOR


HIKERS: Kim, Amy, Isa the dog
SUMMIT TIME: 40 min, base of screen
RT TIME: 60 min.
WEATHER: 42-55 f, sunny

KIM'S NOTES: This was a new hike for us. We started at the bottom of Bald Mountain, but took a different ridge up. There were quite a few challenging places- long grinds that reminded us of climbing Nebo, steep ravines, places where we were following elk and deer trails and blazing our own as well. Over all, a definite keeper!


AMY'S NOTES: Loved this! Parked at the base of Bald but took the left atv trail. At the top of the first rise go right and follow the ridge up (no trail). There is a steep gully/ravine between the ridge you are on and the next over which is home to the screen. We followed the ridge south east and eventually traversed the gully coming out on the flat just north of the screen.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

NEW CANYON


HIKERS: Kim, Amy, Isa the dog
SUMMIT: 32 min
RT TIME: 60 min
WEATHER: 34 F

AMY'S NOTES: A quick hike up and back to the concrete slab (don't know the technical name for this) in the creek. We took the traditional upper route of New Canyon today. The sun joins us earlier and earlier every morning. It is an absolute pleasure to feel the sun on my back and watch the long shadows of walking figures in front of me.

The image is of Lei Wang training for 7 summits and 2 poles. I think Kim and I could knock those off the list no problem. Must find some tires first... anyone willing to donate? For more info on Lei goto her blog: www.thegoldenpig.org

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

BALD MOUNTAIN- SHADE TREE+ (PLUS)

Here's Amy in this year's new hiking gear. What do you think? I personally think the faux lederhosen look great!

HIKERS: Kim, Amy, Isa the dog
SUMMIT TIME: 35 min.
RT TIME: 65 min.
WEATHER: 34 f, sunny

KIM'S NOTES: This morning was a gorgeous, spring morning full of sunshine. We hiked well and even went farther than we have for a while. I am reluctant to say it and jinx us, but I think we are seeing (and feeling) some progress.

Monday, April 27, 2009

CANYON ROAD


Taylor's Flat

HIKERS: Amy, Kim, Jamie, Isa the dog
WEATHER: 24 F, windy
SUMMIT: Taylor's Flat, 27 min
RT TIME: 55 min

AMY'S NOTES: We started at Red Knoll Rd. Most of our mountains and trails were mired in mud from the heavy rain and snow over the weekend. We opted to skip the slog and go for the somewhat drier road base. A cold windy morning.

MILLCREEK CANYON


DATE: Saturday, April 25
HIKERS: Amy, James, Kuma the dog
RT TIME: 1 hr approx.

AMY'S NOTES: I finally now know what people are talking about when they say Millcreek is a favorite hotspot. A beautiful canyon minutes away from SLC proper. (Head East on 3800 South and you are in Millcreek). The road is closed off about half the year and becomes exclusively available to hikers, skiers, dogs, etc. Saturday was very rainy, cold, and windy, and the snow in the canyon was rapidly melting. The creeks were bulging with water. This weekend was originally scheduled for Notch Peak but we backed out due to predicted storms. Climbing Notch in the cold windy rain on an exposed face, would have frankly been miserable. Glad we postponed. Despite the beauty of Millcreek, the photo is pretty bad. A quick shot while trying to keep the camera dry.

Friday, April 24, 2009

NEW CANYON: RIVERSIDE ROUTE


HIKERS: Kim, Jamie, Amy, Isa the dog
SUMMIT: Take out, 33 min
RT TIME: 63 min
WEATHER: 54 F

AMY'S NOTES: Today was the warmest morning of the year, or at least the warmest that I've taken note of. This is a new route for us. The New Canyon road forks after about 1.25 miles and we follow the right fork along the river to the take out where the road ends. This second half is a nice consistent climb that mimes the turns and drops in the river. The photo is taken looking east, upriver, while standing on top of the take out.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

NEW CANYON: RIVERSIDE ROUTE


HIKERS: Amy, Kim, Isa
TIME: 30 min.
RT TIME: 60 min.
WEATHER: a beautiful spring morning (about 42 f)

KIM'S NOTES: This was first accent of this trail for us. It was actually a good one. Quite a climb once you got into it. We weren't in top form, but it felt good anyway. All in all, I believe this is one is a keeper.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

BALD MOUNTAIN STANDBY


HIKERS: Kim, Amy, Jamie, Isa the dog
RT TIME: 45 min
WEATHER: 46 F, Sunny

AMY'S NOTES: Bald Mountain the old standby. Accessible, steep, and totally doable in our short amount of morning time. We came down pretty fast this morning, which if we continue to do should give us 5-10 minutes more of going up. We need more up.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

NEW CANYON: LONE PINE HILL


HIKERS: Kim, Amy, Isa
TIME: 25 minutes up to Lone Pine Hill summit
RT TIME: 54 minutes.
WEATHER: Clear, sunny, beautiful (approx. 38 f)
PHOTO CREDIT: to Amy. (The only person I know that could make 2 rocks on a gravel road look aesthetically pleasing!)

KIM'S NOTES: This hike used to kick our butts, but not anymore. We came, we hiked, we conquered. This is the first morning we started lifting 'weights.' Our trips to the bottom occasionally feel a bit too easy, so we grabbed some rocks and started lifting. It was actually a great upper body work out, and up our canyons there are plenty of 'weights' around. I personally hope to be sore tomorrow.

Kim at the top of Lone Pine Hill.

Amy and Isa with Lone Pine.

Monday, April 20, 2009

MAPLE CANYON LOOP


DATE: April 19, 2009
RT TIME: 3.5 hours
CONDITIONS: snow in the canyons, sunny
HIKERS: Amy, James

AMY'S NOTES: A beautiful Sunday afternoon hike! We started from the mouth of the canyon where we parked the car, walked up the road, and began the loop at the upper trailhead. A few firsts on this one - first time actually completing the entire loop, first time in winter, and first time in the lower canyon. There is still a lot of snow in Maple Canyon. After some bushwacking, traversing, route finding, and general meandering we returned with soaked shoes and pants. Why do I never put on gaiters? I am now an official 4 season Maple Canyon fan. (See other Maple Canyon posts for more info/pics.)

BALD MOUNTAIN


RT TIME: 55 min
SUMMIT: 25 min

AMY'S NOTES: This morning kicked my *&^%(*. It's a good thing Jamie was there to lead the way and keep the pace or I would have happily collapsed and sat squarely in the middle of the trail and watched the sunrise instead. On a more ambitious note, Kim and I are headed to Notch Peak to hit the first major climb of the summer. Very excited and looking forward to the second highest exposed cliff in America.

Friday, April 17, 2009

CANYON ROAD

Hikers: Amy, Kim, Jamie, Isa
Time: 6:40 am- 7:35 am (55 min.) approx.
Route: From Red Knoll Road to the cabin
Weather: 34 f and cloudy

Notes: Yes, we are back to hiking every morning again. The weather hasn't been great (thus the Canyon Road route), but it is good to be going again regularly. It really keeps us looking young.

NEBO "A'mazing" VIDEO

AMY'S NOTES: I found some forgotten funny footage of Kim this morning while browsing photos. This would be Kim and I shortly after reaching the summit of Nebo last fall. I think we were both a little delirious. See the Nebo post for more info/pics. (I'm not sure who those people are at the end...)

Monday, April 6, 2009

COSTA RICA



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Date: Dec 2008 - Jan 2009

AMY'S NOTES: Costa Rica has great billboard signage, exquisite beaches, highways that suddenly drop off into the cavernous holes of landslides, amazing fruit that truly is ripe, a humidity that seeps deep into your skin, howler monkeys who conjure such intense primal instincts that honestly I may as well have just teleported to the dinosaur age, ant hills 15 feet across, waterfalls more abundant than utah sagebrush, and more birds sighted in 15 minutes than was possible for me to catolog the entire trip. And Jungles. Everything but the water and sky is green. Deep saturated green. The photos were taken either in the Arenal Volcano area or down on the Osa Peninsula.

WALES: ABER FALLS & SNOWDONIA





Date: March 2009

AMY'S NOTES: Very civilized hiking. In fact the Welsh refer to it as "walking." But beautiful nonetheless. Snowdonia is a mountainous national preserve located in northern Wales. It served as natural barrier against invaders for centuries. While there, I ate and worked in the castle of the last prince of Wales, Prince Llewelyn (d. 1282), which is now owned by 2 historians who are diligently working to restore and preserve the proper history of Wales. Aber Falls, see above pictures, is just a few miles above that site. Incredibly quiet with damp winter earth tones and the short growth of spring greens, I easily imagined the history of a thousand populated years traversing the landscape.