TWIN PEAKS SUMMIT!

The trail forks at this lake.

Justin coming up through the gap.

Dave working his way along the ridge.

Dave, Amy & Justin on the summit!

Manly men.

Before sunrise at the spot where we turned around the first time.

HIKERS: Amy, Dave, Justin
START TIME: 6:15 am
RT TIME: 9.5 hours
SUMMIT TIME: 5 hours
SUMMIT ELEVATION: 11,330 ft
ELEVATION GAIN: 5100 ft
TRAILHEAD: Broadsfork TH, Big Cottonwood Canyon
WEATHER: Sunny, clear


AMY'S NOTES: Third time is the charm. We finally made it and with the core group we started with - the stalwarts. The weather was beautiful and I was in the company of two really great guys. A cold front and storm moved in on the Wednesday afterwards and the mountains have been covered in snow since. And strangely, I actually love that it took us 3 attempts to summit - it became the epic of the summer. With every attempt the jokes became funnier and the adventure more grand. This time we took the left fork at the lake and were able to follow a well traveled trail into the next colouir where the trail peters out and you need to pick your way up the scree and talus slope. It's at this point that you can see one of the twin peaks in the foreground. On this last section, after splitting up and trying different routes, we found it easiest to stay left and aim for the gap (or slot) along the ridge. We then picked our way along the ridge to the summit. This seemed a better route than taking the "trail" that snakes along the base of the ridge. We spent about 45 minutes on the summit enjoying the views of Little Cottonwood, Big Cottonwood, Timpanogos, Nebo, Alta, Snowbird, Red Pine, White Pine, Salt Lake Valley, and Mt Olympus - the mountain that started it all. Ended the day in tradition with a big meal at Porcupines. Loved this climb.

"Broads Fork Twin Peaks, more frequently referred to simply as "Twin Peaks", is the highest and most prominent mountain on the eastern skyline behind Salt Lake Valley. With an elevation of 11,330 feet (east summit) and 11,328 feet (west summit), the Twins rise nearly 7,000 vertical feet above the valley floor. The most commonly used ascent route is via Broads Fork, a class 3 climb of 5,100+ vertical feet with some scrambling and exposure. The center of the Twin Peaks Wilderness Area, the peaks here are some of the most rugged to be found in the Wasatch." -SummitPost.org