BACKBONE

HIKERS: Kim, Amy, Jamie, Isa the Dog

RT TIME: 60 min.

WEATHER: sunny, 42 f

KIM'S NOTES: This is our newest hike and it is a good one. The hills are not quite as intense as Bald Mt. so I feel like I am more consistent with my pace on this one. After a weekend of BBQ's and relaxation it was time to get moving again and it felt great!

THE GULCH

Waterpocket Fold




DATE: 5/22-5/25
HIKERS: Amy, Lin, Tim, Anne, Alexia, Anna, Penelope, Sophia, Christopher
LOCATION: Escalante Grand Staircase Monument, Waterpocket Fold
WEATHER: Rain and more rain

AMY'S NOTES: An amazing desert weekend in the rain: waterfalls, ponds, mating frogs, ribbons of water flowing down the seams of mountains splitting apart, black boulders in what seem to be impossible places, thunderheads, virga, a few hours spent bathing on a rock in the passing sun... Camped the first night near Dear Creek Campground in heavy rain and headed up The Gulch the next morning where the primary pursuit was ironically water. Every adventure needs a purpose. On the way out, Lin and I drove the Burr Trail through the Waterpocket Fold and Nottam Rd (I think) through Capitol Reef with a few stops along the way. And in case anyone was wondering, you can take a Saab on this route!

SAN PITCH RIVER

"San Pitch Gothic" ©Jason Stevens

KAYAKERS: Noah, Cory, Kristi, Little Kate, Emma, Kim, Virg, Jake, Amy, Jason
DATE: Thursday, 5/21, evening
LOCATION: San Pitch River, west of Manti
WEATHER: 70 F, Sunny

AMY'S NOTES: An exquisite golden sunset evening on a slow meandering river though green saturated meadows against the backdrop of the snow peaked Central Wasatch. Good people, great conversation, and much laughter. We lingered. Doesn't get much better.

NOTCH PEAK

Make a Smilebox slideshow

HIKERS: Kim, Sam, Joe, Hilary, Amy
START: 7:15 am
RT TIME: 6 hrs, 15 min
SUMMIT: 2 hr 15 min to saddle, 3 hr to peak
ELEVATION: 9655 ft
WEATHER: 40 F night, 70 F day, sunny

DIRECTIONS: (More reliable than those I found on the internet). West out of Delta on Hwy. 50/6. Near milepost 46, turn north (right) on a graded dirt road. After 4 miles turn left (west) onto another graded road marked "Miller Canyon." After 5.2 miles, turn left (at the bathroom/atv trailhead) onto a lesser-used dirt road that snakes off to the southwest. Pass the Behunin Cabin and camp in lower Sawtooth Canyon.

AMY'S NOTES: A great adrenaline rush to be standing inches away from a one mile vertical drop. We almost lost Kim. At the summit she tripped over a root and literally fell, completely sprawled, only a foot away from the edge. We all looked on in horror. Though afterwards it was rather comic, minus the damage done permanently to her camera and temporarily to her ego :-)

KIM'S NOTES: This was a great hike. We camped over the night before and got an early start the next morning (7 am). The summit view was a wonderful reward. It was really fun to have Sam along. This was our first mother/daughter hike.

NEW CANYON

HIKERS: Amy, Jamie, Kim, Isa the dog
SUMMIT: Water diversion slab
RT TIME: 1 hr approx.
WEATHER: 45 F, sunny
A's PACK: 10 lb

AMY'S NOTES: A few moments of interest today: we ran into 2 runners, 3 dogs, and one mountain biker. OH the crowds! That is the busiest I've ever seen it. And for the record there is only one spot where you can get cell phone reception in New Canyon. Jamie can tell you exactly where that is...

BALD MOUNTAIN: SHADE TREE+

KIM'S NOTES: not much new to say except that I 'forgot' my pack this morning and let me tell you- I felt like I had wings! It was a good morning for me today. I haven't said that in a while either, so I am happy.

THE "S" or LORD OF THE FLIES

HIKERS: Amy, Shauna, 7 cub scouts
WEATHER: 79 F
SUMMIT: 23 min

AMY'S NOTES: I have a whole new perspective on the cub scouts - it's called sympathy for the leaders. I never knew that keeping 7 boys together and preventing them from torturing small wild animals and each other could be so difficult. Golding knew exactly what he was talking about. (Uh, I'm sure they're all good kids I just have zero experience with 10 yr old boys). We started at the water station and the way was basically straight up - particularly towards the top.

BALD MOUNTAIN- SCREEN

HIKERS: Becky!, Amy, Jamie, Kim, Isa the dog

TIMES: Jamie- 22.5 min, Amy- 23 min, Kim- 24 min.

RT TIME: 44 min.

WEATHER: 41 f, sunny

AMY'S PACK: 10 lbs.

KIM'S NOTES: Just a quicky this morning. This was Becky's first trek with us, so we want to welcome her. I was "suckin' air" again (as Jamie would say), but Jamie, again, kicked a - - . We decided she needs to have a handicap on Monday- probably 20 lbs. would do it. These are actually our fastest times to the screen we've done, so we are lookin' good!

NEW CANYON

HIKERS: Amy, Kim, Isa the dog
RT TIME: 65 min
WEATHER: 48 - 58 F, sunny

AMY'S NOTES: Cold canyon breeze this morning. Still packing water.

BALD MOUNTAIN: SHADE TREE+

HIKERS: Jamie, Amy, Isa the dog, Kim

TIME: 34 min.

RT TIME: 63 min.

WEATHER: 39 f, sunny

KIM'S NOTES: I have decided to give Jamie the Energizer Bunny Award this morning. She just kept going and going and going.... and I just couldn't keep up. Amy did, but not me. I definitely came in last. I never knew shaving 2 minutes off our time could be so painful...

BALD MOUNTAIN: SHADE TREE +

HIKERS: Kim, Amy, Isa the dog
SUMMIT: 36 min, hill above shade tree
RT TIME: 1 hour 5 min
WEATHER: 44 F - 54 F, overcast
A's PACK: 10 lbs.

AMY'S NOTES: All the humans were packing water this morning - backpacks aboard. The road up was relatively dry despite all the rain over the weekend and a good time was had by all. Though we need Jamie back to help keep up the pace. I think we'll be in stellar shape by the time we start doing our more strenuous climbs mid-summer.

CANYON ROAD- ALL BY MYSELF...

HIKER: Kim

TIME: 55 min.

WEATHER: 38 f, sunny

KIM'S NOTES: It was too muddy from all the rain over the weekend to head off the beaten path, so I stayed on the main canyon road. It was a gorgeous spring morning and I was all alone- but not lonely. I listened to some rockin' tunes on my ipod to keep my pace up and had a great work out.

BONNEVILLE SHORELINE TRAIL

View of SLC just before storm

Ancient Lake Bonneville

HIKERS: Amy, Lin
DATE: Sunday, 5/3/09, evening
RT TIME: 1 hour
WEATHER: Squall - rain, winds, pelting hail

AMY'S NOTES: We began at a trailhead located near the entrance to Red Butte Gardens and headed up under a heavily clouded sky. The ground was wet from a weekend of spring rain and a deep rich scent of sage and dirt permeated the air. Within minutes of reaching Emigration Canyon we were getting whipped around by high winds, bellowing thunder, lighting, and hail that must have been leaving small dents in my forehead. It's amazing how much raw power there is in a storm. Pretty exhilarating to be in the middle of it.

The trail follows the eastern shoreline of ancient Lake Bonneville. Lake Bonneville filled the Great Basin which covers much of the western United States. The lake existed in the late pleisteine period when Utah was a much wetter place and glaciers sat nestled in the peaks of the Wasatch Range. The Lake created a series of benches as it slowly receded into the desert over thousands of years. Many of Utah’s cities are built on the lower benches and the Bonneville Shoreline trail follows the upper benches. (www.bonnevilleshorelinetrail.org)

CANYON ROAD IN THE RAIN

HIKERS: Kim & Tonia

TIME: 30 min.

WEATHER: consistent rain

KIM'S NOTES: We started out trying to do New Canyon, but it was just too muddy and we were wearing mud-caked, 'high-heels' after 5 steps. So we just did the canyon road up to the hair-pin turn with the cabin. It was a short hike, but we were soaked to the skin and ready to be done.

PETEY BISHOP'S & WATER

HIKERS: Kim, Amy, Isa the dog
WEATHER: 35 F, clear
SUMMIT: 30 min, Fork
ELEVATIONS: 5935' - 6981' Creek to Fork
RT TIME: 50 min

AMY'S NOTES: Today I carried water. 8 pounds of water. And in my search for an impressive water carrying image I came across millions of images of women carrying water. All over the world women carry water. Apparently, I am not the only one trying to get a good workout. Next week I will graduate to sticks. After that I'm considering hay, pipes, grain, and a very large fish.