Bagging Grandeur Peak

There is nothing quite like sitting on top of a mountain peak.  Really great views in all directions.  You feel like you are on top of the world, "looking down on creation" (70s song by the Carpenters). Any whoooo - to qualify as a true mountain peak, the summit must have 300 feet or more of clean prominence.  A basic definition of prominence is "the elevation rise of the peak from the highest connecting saddle of another higher peak".  There are 77 such peaks to climb right here in the Wasatch.  It's called Peak Bagging.  Check out this link if you want more info. and to look at the peak list.
http://www.feedthehabit.com/outdoors/peak-bagging-in-the-wasatch-the-core-77-peak-list/

Grandeur Peak

8299 Feet

Grandeur Peak is one of the easiest and most accessible of the major peaks overlooking the Salt Lake Valley.  The trail begins from the Church Fork picnic area about 3 miles up Millcreek Canyon.   There are only about 8 parking spots at the trailhead so get an early start if you plan to climb this one on the weekend.  The hike is 5.5 miles (give or take) and the elevation gain is 2,387 (give or take).  It took us 2 hours 10 minutes to reach the top and 1 hour 20 minutes down.

Martha and I at the very tippy top of Grandeur Peak with Mount Olympus in the background.  Another hiker was kind enough to take our picture ☻ ☻ two peak bagging grandmas.  We picked the perfect day to hike (Thursday afternoon May 30) with cloud cover and cooler temperatures. Most of this trail is exposed so a hot summer afternoon would NOT be a good time to climb this one. 

The mountain was so lush and green after the rain this week.

Looking down on Salt Lake City with Antelope Island and the Great Salt Lake in the distance.

Looking east at Gobblers Knob, 10,246 feet and Mount Raymond 10,241 feet.

                     Looking at the north face of Mount Olympus.

You can also see Parley's Canyon and Mountain Dell reservoir towards the northeast.

 

More of the journey to the top!

"For myself I hold no preferences

among flowers so long as they are

wild, free, spontaneous!" Ed Abbey 

 Wildflower of the Week

 

This bright wildflower covering the hillside of Grandeur Peak is a Western Larkspur.  It is very pretty, but is poisonous to livestock. My dad taught me about Larkspur many years ago.

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CraZy Hiker Chicks Top 10 Reasons to Hike

#10 Hiking is an excellent cure for boredom.

#9 Hiking will strengthen your legs.  You may even notice calf muscles.

#8 On hiking trails you meet the most friendly people.  And even friendlier dogs. 

#7 Winter hiking allows you to escape the inversion in the valley and breathe CLEAN, FRESH AIR! 

#6 Hiking relieves stress, worry and anxiety - GUARANTEED!

#5 If you are lucky you will see a variety of wildlife on your hike.  Keep your eyes open!  And look around!

#4 Hiking will improve balance, coordination and bone density because you are walking on very uneven surfaces.

#3  Hiking increases feelings of well-being and lowers depression. 

#2  Hiking gives a greater appreciation for the beauty of our natural world.

#1 Hike for the pure pleasure of it!  John Muir said it best "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."

Peaks Bagged

 1.  Grandeur Peak ♦♦ 8299

******Miles hiked tally     

beginning March 22, 2013

59.1

Lake Blanche

From desert hiking to mountain hiking in the same week - I am one lucky hiker chick!  I will admit I was a little apprehensive about hiking to Lake Blanche this week.  The last time I hiked this trail I was in my early 40s and I remember telling my husband "take my picture because I am NEVER going to do this hike again!"  Fast forward about 14 years . . . . now in my mid 50s and I didn't have any problem hiking to Lake Blanche.  In fact it was delightful and so incredibly beautiful! (I'm running out of adjectives to describe my hikes, sorry)  Don't get me wrong, I'm tired after hiking and my feet and legs ache but I always recover by the next day.  What I do notice is that my legs are stronger, my lungs have greater capacity and my heart beats strong.  Enough gab . . . let's get hiking!

Lake Blanche

The trail to Lake Blanche is 5.8 miles roundtrip with and elevation gain of 2670 feet. (pretty steep) This is one of the most popular hikes in Big Cottonwood Canyon so you will find crowds on the weekends.  We hiked on Thursday afternoon and had the entire lake to ourselves.  Sundial Peak stands at the center of a cirque. A cirque ('surk) is a deep steep-walled mountain basin usually forming the blunt end of a valley.  Very majestic!

Lake Blanche with Sundial Peak in background.

Lake Florence and Lake Lillian are two more lakes worth exploring.

The Lake Blanche dam was built in the 1930s.

 Pictures speak a thousand words!

I felt like I was almost on top of the world!

Sundial Peak

 

This is about where I sat many years ago and swore I would never hike this trail again.  Now I think a hike to Lake Blanche, Florence and Lillian will be a yearly event.

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Wildflower of the Week

This teeny, tiny wildflower is a Nuttall's Violet.  Nuttall's Violets bloom during May and the first two weeks of June.  You have to look really close the ground to find this wildflower and I only saw a few as we hiked the trail to Lake Blanche.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

CraZy Hiker Chicks Top 10 Reasons to Hike

#10 Hiking is an excellent cure for boredom.

#9 Hiking will strengthen your legs.  You may even notice calf muscles.

#8 On hiking trails you meet the most friendly people.  And even friendlier dogs. 

#7 Winter hiking allows you to escape the inversion in the valley and breathe CLEAN, FRESH AIR! 

#6 Hiking relieves stress, worry and anxiety - GUARANTEED!

#5 If you are lucky you will see a variety of wildlife on your hike.  Keep your eyes open!  And look around!

#4 Hiking will improve balance, coordination and bone density because you are walking on very uneven surfaces.

#3  Hiking increases feelings of well-being and lowers depression. 

#2  Hiking gives a greater appreciation for the beauty of our natural world.

#1 Hike for the pure pleasure of it!  John Muir said it best "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."

******Miles hiked tally     

beginning March 22, 2013

53.6