Mount Baldy 11,068 Feet!

Mount Baldy is a major peak (11,068 feet) that sits right between Alta and Snowbird ski resorts.  Impressive right??

And it is a pretty cinchy climb to the summit, at least the way we climbed it.  What!!  First of all you ride the Snowbird Aerial Tram to the summit of Hidden Peak (11,000 feet) which will cost you $17 per person. There is a service road on the left of the tram that will drop you down toward the beginning of the Mount Baldy trail.  The trail looked a little intimating to me at first because the footpath follows the narrow rocky ridge along the crest, but it is a well established path and pretty easy.  Always take care, use caution and make sure of your footing as you climb.  It took us less than 45 minutes to make it to the summit of Mount Baldy. The elevation gain was only about 560 feet.  There were some amazing views in all directions.

The Snowbird Tram as it nears Hidden Peak.

 Mount Timpanogos in the far distance.

 

Another great mountain view!

On top of Mount Baldy all cover in junk!

We met another hiker from South Carolina who recommended that we take the Mineral Basin Trail back to the tram which made for a really nice loop hike.  Be sure to pick up one of these Summer Hiking and Biking trail maps from the tram.  I had no idea there were this many options to hike.

The Mineral Basin trail was well marked and takes you across the mountain covered in beautiful wildflowers.  Plus you are hiking in the shade which feels great on a hot afternoon! This trail will become a yearly event for me during peak wildflower season.
 

One of the ski runs was named Lupine Loop and we could definitely see why.  The mountainside was covered with Silvery Lupines.

The hardest part of this loop trail was the fairly steep climb back up to the tram.  I have read that another possible summit from Hidden Peak is the American Fork Twin Peaks in this picture.  It looks too precarious from here!

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"For myself I hold no preferences

among flowers so long as they are

wild, free, spontaneous!" Ed Abbey 

 Wildflower of the Week

Silvery Lupine is the most common and widespread lupine in Utah.  They are part of the pea family and after flowering they leave a pod that looks similar to a pea pod.  The plants grow in dense colorful clumps and make for a very beautiful mountainside.

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Peaks Bagged

1.  Grandeur Peak ♦♦ 8299 

2.  Reynolds Peak ♦♦ 9422

3.  South Guardsman Pass Peak ♦♦ 10,420

4.  Mount Baldy ♦♦ 11,068

******Miles hiked tally     

beginning March 22, 2013

90.7

Cardiff Fork Trail/Road

Big Cottonwood Canyon never ceases to amaze me.  There is so much beauty - yes, so much to explore - yes, and interesting history as well.  The Cardiff Fork trail is actually an old road dating back to the early 1900's that leads to an old mine site. If you do not like hiking on loose rock, this isn't the trail for you.

The Cardiff Mine was a booming operation from about 1910 until the 1950's and now all that remains are the tailings from the old mines and a huge ore bin.  The road to Cardiff Mine was closed in 1992 to motorized vehicles unless you are a private land owner.  I thought it made for an interesting hike.  The hike to the mine site begins at the Donut Falls parking area and follows the old road for 2 1/2 miles with and elevation gain of 1340 feet.

Mine Tailings

Only remaining structure is this huge ore bin.

Apparently the road continues over Cardiff Pass at the head of the canyon and will eventually drop you down into Alta.  That would be a little too much of a hike for me.

There is still a lot of private property in the area so you must stay on the road and honor posted signs.  The scenery in this canyon was really quite beautiful.

It rained on us for a good portion of the hike, but the rain was totally refreshing so I didn't mind it one bit!

Also found some interesting looking mushrooms on this hike!

Mushrooms anyone???

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"For myself I hold no preferences

among flowers so long as they are

wild, free, spontaneous!" Ed Abbey 

 Wildflower of the Week

This cheerful wildflower is called Rose Heath.  The buds start out bright pink and then turn into a white daisy like flower.  It tends to grow in patches throughout the drier mountain sides.  I just happened to catch a couple of butterflies napping.

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Peaks Bagged

1.  Grandeur Peak ♦♦ 8299 

2.  Reynolds Peak ♦♦ 9422

3.  South Guardsman Pass Peak ♦♦ 10,420

******Miles hiked tally     

beginning March 22, 2013

89.5