Mount Olympus - Take 2

Neither rain nor snow nor heat nor gloom of night will keep me from hiking . . . . . but lightning will!  I have a horrible, paralyzing fear of lightning.  Yesterdays weather was a little suspect as far as thunderstorms go, but we went anyway. (There were patches of blue sky overhead)  As we were heading up the Mount Olympus trail we met a hiker who shared some very important information with us about lightning safety.  And now I will share what I know.

 Lightning Safety Tips

• Always check the weather forecast before hiking and cancel plans if necessary, but if you do get caught in a storm get off the ridges and peaks as soon as you see the black clouds, hear rolling thunder or notice the wind whipping up.
• Stay out of open areas; take cover in wooded areas, but NOT under the tallest trees.
• Do NOT take shelter in a rocky alcove or shallow caves because lightning streamers can follow wet rock surfaces, you will not be protected as you might think.
• Best to squat down with feet planted close together, do NOT lie flat on the ground. 
• Avoid areas with evidence of previous lightning strikes like split or burned trees.  The old saying "lightning never strikes the same place twice" is FALSE!

Here is another interesting little tidbit.  The sound of thunder travels about 1 mile per 5 seconds.  After you see a flash of lightning start counting seconds until you hear the thunder, divide by 5 and that tells you how many miles the lightning strike was from you.  Learned this from Wasatch Hiker.
                                     ##################


Okay, now back to hiking! I tried to climb Mt. Olympus again yesterday.  We were soooo close (big frowny face), but didn't make it.  Not enough daylight, water, energy, legs, etc., etc., etc.  Mt. Olympus is an elevation gain of a whoppin' 4050 feet and 7 miles roundtrip.  Of that we probably hike 3000 feet for about 5.5 miles  . . . . . we were soooooo close!  We hiked for 5 hours!  And didn't make it (very sad face)!

The Rock at the beginning of Mt Olympus trail.

 Our hike started off so pleasant even with a little rain.  In fact you want cooler temps and cloud cover when hiking Mount Olympus because you are hiking southwest exposure for the majority of this hike.  The heat of the sun can be brutal!  Tip #2 when hiking Mount Olympus take more water than you think you need and plenty of snacks.  Tip #3 take a lot of rest breaks so you don't run out of gas.
 

Looking down on Old Mill golf course.

There are some spectacular views of the Salt Lake Valley from way up high!

I wish I could say that this was the top  . . . . but that would be a lie.
 

This is looking up at the top.  We climbed about 15 minutes more before giving up and turning around to head back down.

 Will I try Mount Olympus again??  Maybe, but not in the near future.

 Wildflower of the Week

 

 

 This pretty flower is called Longleaf Phlox.  I love the wild version!

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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.

******Miles hiked tally     

beginning March 22, 2013

33.6

The Mountains are Calling and I Must Go -John Muir

Whenever I need an escape from the city I head to Bells Canyon.  I probably hike up to the lower Bells Canyon Reservoir once or twice a month during winter and fall.  The Granite trailhead located at 3470 East Little Cottonwood Road is only about 5 minutes from my house. (Lucky me - I know)  Yesterday's hike took us to the Lower Bells Canyon Falls.  Even though the weather wasn't perfect, the hike was!

Lower Bells Canyon Falls

Follow this sign to waterfalls

From the Granite trailhead it is slightly over half a mile to the lower Bells Canyon Reservoir.  This a great short hike destination and is a very popular hike for families and trail runners which leads to crowds on weekends.  Once you reach the reservoir you will see a utility road on the left.  Follow this road for about 100 yards and you will find a small sign pointing the way to Bells Canyon. From here you walk through a lovely meadow with nice views of the mountains ahead. In less than a mile you will come to a sturdy foot bridge crossing a pretty stream.  Photo op!  From here the trail gets quite a bit steeper and is scattered with good sized granite rocks.  You will definitely get a stairmaster workout the rest of the way to the falls.  The tricky part is knowing where to turn off the main trail to find the falls.  The falls are several yards to the left of the main trail.  You will come to a giant pine and well marked up quakies at the turn off plus you will ear the roaring sound of the falls.

  And OH is it worth it! 

 

And there it is - a beautiful 90 foot waterfall.  Spring run off is not yet in full force as of May 1 so you can expect a lot more water cascading down in another few weeks. This waterfall can be very dangerous so use caution and common sense.  I couldn't stop taking pictures of the beautiful waterfalls.

 There was still a little snow on the trail and some of it freshly fallen.  You will also have really nice views of the Salt Lake Valley.

And if you are really lucky you may even see mountain goats.  We spotted 3 in the rocky granite cliffs on the north side of the canyon.  We shared our find with another hiker coming down the trail and "made his day"  He was as excited to see the goats as we were.

I know you can't see the goats in my picture, but they were there.

 Oh and by the way you are hiking in the Lone Peak Wilderness area and protected watershed - no dogs allowed.

 Hiking to the lower falls is almost 4 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of around 1500 feet.  There is another equally beautiful, but smaller waterfall up the trail an additional mile as well as the upper Bells Canyon reservoir another 1.4 miles beyond for an 8.4 mile roundtrip hike.  I'll save that hike for another day.

Wildflower of the Week

Utah Milkvetch

You will see this little beauty all over the foothills this spring.

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!

******Miles hiked tally     

beginning March 22, 2013

28.1

Hiking Inspiration

Before I get to this weeks hike I wanted to share with you where I get my hiking inspiration.  Two great books.  The first one is "Hiking The Wasatch" by John Veranth.  I've had this book for many years.  In fact, I wore out my first copy and just recently purchased a new one.  This book describes every hike you could ever want to do along the Wasatch front.  The second book is "60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Salt Lake City" by Greg Witt which I just barely bought and already love.  I especially like the trail descriptions in this book and the maps provided are simple and easy to follow. (I'm not a fan of topographical maps)  You can tell both authors have a great passion for hiking our beautiful Wasatch mountains and their passion is infectious!

Desolation Trail to Salt Lake Overlook

The Desolation Trail begins just east of the Millcreek Inn in Millcreek Canyon.  The distance is 4.8 miles round-trip with an elevation gain of 1250 feet.  What I love about this trail is you are walking through a lovely, pine fragrant forest.  The climb is gradual thanks to a series of easy switchbacks and the views of the Salt Lake Valley are very impressive.  This is definitely a great hike for spring, summer and fall.  Also a good beginners hike.   Millcreek Canyon is dog friendly and there is a fee of $3.00 per car ($2 for seniors) paid as you leave the canyon.

 

  There was still quite a bit of snow on the trail yesterday and a giant fallen tree to climb over, but that made it all the more fun.

No doubt which direction is north!

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!

 

Season Finale

I realize it is a little late in the year to write about Solitude Nordic Center.  Season is over . . . . makes me sad!  We had the most marvelous winter this year and truly did have the "GREATEST SNOW ON EARTH" to play in.  One of my very favorite snowshoe spots is the Nordic Center in Big Cottonwood Canyon.  Martha and I  paid a visit this week, but alas it was closed. This post is dedicated to the memory of a great season at 

Solitude Nordic Center

Costs only $5.00 for a snowshoe pass - best deal in canyon!

First time and so excited!

Soaking up the sun and fresh air!

Beautiful Mount Millicent

Silver Lake in Winter

Wildlife

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!

Mighty Mount Olympus

From my bedroom window I have a perfect view of Mount Olympus.  Every morning when I open my blinds there it is bigger than life.  I tried climbing Olympus several years ago with Marc, Cory and Mike.  I couldn't make it.  I sent the boys on ahead and felt defeated.  I also lost both big toe nails on that climb and Mount Olympus has intimated me ever sense.  Well not any more!  Plus today I changed my goal.  I decided I didn't need to reach the summit to enjoy this hike.  My goal today was to make it to Tolcat Canyon stream crossing which is a distance of 1.7 miles with an elevation gain of 1,290 feet.  I was hiking alone today so I took my time and thoroughly enjoyed the hike.  It also helped that today was cool at 47 degrees. The views again were magnificent and the glacier lilies were a bloomin'!

Far above the freeway with Oquirrh mountains in background.

Salt Lake City downtown under the juniper tree.

Looking southeast at Twin Peaks

"For myself I hold no preferences among flowers so long as they are wild, free, spontaneous!"   Edward Abbey

Glacier Lily

I could hear the waterfall before I could see it.

Tolcat Canyon Stream.  I reached my goal and made a new friend.

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.

April Snow Brings Out the Snowshoes!

I'm not putting my snowshoes away just yet!  Monday's storm brought over a foot of fresh snow to the Brighton area of Big Cottonwood.  Snow conditions yesterday afternoon were awesome!  This was my first experience with snowshoeing in April and I was treated to the most spectacular mountain vistas!

Guardsman Pass

The state road known as Guardsman Pass takes you from Big Cottonwood canyon over the mountain pass into either Heber Valley or Park City.  In winter this road is one of the few places where snowmobiles are allowed to traverse the roads.  But it is also a great snowshoe trail and the mountain is big enough for all to enjoy!  The snowshoe route is about 3 miles roundtrip and took slightly more than 3 hours total for us to snowshoe to the pass and back.  You will follow the snowmobile road for about 3/4 mile then veer to the right from the state road and head into the forest of lodge pole pines -- BEAUTIFUL!  At this point there is a sign warning snowmobilers to stay on the state road, but it is obvious that many ignore the sign.  The terrain gets pretty steep from here to the top of the pass and it is helpful to follow snowmobile tracks as much as possible.  This hike is challenging!  And my legs ached after 3 hours of hiking in the snow, but I love it!

At the top of Guardsman we found this amazing old tree.

The mountain vistas were gorgeous on this sunny afternoon.  We are looking back towards Gobblers Knob and Mount Raymond on the right.

I'm lucky to have a friend that loves the outdoors as much as I do!

I guess we can share the mountain if we have to!

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!