The Grand Tour of Grandeur
Also on this hike
June 30th, Peak #2 of the Utah Six Pack of Peaks. Today’s hike was short and sweet, but still steep! The plan today was to hike Grandeur Peak. It was a little shorter than the other hikes, but I still wanted to get an early start. So, I arrived at the trailhead just a little after 5am and headed off into the dark.
Parking was on the street since the gate to the trailhead didn’t open until 8am. That added about .4 miles (one way) to get to the trailhead and .2 of those miles were uphill with an elevation gain of 189 feet. Great start! ???? The trail started off as a double wide easy to follow trail. Right around the 2-mile mark it closed in to a single-track trail with some overgrown bushes.
I was moving a little slow today after yesterday’s hike. Mile 1 felt like it took forever, and it had an elevation gain of 783 feet. Add that to the 189 feet in elevation gain prior to the hike. Nice start! Mile 2 was just as steep gaining 718 feet in elevation. But mile 3 gain an impressive 919 feet in elevation before hitting the summit.
I saw only one trail runner on my ascent. He was coming down as I was nearing the summit. Another runner came up just as I was leaving the summit. On my descent I ran into several groups heading up.
Although it was a short hike, there were some awesome views of the various mountain ranges, peaks, and of Salt Lake City. Lots of waterfalls, especially early on, and the trail was lined with various types of flowers.
Oh just a note to be aware. There is a parking fee of $5 and, even though it is a National Forest, they do not accept any of the National Park passes. (I.e. America the Beautiful Pass) Also they do not accept cash payment. It must be a credit/debit card. All cars must pay! I drove up to check out the trailhead the day before and was informed that even though I didn’t park and was only there for less than 5 minutes, I still had to pay the fee.
Today’s hike was a relatively easy 6.8 miles with a total elevation gain of 2637 feet. Peak #2 of the Utah Six Pack of Peaks Challenge complete!
Responses