July 4th, Peak #5 of the Utah Six Pack of Peaks. What better way to spend the day of our independence than on a trail completing the Utah Six Pack of Peaks Challenge with another epic hike.
I was warned by another hiker to arrive really early for this hike because it is a popular destination, and the parking lot fills up fast. The fact that it was the 4th of July meant even more people. So, I arrived at the trailhead at 0515. Early? Yes. But barely early enough. When I pulled into the parking lot there were maybe 4 or 5 spots left to park and there were at least 100 cars already parked. Right after I arrived (within a minute or so) a few more cars came in and the lot was full! Crazy! There is a $5 dollar parking fee, but the Forest Service did honor my America the Beautiful Pass.
After a few minutes of prepping my gear, I got on the road to begin my hike. It was crazy the number of hikers there were out there that early. The entire trail going up to the summit was like a Congo line and to add to that, after the first few miles on trail there were hikers and trail runners coming down.
The elevation gain per mile wasn’t too bad. Mostly between 470 and 666 for the first four miles. After that the gains increased to numbers in the upper 700’s. The weather for most of the day was great. It started off cool but very windy with gusts between 10 and 20 miles per hour at the lower elevation.
Once passed mile five and above 10,000 feet the wind gust became even more of a factor. With gusts on an exposed trail near 40 mph. The final climb to the summit was a bit of a challenge with exposed slopes and wind, plus a lot of class 2 and 3 rock scrambling.
The summit was a bit chilly as well as windy and we had the pleasure of the company of two mountain goats (a mama and yearling). Between the goats and feeding my face while taking in the views, I spent some time up there at 11,700+ feet enjoying conversation with several other hikers.
On my descent, I ran into a hiker named Steve. We talked a bit about my military service and his. He was retired Army Reserves. We ended up hiking out together for the final 3 miles or so. Just as we were starting our final mile the rain and thunder showers began. The cold rain drops felt good, but I couldn’t help but think about how many other hikers were still at the summit or even worse on the exposed ridgeline coming down. Not a place to be during thunderstorms and high winds.
Today’s hike was a little longer than I expected, timewise. But, when there are that many hikers on trail all day and you (meaning me) have the gift of gab you tend to stop and chat a lot.
This was my 6th peak in six day for the Utah Six Pack of Peaks Challenge and definitely one of my favorites. I ended the day with just under 15 miles and a total elevation gain of 4,925 feet. I can’t think of a better way to spend my Independence Day.
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