Friday, July 25, 2008

Hiking Timpanogos

Last weekend we hiked Mt. Timpanogos - which rises to an elevation of 11,749 ft. above sea level. I returned exhausted and sunburnt, but I went to bed that night completely content with the day. I love long, arduous hikes like this one. They test your mettle.

The Group at the trailhead. So fresh and so clean!

One of the many small, but beautiful waterfalls that cross the trail as you ascend.

The wildflowers were stunning!

More of the gorgeous wildflowers.

Here, an old man carefully makes his way across a small snowpack that covered the trail. One wrong slip here and you slide 50 feet down the mountain onto jagged rocks. I was worried for him, but he made it. :)

I wish I knew the names for these flowers. They were so fiery!

This panorama was stitched together from 8 or 9 pictures.
Click on it to see a larger version.

Here I am on the saddle, which is the first area from which you can see Utah Valley.
Most of the hike takes place on the back side of the mountain.

There was a herd of 6 or 7 mountain goats on the trail. The goat in the foreground was very protective of the her child behind her. I didn't dare get any closer than this.

Isn't this lichen lovely?

Emerald Lake (which actually looked quite turquoise) from the peak.

Me, on top of the peak, with Utah Valley below.

The panorama from the top.

I put my long sleeve t-shirt on my head when I realized that my neck was frying.
I could totally pull the middle eastern look, no?

The group was ascending the final climb and Mike and I were coming down. We FLEW up that mountain.

You see pictures like this and wonder if you could ever live without the mountains.

-Barry

5 comments:

  1. I LOVE your panoramic pictures! Good job!

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  2. I almost feel like I was there... except no panting, cramping and sweating! Beautiful pics!

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  3. I climbed Timp in about 6th grade. I required oxygen at the top, today just a hearse!!! The pics are wonderful, althought he height has me hyperventilating.

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  4. Great pics, Barry.

    Those snowpacks are scary...I did slide down one into a pile of rocks years ago. The first thought through my mind as I slid was "I wonder where the life-flight chopper could land around here." I wasn't well enough upon crash-landing to get finish the hike up, but at least I was well enough to hobble back down to the parking lot. Lesson learned: Don't try to climb Timp in April.

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  5. I've never seen those before. Sweet!

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