So I have left Utah and moved back to Humboldt. I am missing the summertime in Utah as that is when I did all my hiking and got to hang out with my moose and other wildlife friends. I had the chance to expand my love for the outdoors while living out there and am thankful for my time out there. I was lucky to witness 12 feet of snow fall in 12 days, I saw buffalo roam an island surrounded by the Great Salt Lake, I got to experience having an entire national park to myself when I camped alone in Canyonlands, I hiked in snow on July 5th, I saw snow fall on June 11th then again September 1, I walked the same trails as Edward Abbey in red rock country, I witnessed a total of 1,232 inches of snow fall at Snowbird, and I got to hang out with a mom and baby moose on a regular basis and was lucky enough to say goodbye to them as they left for the winter into American Fork Canyon.
saying goodbye
I decided to list some of my more memorable hikes
- Hardest/Scariest Hike: Mount Olympus (April 2008); hands down craziest hike I did and oddly enough the first one I did in Utah. Took 5 hours to reach the peak due to the massive amounts of snow still on the mountain. I hiked up an active avalanche chute and summited the peak alone. While coming down I slipped on the slushy snow and slid 20 feet...thankfully I came to a stop before flying off the edge. And for those of you who follow Utah news, Mt Olympus is often the place for Search and Rescues and even had a fatality this past spring from a lady falling down an avalanche chute 200 feet.
the scary avalanche chute near the peak
view from the peak
- Multiple Attempts To Reach Destination: Dog Lake; This hike took 3 trys. With the heavy amounts of snow the previous 2 attempts had the trail under snow after reaching the ridge. Well worth the time.
- Most Breathtaking:Canyonlands National Park; Nothing has ever left me in complete awe from its beauty, until I came to Canyonlands. Amazing vistas.
- Best Wildlife: Antelope Island; Buffalo and Antelope within 10 yards of me. Amazing
- Prettiest: Albion Basin; Known for its wildflowers the Albion Basin just up the road from Snowbird didn't disappoint. From the lakes to the mountain peaks this is a must see for any who visit the Salt Lake area in the summer
Lakes Catherine, Martha and Mary from Sunset Peak
- Best Trees: Willow Lake; I hiked this on a rainy day in the fall. I couldn't have asked for a better day.
- Best Story: Catherines Pass campfire; When me and JD smelled a campfire we never thought we would have came across a campfire that wasn't put out properly and was slowly smuldering. Who knows what could have happened if we didn't come across this. This site was next to Brighton Ski Resort and in the Albion Basin, things could have gotten ugly quick. It ended in a funny story however with us filling our Camelbaks up with water from a near by creek and calling Engine 113 who we work with at Snowbird to come save the day. We got to ride on their quads back to the trailhead and the firefighters always thanked me for the day they got paid to hike in the Albion Basin.
- Most Excited I Got In Before I Left: Arches National Park; When you see the Delicate Arch on the state licence plate you feel you should see it before you leave. Thankfully I did, in a park that was virtually empty.
