Tuesday's Hike: Mt. Timpanogos Summit

There were thousands of people on the trail when we went on Labor Day, which was great because we never lost our way and everyone was so encouraging to everyone else. I saw a huge bull moose and a couple of mountain sheep while traipsing along on the trail. I always think of seeing wildlife as a big bonus to any hike. While we were at the summit, some rain clouds were coming our way, and people in our group could hear the high electrical buzz that accompanies lightning. Luckily, though, nary a lightning bolt struck our party.

Watching the sun rise while high in the mountains is one of the most rejuvenating experiences I think a person could ever have, and the day we went, this particular sunrise was gentle and breathtaking. I think that just seeing and experiencing that added five more years to my life. The weather was on our side all day long, which made our hiking experience highly enjoyable. I'm going to go on this hike again, for sure.

Things to know about this hike:

• Parking for this hike is on the Alpine Loop, so you have to pay to get into the canyon
• There are two ways to get to the Summit: through Timpanooke Campground or Aspen Grove (we went by way of the former)
• I'd take a Sharpie with you so that you can claim your place on the summit's shack
• Time: 8-12 hours, round-trip (our group did it in 9 hours, including breaks)
• Location: Alpine Loop
• Difficulty: difficult, requires preparation
• Hazards: wildlife, snow fields, rock slides, steep inclines, streams to cross (10 +)

Tuesday's Hike: Mill Canyon

Mill Canyon trail is gorgeous! It's a new find for me, and I'm going to need to visit it a lot because it is just a single strand of a larger trail web. We stumbled across a couple of snakes, and they were more than happy to leave us alone. Because it is used so much by dirtbikers, the softer parts of the path have been carved out pretty deep, as is evidenced in the first photo:

Things to know about this hike:

• Hikers, bikers, and equestrians share this trail, so keep your eyes peeled for poop and ears peeled for motorcycles
• Time: 45 minutes up to the fork, 30 minutes down
• Location: near Tibble Fork Reservoir
• Difficulty: moderate
• Hazards: sneaky snakes near the water, other trail patrons, streams to cross

Tuesday's Hike: Pine Hollow Trail

Alas, my Tuesday hikes have had to be changed to Mondays due to beddy-bye-time conflicts. I can't re-name the series so late in the season, though, so you'll just have to accept the fact that Tuesday's Hike took place on Monday.

Things to know about this hike:

• This trail is shared with dirt-bikers, so if you hear one coming, step aside
• A fee is required to use this trail because it is part of the Alpine Loop
• Time: We hiked for 30 minutes up then 30 minutes down
• Location: Alpine Loop
• Difficulty: easy-moderate
• Hazards: dirtbikers, thick undergrowth, and tripping rocks and roots

Tuesday's Hike: Old Spanish Trail

We spent a day with the Baxter fam at Fish Lake somewhat near Richfield, UT. Along with many fun activities, including fishing, board games, and dining at the century-old lodge, we took a stroll along the Old Spanish Trail to the west of the lake.

Alright. Saying that this trail was a stroll was a bit of a fib. It was dang toasty outside, and I'm just glad I didn't pass out or get heat stroke or get bitten by a rattler. I'm certain those reptiles populate this trail like it's going out of style. Plus, we had turkey vultures circling around us because I'm certain we looked tasty and like we were about to keel over. Ominous, I know!

Despite all the unpleasantries, this hike did have some redemptive qualities, such as: the incredible view, the shady spots...and the incredible view.

Things to know about this hike:

• The Old Spanish Trail is the path Father Escalante and cohorts took to the west, so hiking this trail is hiking along a piece of history, if you're into that sort of thing
• Time: We hiked to the top of the summit to have a look around then made our way back down the treacherous trail, which took just as long
• Location: Fish Lake
• Difficulty: moderate
• Hazards: extremely loose volcanic rock ("Baby's fist ski trip," Kirk says), and swarms of woman-eating mosquitoes and flies

Tuesday's Hike: Lame Horse Trail

Lame Horse Trail has some of the most varied terrain I've encountered on a trail thus far: we walked through pine forest, rock slide, aspen grove, and meadow. It was like being on a treasure hunt because every time we went around a bend, we encountered something new and exciting.

Things to know about this hike:

• As part of the Alpine Loop, this trail is in a National Forest fee area
• The trail shares the same trail head as one of the routes to the top of Mt. Timpanogos, then forks after a couple of switchbacks (so don't get too confused!)
• Time: we hiked up for half an hour before turning around
• Location: Alpine Loop
• Difficulty: easy-moderate
• Hazards: rock slides near the beginning, stinging nettle near the stream

Tuesday's Hike: Water Tank Trail

I don't know the name of the trail, so I call it the "Water Tank Trail" because it begins near Orem Cemetery by the city's water tanks. What spectacular views!

Things to know about this hike:

• During rainstorms, this trail turns into a flash-flood river and can stay muddy for a while
• The trail is shared with equestrians, so watch your step
• Time: we only hiked up for 20 minutes before it was a certain little person's bedtime, so I'm curious to see where the trail actually ends
• Location: Orem
• Difficulty: moderate
• Hazards: mud and flash-floods during wet weather, and a dead magpie in the middle of the trail

Tuesday's Hike: Stewart Falls

Tuesday is hiking day, rain or shine, but Pepper Bo Peep didn't want to get soggy so she decided to stay home and play with Grandma instead. So much for raising a tough kid, right?

Well, Jenni, Kirk, and I braved the brewing thunderstorms and saw some gorgeous scenes and wildlife we would have missed out on had we not been committed to Tuesday hikes. I noticed several birds I hadn't seen before, and we all stumbled across the path of a 6-point buck. Cool, huh?

Things to know about this trail:

• There are two ways to get to the destination: through Aspen Grove or through Sundance (we took the former route)
• Time: 45 minutes up, 45 minutes down
• Location: Alpine Loop
• Difficulty: moderate
• Hazards: slippery roots, stinging nettle, and lots of silly teenagers (one of whom thought it was okay to poop on the trail--not cool)

Tuesday's Hike: Bridal Veil Falls

I consider myself a somewhat daring person, but that changed with the introduction of Princess Squeaky Pants because she's too squishy. Alas. For being a super easy hike, this trail can be treacherous, which is why we only hiked to the lower falls on the real trail.

I'm pretty sure the formal trail ends at the bottom of the lower falls, but a non-trail has been blazed for those who dare to go higher. Perhaps next time I hike this, I can do it baby-free and slake my thirst for dangerous adventure. We shall see.

Things to know about this hike:

• It is a high-traffic area, so remember your trail-tromping etiquette
• There are three trailheads that all merge into one trail, so you have a pick of difficulty levels (at least near the beginning of the hike)
• Time: 8 minutes up, 8 minutes down
• Difficulty: totally easy (Kids can for sure make this hike. Although the ones we got stuck behind bellyached the whole time, they survived.)
• Location: Provo Canyon
• Hazards: some pretty wicked rock slides that you need to skirt around, but I'm pretty sure we used to climb up and down them as children, so they couldn't be that steep, right?

Tuesday's Hike: Rock Canyon

During an incredible summer thunderstorm, a few of us adventured into Rock Canyon because it was Tuesday, and Tuesdays are hiking days no matter what. The rain kept us cool, and the nugget and I both fit snugly into my giant hoodie. It was awesome to have the trail lit for us by lightning: who needs a flashlight when God's sharing his with you?

Things to know about this hike:

• Time: We hiked for an hour before it got too dark and we had to turn around
• Location: Provo
• Difficulty: moderate
• Hazards: rock slides, wild rose bushes, and dog poop (and lightning, if you choose to hike in a storm)

Tuesday's Hike: Bonneville Shoreline

The Bonneville Shoreline Trail is immensely long, so we only hiked a portion of it starting near Orem Cemetery. It's a wonderful place to look at the valley from a new perspective. New perspectives are always rejuvenating, don't you think?

Things to know about this hike:

• The section of the trail that we hiked on is an old access road and is also used by mountain bikers and equestrians
• Time: we hiked for an hour or so before turning back around, so time is totally up to you
• Location: Orem
• Difficulty: easy
• Hazards: you pass by some utility facilities, but not close enough to be in danger

Tuesday's Hike: The Y

On a Tuesday that we couldn't find ourselves a hiking buddy, P Double-B and I took a hike up the Y, which has enough foot traffic to keep it safe. We'd like to hike to every letter of the alphabet, but I don't know if it's possible. Is it?

The babes pointed out that there are four kinds of people who frequent this trail, and I'm inclined to agree with her observations:
1) Silly BYU freshmen who are too busy flirting with one another to watch where they're going
2) Crazy BYU athletes who run all the way up and down to impress everyone
3) Old BYU alumni who used to hike the Y when they were in college and have brought their families to reminisce but have forgotten how difficult it can be
4) People who feel safe enough to hike this trail alone because Tuesday is hiking day, no matter what

Things to know about this hike:

• This is a high-traffic trail, so expect lots of company
• Time: 40 minutes up, 20 minutes down
• Location: Provo
• Difficulty: moderate
• Hazards: loose gravel on inclines, freshmen who aren't watching where they're walking, crazies running up and down the trail, and smug people who are on their way down the trail while you're going up (just try to not be one yourself...it's nearly impossible!)