More Mountain Fun - Utah Style

As Gaius Derf is one of my hiking buddies (one of the two remaining ones that survived the unfortunate winter hiking expedition of 2001..."Don't worry, that storm is going to the south of us"), no visit would be complete without a hike. The mountains next to Salt Lake City are the Wasatch Range and are a formidable set of peaks with very steep ascents. Derf's choice for our hike on Saturday was the Lake Blanche Trail.

Derf told me that with my level of conditioning the 2.8 mile one way up 5.6 mile round trip

hike would be no problem. What he failed to mention was that the altitude gain on this hike was 2,750 feet from around 6,200 to just over 8,900. For those with an aptitude for math, this translates into a 100 foot climb every tenth of a mile.

View to the North from the trail. We're hiking in the opposite direction.

Let me tell you that is one steep climb and even a more dramatic workout on the way down. On the other hand it is truly a beautiful hike with all kinds of vistas and scenery.

View to the West as we hike South up the trail near the beginning.

Truth be told, I am in pretty good shape and the climb up was not the killer I thought it would be. Going down was another matter altogether and my legs were talking to their lawyers asking if they had any recourse against my brain for having gotten us into this.

The view to the South toward our destination about a quarter of the way up the trail

Gaius Derf sadistically looking at me ascending.
Yes it is that steep!

Rest assured, Gaius Derf is visiting us on Labor Day and de-I will have his revenge.

View to the South about 2/3 of the way up

At our destination, Lake Blanche looking at Sundial Peak

Interesting rocks showing glacial type striations at the top