hike – On the Loose Live

Kolorful Kolob Arch Trail, Zion Wilderness

October 25, 2021May 16, 2022livevigorously

Distance: 15 miles RT

Elevation gain: ~2K

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous depending on your fitness level, definitely a little longer than your standard day hike, mostly smooth, sandy terrain, great for trail running

The trail begins at the Lee Pass Trailhead off of Kolob Canyon Road / Scenic Drive. You’ll drop quickly into the canyon (770 ft in .75 mile) and traverse through the forest on a gentle, sandy path for the first 4 miles or so.

And then it gets even better. Zion vibes without the Zion crowds. After descending another 1k ft, you find yourself surrounded by dancing aspens and majestic red cliffs. This is where you’ll get your first glimpse of lovely La Verkin Creek. Oh, my—a perfect spot to pause and take in all the beauty. I’ll be back just for it. Fall is a splendid time for this hike, but I’m sure spring and early summer are delightful as well.

Continue following the trail along the creek another mile or so until you reach the junction for Kolob Arch. This trail is less distinct and a little more rugged. The distant view of the arch (possibly the largest free-standing arch in North America) is ok, but wow factor is a bit muted without a blue sky backdrop.)

You can continue up the canyon to Beartrap Canyon and Willis Canyon or head out to Holob Canyon and Kolob Terrace Road.

There are 13 camping sights along the trail. Reservations are required and can be made online, but 2 backpackers said they got their pass the same day.

Notes: Sadly, the toxic cyanobacteria have been detected in La Verkin Creek. No dogs are allowed in Zion Wilderness. Bring plenty of water as you can not filter water with cyanobacteria. Ps. Watch where you step!

Happy Trails!

Revisited the trail recently to see La Verkin Creek show off her Spring look. She did not disappoint.

Funny wildlife encounter story. Well not funny, if you’re the frogs or me. While I was “Wim Hoffing” it in the creek, I sat on 2 frogs in the midst of a tryst. Unfortunately, it would be their final, though eternal, encounter. (Gives new meaning to “happy ending”, doesn’t t?) In the meantime, as I was exiting the delightful natural pool, I almost grabbed onto a snake. There’s bound to be one in paradise, right? Notes to self, look before sitting and before placing a handhold. The harmless snake was lying in wait for the plentiful frogs. Little did he know that I’d arranged a 2 for 1 for him. Back on shore, a frog eyed and ID’d me as the culprit.

Other than that, the play/day was uneventful and beautiful. And, yes I still feel guilty about the frogs.

Summiting Magnificent Mount Timpanogos: Waterfalls, Wildflowers, Wildlife, & Wild Views—Oh my!

September 9, 2021September 9, 2021livevigorously

Elevation gain:5,384ft

Mileage: ~15 Miles RT

Summit: 11,752ft, the 2^nd highest mountain in Utah

Difficulty: Hard, strenuous – due to altitude, elevation gain, and ~1.5 miles ea way of an unstable, tortuous, talus field

Happened to be in the area and made the spontaneous decision to hike Mount Timpanogos. So glad I did. By far, Mount Timp (as the locals call it) is my new, all-time favorite hike / peak. And I’ve done a ton of hiking across the country and around the world. I couldn’t stop smiling all the way to the 11,752-foot summit and back. Ok, maybe my smile was a bit of a grimace through the 1.5 miles back and forth across the treacherous talus strewn avalanche field. Rest assured, the grimace quickly reverted to ear to ear, exuberant glee once I reached the summit and then again as I descended back down to the lake.

What’s make Mount Timpanogos so wonderful, you ask? Well, the title gave it way, but in case you missed it:

Abundant colorful, wildflowers of more varieties than I’ve ever seen
Dazzling waterfalls around nearly very switchback
Pristine alpine lake and snow field a couple miles from the summit
Muscular mountain goats guarding the upper slopes and frolicking by the lake
5,384 ft elevation gain in altitude delivers a fitness challenge and solid workout
Sweeping views of Utah Valley from the saddle and spectacular panoramic views from the summit

This hike had it all—absolutely enchanting.

Started the trail in a steady rain, and walked up a verdant paved path for about a mile and a half or so before the pavement gave way to the elements. Plentiful wildflowers and sparkling waterfalls distracted from the effort of the climb and the sun’s radiance soon highlighted all of the beauty, mist rising. The trail is easy to follow with plenty of switchbacks to help mitigate the elevation gain. It felt almost tropical at times.

The lovely Hidden Lake Basin and Emerald Lake are destinations for many, including the mountain goats.

Those who push on beyond the mile and ½ talus torture field and onward and upward still, are well rewarded at the summit.

Pay your respects to the kings of the mountain along the way. If you have good eyesight, you might spy the summit hut from thousands of feet below. It’s a bit daunting and exciting because it seems so far away, almost out of reach.

From the summit, you’ll take in dizzying 360 degree views of Utah Valley and Utah Lake to the west, Lone Peak and American Fork Twin Peaks to the north and expansive views everywhere in between.

Disclaimer: I experienced Mt. Timp in her July glory. I was told by locals that I wouldn’t recognize her in the Fall when the waterfalls are dry, the wildflowers have disappeared, and the green meadows have turned to yellow hay. Others report that Fall colors are nice here. Someday, perhaps I’ll be back to see for myself. In the meantime, if you’ve been in another season, let me know what it was like.

Notes: I’d say hiking shoes are a must to navigate the talus field. There were some hard core, ultra runners in trail runners. (I know – WOW!) Hiking poles are also a nice to have, given the elevation gain and loss. Layers are always smart at altitude. Be aware of weather changes and avalanche danger.

Getting there: I-15N to Pleasant Grove, exit 275. Follow N County Blvd and UT-92 E to the Aspen Grove trailhead.

Stay tuned: I’ll be posting the videos soon!

Happy trails!

Gardner Peak Trail Is Quite Grand, Pine Valley UT

June 20, 2021August 29, 2022livevigorously

Distance: ~9 miles

Elevation: ~2,900 ft

Gardner Peak Elevation: 9,488ft

Difficulty: Moderate to hard, depending on your fitness level and route-finding skills

Highlights: Forest, meadow, wildflowers, rock gardens, peaks with panoramic views

Terrain: At times sandy, rocky, sooty, deadfall hopping, and scrambly fun

I found the Gardner Peak Trail in Pine Valley quite grand. Indeed, it may be my new favorite Pine Valley hike. The Gardner Peak Trail delivers on several levels—it’s varied and interesting all the way to the top. It’s a steady, but fairly gentle climb (2k) through forest, through nature’s rock gardens, through a meadow, (and a recent burn area), and on up to a couple of peaks—2 rocky and the one, eponymous, taller tree-lined Gardner. Pick a peak, any peak, and play. Plenty of grippy, rock scrambling opportunities. The panoramic views are a delightful reward as well. The trail is easy to follow and trail run-able until you get to mile 3. After that, all bets are off. It quickly becomes a route-finding (or create your own route) obstacle -course challenge through deadfall, boulders, scratchy shrubs, and more. If you don’t have a Garmin or All Trails, you might settle for the beautiful “false peak” rock outcropping with panoramic views a I did my first time through.

Second time is a charm of sorts. Went back to find the “real peak” —this time with my friend and extraordinary explorumentary blogger, Sue Birnbaum and her husband, who were nice enough to guide me and my friend Robin to Gardner Peak. It’s another mile or so from the false peak and about 800 feet higher. It involves some serious scrambling, deadfall and boulder obstacle course maneuvering, and some fancy footwork. Fun times for sure. (No major exposure or technical areas per se.) Would I do it again? Not so sure. There aren’t any panoramic views from the peak so when I do the hike next, I’ll be shooting for my preferred false peak – see slide show above. I did sign in to make the peak bag official. Interestingly enough, we came across another sign in “station”—one with rock mound around a encapsulated plastic container of old loose pages- – the other with an intact notebook. So I guess that makes 2 false peaks-lol. The next slide show is from my Gardner Peak take 2 . Extra bonus—lots of wildflowers from the recent rains and little Zen streams along the way. Nice to see the area green and thriving after the past fire.

Notes: If you’re going to the peak, I suggest using a GPS or the AllTrails app. Also, be sure to check out Sue’s blog for more detailed notes on this hike. Your feet and ankles might be happier in hiking boots. If you’re peak-bound, pants are recommended to spare the skin on your legs from scratches, scars, and impalement from errant branches, rocks, foreign objects – you get the idea. Mine looked like I had a brawl with a mountain lion and it won. If you have tender knees, a pole or 2 might come in handy on the descent. Dogs & horses are allowed.

At about .75 the Gardner Peak trail connects with the Canal Trail, which is both run-able and mountain bike-able.

Check out these other Pine Valley hikes:

Forsyth Trail

Brown’s Point

Whipple Valley

Happy Trails!

Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, St. George, UT

May 27, 2019June 2, 2019livevigorously

First stop on the Utah road trip after 6 hours cooped up in the car, the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve rolled out their welcome trails. Not a bad stop to stretch the legs for hike or a mountain bike cruise. This picturesque reserve with expansive views out to the snow capped mountain range is right next to town and boasts 200 miles of non-motorized trails. (Yes, that’s 200 miles so you can stretch those legs of yours to your hearts content.)

The reserve was established in 1996 to protect critical desert tortoise habitat form being destroyed by development. It worked. You’ll notice tortoise scat on the rocks everywhere. And if you’re lucky, you might see one.

I only hiked a couple miles here, but look forward to coming back to explore more. Perhaps on 2-wheels next time…

Note: the trails can be hard to follow in this terrain so bring a good map or GPS if you venture out very far, and plenty of water, of course, as it’s all exposed.

Stay tuned for more Utah adventures: Scenic delights near St. George Part I: Gunlock State Park and Ivins’ Reservoir

Short Peak Scramble, Flinn Springs County Park, San Diego

May 19, 2019May 19, 2019livevigorously

On the way back from 3 Sisters Falls, we decided to add on a roadside, quickie hike in Flinn Springs County Park. The hike begins at the back of the park.

This small 40-acre park near Lakeside has 1 short trail that takes you up a consistent, steep incline to a great vista above Escondido and Lake Jennings.

Once you reach the saddle you can go east to reach a short peak or west to climb Silverdome Peak or south for Flynn’s Peak. I’m not sure which one we scrambled up, but it was definitely a scramble.

It’s rated as moderate, but if you are less than moderately fit, it’s likely you will suffer. (Especially if it’s a hot day as the trail is completely exposed.) That being said, it’s a good, short workout and “bun burner”.

I wouldn’t go out of my way for this one, but if you’re driving by and want a leg stretcher / burner—go for it.

There’s picnic tables and a lovely wood pavilion too.

Total distance ~<4.3 miles RT

Elevation Gain: 1,443 FT

Parking Fee: $3

Address: 14787 Old Highway 80, El Cajon, CA 92021