In August 2005 I had the chance to do an overnight trip to Mt. Timpanogos with my son Russell. We had been talking about doing it for several years, and when the opportunity finally came up Russ was PSYCHED! He was 10 years old at the time and these photos really make him look young. He's quite a bit bigger now and a veteran of many backcountry adventures.
Anyway, we started at Timpanokee campground on a hot Saturday afternoon, traveling as light as we could.
Russ at the car. Only 8 uphill miles to go.
We cruised up the trail, passing dozens and dozens of people going down. They were obviously mostly local Provoites out for a Saturday hike before church on Sunday. I was planning on that, and hoped that our campsite would be both scenic and quiet. It was.
Shangra-la flowers
We had a nice campsite off the trail in Cascade Cirque, but I was suprised that there weren't a lot of established campsites there. I think it's because Timp is probably done as a day trip 99% of the time, and heavy overnight camping traffic just doesn't exist.
The next morning, we saw some beautiful mountain goats in a nearby meadow on our way to the top. It was still and quiet, with only Russ and I on the trail.
We had to traverse a steep snow slope to get to the main trail, but were soon on the final approach to the top. It's a really cool trail, up an exposed ridge and through a narrow section surrounded by towers. It's been trod by untold hundreds of intrepid hikers.
The Summit Hut
Boys at the top
We started the long walk down, picking up our packs along the way. It was an incredibly beautiful day. The wildflowers were in their full glory. It was difficult to leave the cool air and dramatic scenery for the oppressive heat in the Salt Lake valley, but at least we had our memories.
We'll be back
