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| Hiking | 14.53 Miles |
4,436 AEG |
| | Hiking | 14.53 Miles | 8 Hrs 57 Mns | | 1.83 mph |
| 4,436 ft AEG | 1 Hour Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Timp is probably the most popular hard hike in the area--and for good reason. It's a gem, especially this time of year, when the fall colors are on full display.
My wife, oldest daughter, and I arrived at the Timpooneke TH around 6:10 a.m. Temps were somewhere in the upper 30s, but with no wind, it was perfect for a hike with a strenuous climb. The 80-space parking lot was about 90 percent full already. This is, in large part, due to a popular tradition to begin the hike early enough to be on the summit to watch the sunrise.
So, despite all the cars, the trail was not overly busy (also, there are a couple of other trails that head out from the same TH). Parking requires a fee payment ($6), though a national park pass works as well.
We hiked by headlamp for the first mile or two. Less water on the trail than when I hiked it a couple of years ago. Scout Falls was a mere trickle.
One of our fellow hikers was packing a "wing" and planned to paraglide from the summit. I crossed paths with his companions on the way down and inquired as to how it went. They said he texted upon his safe arrival at the Landing Zone. Took him 10 minutes from the 11,800 summit. It took us a bit longer ....
We took our time on the ascent and reached the 11,000 ft. Timpanogos Saddle about 11 a.m. My wife and daughter were doing okay physically, but both are afraid of heights and were a little unnerved by some of the exposure on the climb to the saddle. They asked what the exposure was like on the rest of the way to the summit. I'm not too phased by heights, so I told them I didn't think it was worse than what we had experienced so far. After we reached the saddle and looked at the trail to the summit (another 0.75 mi. and 800 AEG), they quickly decided I was terrible at estimating exposure.
As a result, they opted to call the Saddle their turnaround point, but gave me the green light to push on to the summit. And frankly, the Saddle makes a very worth destination in itself, with views on both sides of the ridgeline, including views of Utah Valley and surroundings to the west.
As I climbed, I paid closer attention to the exposure, and it was apparent very quickly that they made the right call. There is a lot of exposure. In addition, that final climb--at altitude--is quite strenuous.
I made the summit about 30 minutes later. Skies were clear and sunny, with excellent views! Cell coverage is great on the summit, and I called down to my wife and daughter. They decided to start their descent. I stayed on the summit, rested, and enjoyed the views for another half hour, and then headed down at a quicker pace, to catch my girls.
On the way down from the summit, I came across a mountain goat just hanging out right on the ridgeline. Cool to see one up close. He wandered off over the edge of the sheer ridgeline--no fear of heights for him!
The descent was uneventful. I caught up to the girls with about 3.5 miles to go. We finished out together and enjoyed the beautiful fall colors surrounding us on every side.
Arriving back at the TH around 2:30, the parking lot was emptier than when we arrived at 6 a.m.
Great hike on a perfect day! |
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