A hike is a hike

As it seems to be the case for most of the adventures I set out on, I never made it to my intended destination (the Lone Peak cirque). I did, however, very much enjoy getting out. I got some exercise, saw some neat things along the way, and got to spend some time in the mountains. I like the mountains because they always serve a healthy portion of reality... this time I was reminded how little I am, in a very big world.

I thought this picture summed up how little I feel in the mountains...

Having never hiked up Lone Peak before, I wasn't sure which trail was the best/fastest way to the top. I wound up following a trail that cut across the hill for a ways before going straight up. The trail had snow on it, but it was hard wind-scoured snow, which was then packed down by other people... pretty easy going.

Following in others footsteps

Most of Lone Peak still bares the scars from the big fire here this past summer... a lot of the mountain is defoliated, with nothing but the stalks of torched brush sticking up from the snow.

It's sad to see all the burned trees and brush

Overlooking the burned brush, the view out into the valley was great. Having not flown the North Side in a while, it was nice to see the "bench" from above again... it's pretty with snow on it. It was a clear blue-bird day, and I could see all the way to the Opher mountains on the other side of the valley (where the flying site 'Commodore' is).

Looking into the valley you can see Draper, the North Side, and the Ophirs in the distance

Being alone and all, I lacked the motivation to move quickly up the mountain. As it got later in the day, I had to face the realization that I could EITHER make it to the summit before dark, OR make it back to my car before dark... but NOT both. Even though I have Monday off too, I decided sleeping unsheltered on a mountain top was more fun than I signed on for this time, so I started my walk of shame back down, having never made the cirque. After studying some maps later, I wasn't even half-way there. There's GOT to be an easier/faster route to the top?

Look at these deer tracks... was this deer sliding and even doing slalom turns?!

All in all it was a fun time, and I'm definitely glad I did it... next time I'm starting earlier and not stopping until I reach the top, even if that means camping overnight!!!

I'll end this entry with one artsy photo, of a leaf that survived the fires, survived fall, and now is just sitting there surviving the snow. Pretty inspiring if you take the time to think about it.