Hiking Uphill Both Ways to Thurston Peak

For two years I lived and worked in the shadow of Thurston Peak, the county highpoint of both Davis and Morgan Counties in Utah.  For two years I said I was going to hike it.  But then I got a job transfer to Arizona, so I didn't.  It's not actually that simple.  I intended to, but the Farmington Canyon Road was closed for most of that time due to some landslides.  I like to hike, but at the same time I can be a little bit lazy (efficient is the name I use when talking to people though).  I wasn't quite up to the task of climbing from the bottom, or driving the 26 miles from Bountiful on backcountry dirt roads just to get to the trailhead near Francis Peak.  So, I told myself that I'd wait for the road to open back up.  So I waited, and before it reopened, I got transferred. 

Two years later, I was back in town for a wedding, so in the interest of doing something else fun, I called up a friend and scheduled a hiking trip.  We had several options, but decided to hike Thurston.  At 9706 feet in elevation, it's respectable, but not terribly high just the same.  Besides, from along the I-15 corridor, it looks like you drive to Francis Peak then have a light stroll over to Thurston with a little bit of up and down along the way.  Hahaha.  Yeah right. 

We drove up Farmington Canyon to Francis Peak.  Our first mistake was parking near the gate to the Francis Peak Radar Domes.  There's a dirt road on the east side that takes you around Francis Peak to the Smith Lakes.  We should have driven down that road and stayed to the left or generally straight ahead for another 3/4 mile or so to cut a substantial distance off of our hike,  oh well.  Hindsight is 20/20.  We climbed under the gate, then summited Francis Peak, then promptly lost all of that elevation descending the other side. 

We then followed the dirt road then the trail after the road ended.  Up along the ridge is part of the Great Western Trail.  I've been past bits and pieces of it as I've hiked various places in the Wasatch Mountains.  This was probably the longest stretch I've done at any given point though.  The trail varies- sometimes it's good, other times it fades.  What was amazing to me was that it's not used more.  It's within 30 minutes of hundreds of thousands of people, but we didn't see anybody out hiking it.  We reached Thurston, and the trail skirted around the west side of it.  We left the trail and climbed straight uphill to the top.  A few pictures of the monument to Thomas Jefferson Thurston, whom the peak is named after, and a few more taking in the view, and we were set to head back to the vehicle.

The Morgan Valley from Thurston Peak.Thomas Jefferson Thurston was an early settler and built the first road along the Weber River into the Morgan Valley.

 Davis County from Thurston Peak.  The houses are sandwiched between the mountains and the Great Salt Lake.

 Looking north toward Ogden from Thurston Peak.

The hike back was pretty uneventful, although it seemed like we started out going uphill, and ended the hike going uphill once again.  Those small height variations visible from below turn out to be quite a bit bigger once you're up at the top!  I love hiking the high elevation meadows. 

 Here's another view along the Great Western Trail looking at Francis Peak from the vicinity of Thurston Peak.  There are several smaller sub-peaks along the way that are all a short distance off the trail if you're interested in ridge walking and peak bagging. 

We made it back to the truck in around 3.5 hours of hiking time, with a trip distance of just over 9.5 miles.  It was a great little hike.  But driving past Francis Peak will definitely make the trip a little shorter.

Nearest City: Farmington, UT
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: Several Hours
Difficulty: Moderate/Strenuous
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info:

Camping on Antelope Island

Friday I went camping with the scouts on Antelope Island.  We camped in the Whiterocks Bay Group Campground.  It was fun to get out camping, but I really wasn't impressed with the facilities. 

My biggest problem with the campground is the lack of shelter.  There is absolutely no shade or shelter in the whole campground.  I'm glad it was mid-September instead of mid-summer.  You would absolutely roast out here in the hotter months!  I also saw 3 black widow spiders in the pit toilets.  

Other then that and the occasional mosquito, we had a good time cooking dinner, visiting, and working on scout requirements.  After dark, the coyotes occasional serenaded us from afar.

Saturday morning we got up early to get an early start on the Frary Peak Trail.  We watched a beautiful sunrise from the trailhead then headed out.

Along the way we spooked several flocks of chukars, saw a herd of bighorn sheep, and had a good hike.  It's just over 3 miles to the peak. We made it 2.5 then turned around.  I wanted to press on, but turned around with the group.

Nearest City: Syracuse, UT
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:
Difficulty:
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: Antelope Island State Park Website

The Airplane Crash Site above Kaysville

Last Monday my wife and kids were up at Bear Lake, so I had a free evening to go hiking.  It didn't take me long to decide to head up to the airplane crash site above Kaysville.  United Flight 2860 crashed on a sub peak below Francis Peak in 1977.  I had not been up there because it's essentially a 3,000 foot climb and I didn't want to do it carrying 30-40 pounds of gear and kids. 

I started out at 5 PM at the Baer Canyon Trailhead, my plan being to hike up Baer Canyon to about the 7,800 foot level, then to cut over to the ridge on the north side of the canyon, hit the lower peak (Ed's Peak) and head back down.  I made good time to the second stream crossing, getting there in about half an hour.  The creek was really low and I hopped across with no dagner of getting wet. Then I made it to the 3rd crossing in another 15 minutes.  I'd made great time up to this point.  The 3rd crossing was the highest I'd ever made it up Baer and the last time I'd been up was earlier this year.  On that trip, I had found a dead horse just below the trail between the 2nd and 3rd crossing.  The Forest Service had come up and removed it since then.   

From the 3rd onward, the hike was a lot slower.  There's a whole lot of switchbacks and elevation gain once the trail crosses back to the north side and stops following the creek.  I sure was sucking air on the climb!  I crossed a small tributary, went through the fern forest, and finally made it out to the flatter spot before the final climb up to Francis Peak.    I rested for a few minutes, ate a Probar, then continued on.  This was essentially level with Ed's Peak and where I planned to cut over to the ridge.  I checked the time: 6:50. 

From here on, I left the trail and picked my way through heavy brush across the slope to the ridge.  It wasn't the fastest way to go, that's for sure!  Twice as I struggled through the brush an explosion of sound and feathers made my adrenaline levels spike.  Grouse have a way of doing that when you're not expecting them to!  I finally made it to the ridge, then followed a patchwork of trails over to the peak. 

A hundred yards or so before the top, I found my first wreckage.  It was some aluminum and tubing about the size of a dinner plate.  The rusted steel piece nearby may also have been some wreckage.  I looked around for more, but didn't see any as I nailed the peak.  By this time sundown was rapidly approaching, so I took a short break, then dropped down the southwest side to find the crash site.  

There's a trail from the peak, but the actual crash site is a hundred or so yards off of the trail.  Even so, numerous smaller pieces of the plane litter the hillside and trail.  These pieces are about the size of quarters.

I picked my way down to the crash site, which is marked with a plastic cross.  Three people died when the plane, a cargo plane, crashed.  The plane had a few mechanical failures, then when it went into a holding pattern, crashed into the side of the mountain.  An excellent writeup detailing the history of the plane crash is at http://coord.info/GC2H8YB

From the crash site, I hiked back to the trail, then down the mountain.  I ended up at the rifle range trailhead, and hitched a ride back over to Baer Canyon and my car.  I made it down about 9:45, having hiked 6 1/2 miles with approximately 6,000 feet of elevation change (3,000 up and 3,000 down) in 4 hours and 45 minutes.  It wiped me out, but it sure was a good hike!

Nearest City: Fruit Heights, UT
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: 4-5 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous
Kid Friendly:

Additional Info: An excellent writeup and summary of the plane crash is at http://coord.info/GC2H8YB

Bountiful Sidewalk Chalk Festival

Friday we went to the Sidewalk Chalk Festival/Competition in Bountiful. 

It had rained earlier in the day and several of the drawings had been ruined or damaged so many of the artists were out redoing or repairing their work. 

We enjoyed wandering around looking at the drawings.  Some were original and beautiful.  The Avengers seemed to be a very popular subject. 

We liked this otter.  It looks sad, knowing that the next rainstorm will wash it completely away.

Nearest City: Bountiful, UT
Location: Downtown Bountiful
Time Needed: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly: Yes
Additional Info:

Rock Climbing and Rappelling near Bountiful

My brother-in-law has been after me for a while to go check out this place near the B in Bountiful for some rock climbing.  Our schedules never quite seemed to be able to meet up, so it took a while to finally be able to get out and go.  Saturday we made it happen. 

We parked at the B and a short hike later made it to the cliff.  He'd been here before and had found a few bolts in place at the top.   It looked like  there were a few routes for climbing, and a rappell that would be free-hanging for part of it.  Good stuff! 

We hiked to the top, set up our ropes, then I rapped down to help out with the kids.  It was fun to dangle there for a  minute on the way to the bottom.  It always is a leap of faith to me to get past the solid rock and hang in mid-air with nothing there except for the rope. 

I unhooked, helped wrangle a few kids (Hey- get off the rocks!), then noticed the time.  We had a family gathering to be to, and obviously we were going to be late.  I was tempted to take 10 more minutes since we were going to be late anyway, but better judgement ruled the day.  If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy! 

We packed up and headed down the hill.  We were late, but my wife was happy with my decision to not be more late.  I'll be back again.

Nearest City: Bountiful, UT
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:  longer than we had
Difficulty:
Kid Friendly: Perhaps.  There's a fairly flat area at the bottom between the cliff and the creek.
Additional Info:

Canoeing and Fishing at Adams Reservoir

A few weeks ago we took our canoe out on Adams Reservoir.  We had a great time.  Adams Reservoir is my new favorite community fishing pond.  It's not as close as the Kaysville Ponds are to me, but it's a lot quieter and less crowded.  It's also a lot more scenic. 

We had two canoes in our group, so we went out on the lake and had canoe races and splashed around.  We tried to canoe as fast as we could and also tried to get as close as we could to some seagulls.  The birds wanted nothing to do with us and took off when we still were a ways away.

Back on shore we saw a bunch of big tadpoles. They were HUGE tadpoles.  Right before I put this one back in the water, I noticed some very small legs beginning to sprout near the base of his tail. 

We also did a little fishing and caught several rainbow trout.  The biggest was about 14 inches.  I've noticed that the average size seems to be a little bigger here than at the other ponds.  This might change though as time goes by and more people bring them home. 

We brought 4 home and they made some beautiful fillets.  YUM! 

Launching a canoe is currently easiest from the west side near the dam.  A road is being put in on the NE corner that may end up with that being easiest access.  We really liked canoeing around the submerged trees and timber on the east side of the lake.  Tons of fun!

Nearest City: Layton, UT
Location: East Gordon Avenue
Time Needed: Varies
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly: Yes
Additional Info:  Thanks to Kays Creek Irrigation Company for opening up this great resource to the public!

The Boardwalk at the Bird Refuge

In mid-December, we went out to Farmington Bay one evening after work.  Most of the time when we go to Farmington Bay, we drive out along the dike roads and look at the birds from the car.  It's fun, but you're not doing anything except driving in the car.  This trip we drove on Glover Lane past the entrance to the dike roads and pulled into a small parking area 1/4 mile later.  There's a nice road that leads to a big parking lot and restrooms, but every time I've been by the gate has been locked at Glover Lane.  There's a path through the fence for pedestrians, so we parked and went for a walk. 

Near the restroom and big inaccessible parking lot, there's a boardwalk that leads off through the marshes.  The path winds and loops through the lowlands, around a small pond, and across several irrigation ditches. 

We saw several ducks and birds, and the footprints of a fox across the frozen pond.   I thought the boardwalk was pretty cool. It would be fun to come back in warmer weather.

Nearest City: Farmington, UT
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: 30-60 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly:  Yes
Additional Info:  Another fun boardwalk is at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve.

Fall on the Wasatch Front

This fall was especially beautiful.  I can't remember a fall here in Northern Utah that has been so colorful.  Hooray for fall!  We've enjoyed several hikes, walks, and drives to look at the leaves.  I should have taken more pictures, but I was so busy enjoying the beauty that I forgot to.

 

Nearest City:
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:
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Kid Friendly:
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Chasing Mythical Wild Rainbows

A while back I picked up an small pointer that someone had seen fish in the small stream up a canyon I frequently hike.  Hmm...interesting.  I ran it past a few friends that grew up in the area and they somewhat scoffed at the idea that there were fish up there.  So, I was left with a choice- get out and try to catch fish that may not exist, or don't try to catch fish that may not exist and always wonder if they do. 

So, I got up early on Saturday morning and set off for a brisk hike.  At the mouth of the canyon the stream can be somewhat seasonal so I just blew by the first mile or so of water.  When I got near the spot where the fish had been seen, I left the trail and approached a likely hole.  A gentle cast put my the jig in a likely spot.  Nothing.  Another cast.  Again nothing.  I thorougly probed the hole, looking for flashes or any indication of possible fish.  Nada.  Maybe these fish were just in someone's imagination.  I decided to get a second opinion at the next hole.  Same result.  Things were not looking good. 

A the third hole contained a better answer in the form of hit and a missed strike.  The next cast provided another strike.  Finally on the 4th cast I had a solid hookup.  MONEY!  I quickly played a beautiful 8 inch wild rainbow into my hand.  I carefully unhooked it and released it back into its watery home.  So there are fish in here!  I always experience a huge thrill when I catch fish out of unlikely spots.  This time was no different. 

I spent the next hour and a half fishing my way up the creek, occasionally pulling out another small rainbow trout.  As I got further up the canyon, it seemed like there were a few more fish.  I ended up catching 5 or 6 of the beautiful rainbows, all of which were released. Wild rainbows like this are a gem and should have a little protection- especially when they are only a short hike from tens of thousands of people.  Wild trout on a small creek can't sustain a population if there is much of a harvest.  Take a dozen trout out, and the likelihood of the population crashing is very real.  So, if you identify my new secret spot, please- let all the fish go!  The wild ones are much prettier than their cousins raised in a hatchery.  As my time was up, I turned my back and trekked toward home with a smile on my face.

Nearest Location: Davis County, UT
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty: Moderate
Kid Friendly: Not really
Additional Info:

Wild Black Raspberries

A few weeks ago I discovered a small patch of wild black raspberries.   It's a small patch, with only enough berries for a few handfuls, but it's fun to visit & partake.  We went up last night again- this was the 3rd time up there since we discovered it.  We'll go pick the berries, then let it sit for 4-7 days so more can ripen.  Then we'll go back.  I've picked several small thorns out of my hands today- the fee for raiding the tasty treasure. 

I've found other patches of raspberries here in Utah, but they've always been red raspberries.  The black raspberries taste the same, but they're a novel variation to me.  I need to get out and do some more exploring and see if there are more of the raspberries around.  The end of August & early September is definitely the time to get out & enjoy the wild fruit. 

Good luck looking for your own patch!  This one's small enough that I'm not going to ruin a good thing by posting where it's at!

Nearest City:
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:
Difficulty:
Kid Friendly:
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Poison Ivy Cave

I talked my brother-in-law to take me up to what's called "Poison Ivy Cave" in the Centerville hiking book.  It's not a long hike, but the mine is certainly appropriately named!  It's near the mouth of the canyon on the north side of Deuel Creek.

 Unfortunately, the mine is full of water, so we didn't bother trying to figure out how deep it was.  There's a few inches of clearance between the mine ceiling and the water, but we didn't see the need to look into it.  Maybe if the water was pumped out it could be interesting, but there's a bigger chance of it just being a small prospect hole. 

Outside the mine was poison ivy city.  It was EVERYWHERE.  We carefully picked our way through it, and once out, washed up in the creek just to be twice as certain that we'd avoided it. 

This one is intriguing to see, but there's not much there and it's a lot of effort.  I'd probably recommend taking a pass on this one.

Nearest City: Centerville, UT
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate- due to poison ivy
Kid Friendly: Nope- way too much poison ivy
Additional Info:  The book is available at Centerville's City Hall or at this website. 
For full disclosure, I am not affiliated with the publisher nor do I profit from the sale of the book.  I do however think it's a very well done collection of information that would be completely worthwhile for anyone serious about hiking opportunities between Salt Lake City and Ogden.