Robert’s Horn looms over the Mt. Timpanogos Trail from Aspen Grove and I’ve passed by it many times on my way to the main summit. Today, I decided to forego the Timp summit and to do this subpeak. It was great to get away from the crowds. Once I broke off from the main trail just past Emerald Lake I had the mountain to myself and didn’t see another person until I got to the Primrose Overlook. How did I get there? After summiting Robert’s Horn I followed the ridgeline north for a little over a mile and then turn east to follow a diverging ridgeline down to the overlook. A bit schwhacky at places, but gorgeous. My plan had been to then take the Hartsky’s Cutoff back down to the Timpanogos Trail and then follow that back down to Aspen Grove. However, I was low on water, it was getting warm, and the cutoff “trail” looked very overgrown. I’ll get that another day, perhaps. I instead took the Horseflat and Lame Horse Trails back down to the Aspen Grove trailhead.
I have been eyeballing the Timpanogos ridgeline for years, but have only ever done the main summit. After years of plans falling through, I finally did some of the north ridgeline today.
Starting at the Timpooneke Trailhead, I went up the Timpooneke-Chris Flat trail until just before the Julie Andrews Meadow, then veering off the trail and up towards the NE ridge of North Timp. There was a “trail” that was fairly easy to follow, but wildly steep. Moving through some scrub oak and aspen for a while, the ridge eventually opens up to wide open terrain, with just rocks and grass to navigate. A couple miles up the route enters some jumbled rocks and approaches cliff bands to the right of the Grunge Couloir. There is a nice rock ledge-easy to attain- that backtracks to the right and safely wraps you around the other side of a little ridge. From there, it is a mostly straight-shot up the NE ridge. There are various scree shoots, ridgeline trees to get around, and small rock sections that require hands but don’t really count as “climbing,” but it is otherwise pretty simple. Standing on the North Timp summit felt great. There is a summit registry in a mailbox, but it is hard to find an open page to sign! I wonder if someone should take it down, replace it with a new one, and digitize the entire old one and put it online.
From North Timp, I bounded on down the ridgeline to Bomber Peak and then on to the main trail saddle. Up to that point, I only saw 2 hikers who were making their last push up to North Timp from the opposite direction. I saw a few people between the saddle and main summit, but had the peak to myself. The descent was fairly uneventful. I didn’t bomb has hard as previous trips. Next, I need to do the rest of the ridgeline to the south!
I did this loop a few years ago and was excited to try it again. I did it solo this time and chopped about an hour off my elapsed time.
I began at first light at the Aspen Grove trailhead and headed up. I didn’t see another person until just before Emerald Lake-about 90 minutes and 5 miles into the route. It was a beautiful morning. Perfect weather. Cool with a little breeze. There was still some snow on the traverse across the rockslide field between Emerald Lake and the saddle. To be honest, it is probably easier to cross on the snow than bare jumbled rocks.
A few sprinkles swirled around as I moved across the snow field, but nothing too bad. Winds picked up once I hit the saddle and I wrapped buffs around my hands as I worked my way to the summit. Brrr! I saw a handful of people on the way to the top, but there was only a father/son duo at the summit. I’ve been lucky to have the summit mostly to myself most trips. Only once have I experienced a crowded summit.
I didn’t stay long and bombed on down the Timpooneke trail. There were some more people on the trail for the remainder of the descent, but it still wasn’t too many. Temperatures rose and I descended, but I felt good and planned to refill my water at the Timpooneke trailhead. Unfortunately, when I arrived I found the water spigot capped (due to COVID-19, I presume). Uh oh. I still had some water, but not a ton.
As I started the 5 miles up and over some backside trails to complete the loop back to Aspen Grove, my feet started to hurt and throb. My shoes were too tight, but just wanting to finish I pressed on. I probably should have paused for a minute to loosen them a bit. I knew I had some sodas on ice in the car too, and with water running out I was anxious for a cold drink.
In all, it was an amazing day. Gorgeous. Not a bad way to celebrate my 40th.
First Timp of the season – August 21 – and still some stretches of snow to cross on the way up to the main saddle. I was feeling good today and decided to try to push for a sub-4:00 roundtrip. I sprinted the first 1/4 mile after getting spooked by a moose. There were others on the trail that other hikers saw but I didn’t see any others. I did see a fox up in the meadow basin! That was a first. I had the summit all to myself. It was beautiful. I looked at my watch and saw that a sub-4:00 might be possible if I really bombed. I shouldn’t have sat at the summit for so long because it required a painful pace. It wasn’t the most pleasant descent. A dead sprint for the last 1/2 mile down. BUT – I came in just under the wire. A moving time of 3:59:52!
I just couldn’t get enough – Timp was so beautiful last week. This time I did in the heat of the day and suffered for it. It was hot and I had a sour stomach for a lot of it. However, once up top I had the summit to myself and I saw some nice goats at the saddle on my way down. Well worth it!
The view of the main summit peak when you first pop into Timpanogos Basin never fails to impress. Dang!
Obligatory summit selfie, this week with the south ridgeline behind me
There were about 10 goats at the saddle and right on the trail. Thankfully, they let me pass.
Goats and the summit peak
Driving down American Fork Canyon, I happened to look up right at the spot where you can see “The Devil’s Eye” arch. Perfect timing, as I knew there was a place you could see it, but had never spotted it.
Oh hallelujah! I finally got up Timp! I got dumped on by a huge rainstorm and freezing wind on the way up, and then baked in sweltering hot humidity on the way down. In other words, amazing. I was a slow day though. I stopped under some trees a few times to wait out the rain and some huge groups of people (way more than the 15 person limit for Wilderness Areas) created some long traffic jams at the snow crossings.
Working up to the saddleSummit Ridge looking nice and stormy from the saddleObligatory summit pictureLooking north into Timpanogos Basin. Getting green.Looking east and down into Emerald Lake basin – still snow.
I decided to treat myself to a Mt. Timpanogos summit for my birthday this morning. I have done the summit twice from the Timpooneke trailhead but never from Aspen Grove. I decided to make a loop of it. Up Aspen Grove, down Timpooneke, then loop back to AG on the Salamander Flats, Snow Gauging, and Lame Horse trails. A 19.5 mile loop.
I put out the call and two fellow Wasatch Mountain Wranglers joined – Keith and Tim. We started at 5:00 and caught an amazing sunrise as we climbed the trail out of Aspen Grove.
This side is steeper than Timpooneke, less runnable, but features some beautiful waterfalls, a few lakes and meadows, an old Forest Service ranger cabin, and views for days.
We spent a lot of time stopping and taking pictures, so I apologize to Tim and Keith for destroying their splits. But it was hard not to stop and gawk.
Just above the headwall up out of Aspen Grove – at about mile 4.5 – you hit a series of meadows. Here, looking back down the trial at Hidden Lakes.Climbing out of the Hidden Lakes meadow and up to the Emerald Lake basin. Timpanogos Summit in the distance with the shelter just barely visible.Looking down into the Timp basin I usually climb into from the other side – from Timpooneke.
Once we climbed over to the saddle, it a wind picked up and it got a bit chilly. In the sun it was alright, but my hands got numb. At the summit, two other wranglers, Josh and Jade, caught up to us. They had started from the other trailhead and were pushing for a fast round trip. We sat around for a bit up top. It’s hard to just turn around and bomb back down when the views as so good.
Hat tip to Tim, as well, for picking up a ton of trash along the trail and on the summit. Littering makes me so mad.
Looking East from the Timpanogos Summit. Wow.Happy Birthday to me! Some people say this isn’t what they would have given themselves for their birthdays and that I’m crazy, but I think the mountain disagrees. Birthday summits FTW!The rest of the WMW crew – Keith, Jade, Josh, Tim.
Once we got off the saddle the temps picked up fast. Lots of hikers were moving up their trail a high fiving us as we ran down, thinking we were more hardcore that we are. When we explained the loop we were doing, we did get some raised eyebrows. Maybe we are hardcore.
The Timp basin is at peak wildflower right now. Seriously people. Get up there!
About halfway down I rolled my right ankle hard. I heard an audible crunch. It ran of OK, though tender, until right at the bottom when I rolled it again. Sharp stab of pain. Oh boy…
At the trailhead I used the bathroom, drenched myself in water, refilled, and headed off for the return trails. Those were a tough 5 miles for me. Very runnable, but not for me. It was also fun to see a few new places.
North Timpanogos viewed from the Snow Gauging TrailLooking down towards Aspen Grove from the Lame Horse Trail.
The heat, returned GI distress, and the ankle. But, we made it and it was gorgeous. I will definitely make this loop again, but hopefully in better physical conditions. Happy birthday to me!
Tasty! Mt. Timpanogos is (almost) Ripe and Ready for the Picking!
My local trail-running club, the Wasatch Mountain Wranglers, adopted the Timpooneke Trail Nr. 053 and Mt. Timpanogos Summit Trail Nr. 054 – two of the most heavily used trails in the entire state of Utah. Last night I joined for the first organized trail work event, clearing out the first mile of trail with loppers and shovels. It was looking gorgeous and I knew I’d need to get up farther in the near future. Then, this afternoon a friend posted that he hit the summit and the trail was in good shape. So, before I knew it, I had geared up and hit the trail.
Starting out it was in the 90s, but as I worked through the first couple miles, up past Scout Falls, and to the big meadow at mile two, it cooled significantly. Actually, it was perfect.
Looking north over the 2 mile meadow.Looking down on the 2 mile meadow, facing east
The first snow was a small field in the middle of the big scree field around mile 3. After that, the next section was a sketchy mote (ice bridge) at about mile 3.7. My friend had warned me not to take the well-worn path right off the trail, but to follow his footsteps about 10-15 higher up to cross. When I got there, the main path looked good, but I followed his instructions and scrambled up higher. I’m glad I did. From the approach, the mote looks solid, but looking back at it (see below) you can see that it is completely undercut and quite thin.
Looking at the mote from the up-trail side. This picture doesn’t do justice to just how thin it was.
Once I got up to the Timp basin, the peak was bathed in light – its breathtaking.
As you can see, there is still a LOT of snow up there. Not wildflower season yet.
On the trip from the basin floor up to the saddle there were a few snow fields to cross. Nothing too sketchy. If you slid, you’d go a ways down, but no cliffs to fly off. On my way up I encountered a huge group of Mountain Goats – I counted at least 20.
The little kid goats were so cute. They were hopping and bounding all over the place.
This guy had a crooked horn (stained and bleeding from a recent fight?). I lingered a bit too long taking pictures and he slowly started approached me. I quickly moved on.View of the summit and ridge from the saddle
Once I got to the saddle and looked up at the summit, I realized just how far up it is. I have only done this once before. I tried to make good time, but at that elevation I could feel my heart pounding. Its quite a scramble. The summit is just about 7 miles from the Timpooneke trailhead.
Summit!Looking north from the summit
I didn’t linger at the summit long. It had had taken me longer than I had planned to get up and I knew that I would be chasing daylight. It was now about 8:30 PM. I had a headlamp with but really wanted to get down all of the snow traverses and across that mote before having to switch it on. So, I tried to huff it down. A couple of the snow crossing felt sketchier on the way down than up. I also glissaded down one on my butt. That was fun, but a bit faster than I had thought it would be!
Coming down the summit ridge, this is the notch just above the corkscrew section. The sunset light was BLAZING through and I had to literally shield my eyes. Something about the angle and the notch seemed to really amplify the light.Although I was anxious to make better time, the clouds up by Box Elder Peak were blazing pink and I wanted to get a picture. I scrambled over to the toilet, knowing it would make for a humorous and memorable picture.I stopped one more time when I almost ran straight into a porcupine! I came bounding down the trail and almost landed on him – within a couple feet by the time I stumbled to a stop. Yikes. He scurried off – pretty fast, actually – and I fumbled to get my phone out to take a picture. That’s him running off through the grass.
I did make it down and across the mote before stopping to put my headlamp on. I put some music on the loud speaker of my phone to alert any animals of my presence – terrified of running into something in the dark. It was a bit spooky coming down the last 4 miles. I picked away at it fairly slow. The trail has a lot of rocks and roots to trip on.
I made it safely to my car – about 5 hours round trip, 45 minutes longer than my first trip up last year. Next time, without the snow or dark, I’ll push for sub-4.
Mt. Timpanogos is one of the more famous hikes/summits here in the Wasatch, especially in Utah County. Somehow, I never did it back in the early-2000s when an undergrad. This morning I resolved to correct this grievous oversight with an early morning summit before work.
I hit the Timpooneke trail at about 5:45 solo. Some trails a “ok,” but worth it because they get you to a beautiful destination. This trail was gorgeous every step of the way. I jogged and power-hiked up, slowed only by the need to snap pictures, and groan from some early-AM stomach issues.
Looking back down the valley while climbing at the morning light streaming in.Looking up from the cirque.
s I made the climb up to the saddle I saw 3 people waiting at the ridge. As I approached, they waved and called my name. It was Mel, Lori, and Zac on their double-summit attempt (up Aspen Grove to the Summit, down to the Timpooneke trailhead and then turning around to do it all in reverse. They almost did it, but had to bail on the 2nd summit as a t-storm and lightning rolled in as they approach the saddle later in the day to scramble up for the 2nd summit. Bummer). In any case it was awesome to see some friendly and familiar faces. We summited together, took some pictures, complained about how windy and cold it was up top, and then scrambled back down to the saddle.
Hiding from the wind – Lori, Me, Zac, and Mel. PC Zac.Standing on the Summit marker. PC Zac.Looking down the north ridge-line and saddle from near the summit.
I saw another friend, Phil, on his way up for the upteenth time this week (this time with his kids in tow). A couple other Wasatch Mountain Wranglers also passed as we headed down and they headed up. I moved ahead of the trio as they too pictures and chatted – figuring they would catch up. They didn’t. But, WMW Jack did and we ran the last 2-3 miles together chatting.
Including some messing around up top, it took me about 4:20. Not bad. I hope to shave some time off next time I tackle it.
It was a gorgeous day. Just perfect. I’m already plotting to attach it again next week.
