|
| | | |
| |
|
| Hiking | 16.27 Miles |
3,464 AEG |
| | Hiking | 16.27 Miles | 7 Hrs 17 Mns | | 2.36 mph |
| 3,464 ft AEG | 23 Mns Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | This peak, just north of Ogden, Utah, has been on my to do list for special reasons.
My father (who passed away 14 years ago) grew up in North Ogden, and the mountain foothills were his backyard--with Ben Lomond prominently on display from his front porch.
A few years ago, my mom found some photos of my dad hiking on Ben Lomond, and ever since then, I've wanted to get up there and "walk in his footsteps."
I'm often up in Utah to visit my kids and grandkids, but Ogden is an hour and a half drive and never seemed to fit into the agenda. But this summer, I've been on a 3-month sabbatical and had much more flexibility in my schedule, so yesterday, my son (who shares my dad's name) and I made the trip up.
There are two trails to the summit. We took the trail that starts from the North Ogden divide trailhead. Although its 16 miles round trip with ~3500 feet of aeg, the climb is pretty gradual for the most part--about 400 feet per mile.
The first couple of miles are on the south/eastern slope and covered in scrub oak. Then the trail opens up for a bit before tucking into the east side of the ridgeline and through fir and pine forest. The wildflowers in this section and on the rest of the climb were impressive, even though past their peak bloom.
Eventually, the trail traverses over and the along the west side of the ridge, opening up nice views of the valley, Ogden and points south, as well as the Great Salt Lake.
The contouring finally reaches the base of the peak for a final steep-ish climb to the summit. There were several spider trails and switchbacks in this section, but all lead to the same destination.
Once on the summit, we enjoyed the 360-degree views on a clear day. We arrived just as the "morning rush" was winding down, and ended up having the summit to ourselves for 30-40 minutes. I pulled out the binoculars and located my dad's childhood home, 4,000+ feet below, and wrote a quick note in the summit log.
The descent was pleasant and provided nice views, including of the Pineview reservoir.
We passed a young rattlesnake on the trail, which in a first for me, seemed to be playing dead. He did not move at all, even when we were relatively close, and I was pretty convinced he was not alive. But, when I gave him a gentle nudge with my hiking pole, he took off like a shot, bee-lining it off the trail and making a spring-loaded hurdle over a large root before disappearing in the brush.
The wind kicked up a bit and a light drizzle over the final mile or so, but not enough to disrupt the enjoyable vibe.
The only downside to this trail is that motorcycles are allowed on it (and can ride essentially all the way to the summit). We had about a half dozen pass us here and there, and it felt a little odd to see motorcycles that high up on the trail.
After finishing the hike, we drove down to my father's childhood home and took a couple of photos to complete the tribute/reminiscence hike! |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
Route Editor
Route Scout
