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View Full Version : Out-of-state hiking tourist: suggestions for dayhikes



Tahoma
06-04-2005, 02:58 AM
Hello all from the Pacific Northwest!

I found this board off a Yahoo search -- it's very similar to what we have up here at www.nwhikers.net

I'll have an opportunity for a 3 or 4-day getaway in late summer, in the mid-August to mid-September range. Utah is high on my list to go hiking. I used to own one of the dayhiking books in Utah and was totally excited to visit a few places, but I have lost the book in recent years, so this is where I'll need your help.

I welcome suggestions on where you feel are the not-to-miss hikes near SLC. I'm going to do the urban 'base camp' thing in SLC, so travel considerations are going to be important. I'll also be renting a vehicle, so road conditions are also an important consideration.

At this point, I'll likely only be dayhiking and not backpacking/camping. I recall reading up on the High Uintas and Red Pine Lake is a place I'd love to go. Mts Timp and Nebo are high on my list, too, but I don't know how long it takes to drive to the trailhead from SLC.

As far as criteria goes, this is what I'm thinking: hikes in the 8-16 miles RT (can do up to 20 miles with a very early start); 1500-4000 ft elevation gain; I prefer the high meadows and lakes, with opportunities to wander around. I don't mind peakbagging for panoramic views (a plus), I'll scramble but I'm in no way a rock climber. I dread long forested trails in a valley -- as long as I'm ascending through a forest, I'll keep my sanity. :mrgreen:

Any other info pertaining to hiking in this timeframe is also greatly appreciated, i.e., climate in recent years, prevalence of bugs and wildlife, hunting season perhaps, trailhead vandalism, etc.

Oh yes, any suggestions for good eateries along the way or in SLC itself would also be wonderful!!! (I know it's a chain, but we don't have a Winger's up here....luv them wings!!!) Thanks in advance for your help!!!

rockgremlin
06-04-2005, 11:41 AM
Hello there!

Welcome to UUtah!! Let me first make recommendations for eating in SLC (I'll get to the hiking part later):

I'll break it down according to ethnicity:

Mexican: Either the Red Iguana or Blue Iguana are outstanding, and serve cerveza tambien.

Chinese: Xiao Li or P.F. Chang are also outstanding as well as Charlie Chow.

American: Training Table or Hires for burgers, fries (very good, and very popular with the locals).

Ribs/BBQ: Sugarhouse BBQ - OUTSTANDING, ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITES. Also have a very good selection of malt beverages.

Redrock Brewery also has good eats, and has many local brews on tap.

Sushi: Ginza (I'm personal friends with one of the chefs there - don't bother with anywhere else).

Italian: Macaroni Grill (The Olive Garden blows IMO)

Pizza: The Pie (up near the University of Utah) its also a locals favorite, and IMO has the best pizza and Calzones of anyone here in town.

Good Sandwiches: Grove Market or Granatos are also excellent, and come highly recommended.

This should get you started. Let me think on the best hikes in the Wasatch Front, and get back to you on that. :2thumbs:

rockgremlin
06-06-2005, 03:20 PM
Ok, I have a guidebook with several great hikes close to SLC, but that won't do you any good. I refer you to the following link:

http://www.climb-utah.com/WM/index.htm

This site has a lot of really great hikes that are close to SLC, some of which not even the locals know about.

Hope this helps!!

accadacca
06-06-2005, 03:36 PM
Just a few to add to the BBQ/Ribs: My favorite place for ribs is Tony Roma's and Lately I have been really impressed with Famous Daves. Good all around BBQ and ribs.

There is a little jem out in West Valley called Q4U. This dude can cook a killer BBQ and he is from the south. Makes my mouth water just thinkin' about it. I might have to stop by on the way home. :slobber:

Now for the hiking. Boy there is really a plethora of hikes in the valley. Perhaps if you have some in mind then we can rate them. If you are going to stay local then the Big and Little Cottonwood canyons as well as Mill Creek canyon are loaded with good day hikes. . On a side note: Does anyone know if they have re-opened the Donut Falls hike?

There are some good hikes up Provo Canyon in Utah county. Give us some to rate would be the best. A list of hikes that you would like to try. We can then talk about each one from our experience. I have been on several of them. My critique might be different to others. I like a lake at the end of the trail or river along the way to fish. I found this quick link on google search. http://www.utah.com/hike/ :popcorn:

accadacca
06-06-2005, 03:38 PM
I found this board off a Yahoo search
Oh yeah and :clap:

Tahoma
06-06-2005, 08:06 PM
Thanks for the suggestions thus far, keep 'er comin'!

First off, the food...the ultimate international language...

Red Rock Brewery...now that sounds like a refreshing stop after a long hike. I've actually heard great things about that place.

Pizza...you mean there's something better than Peter Piper? :roflol: just kidding, I used to love Peter Piper when I was younger, when they had their large cheese pizza for $2.95. yup, former Utahn here! Stationed at Hill, and my fam were never the active outdoorsy type, so I missed out on not just the hiking, but the skiing and snowboarding, too. :frustrated:

I WILL go to Ginza. big sushi fan. Lots of great places here, lots run by independent sushi chefs from Japan. Be interesting to compare.

I know the Mexican food in Utah is fantastic. Haven't been around SLC much, so I'll try one of the two you mentioned. If you ever find yourself up in Clearfield (for who knows why...), Manuel's El Burrito (http://www.el-burrito.com/) rocks!

BBQ...might need to try that place at West Valley, too, Utahns can make some good BBQs, though I'll respectfully disagree with Tony Roma's.

I'll likely stay away from the burgers and Italian on this trip, though it's hard to pass up. Thanks for the suggestions!



NOw the hikes....
Thanks for the website, rockgremlin, it's a great resource! So I may have a friend tag along with me on this trip, so the criteria's changed slightly due to time constraints. It'll likely be the last week or two in August. Pretty hot then, eh? Here are some of my thoughts --

Red Pine Lake....will like to go here, then I noticed you can reach the Pfeifferhorn for an additional 1.5 miles. Is it truly just a scramble? WOW, now that would be awesome!

How's the trek from White Pine Lake to Red Pine Lake?

What do think is the total mileage and elevation gain for White Pine Lake --> Red Pine Lake ---> Pfeifferhorn ---> trailhead via Red Pine Lake trail?


Lake Blanche looks fantastic, especially with Sundial Peak in the backdrop. A couple other peaks in the area, too, I understand. Can you hike up any of these peaks, and if so, what would estimate the mileage and elevation gain?

Can Naturalist Basin or Grandaddy Basin be completed in a day? Anywhere else in the Uintas?

Mt Timp vs Mt Nebo -- which would you hike?

Thanks again!!!!!


Any suggestions for short dayhikes from any of the ski areas?

James_B_Wads2000
06-07-2005, 02:49 PM
What do think is the total mileage and elevation gain for White Pine Lake --> Red Pine Lake ---> Pfeifferhorn ---> trailhead via Red Pine Lake trail?

That would be a big one. I don't know how far with out pulling out my Wasatch map. But from what I know of the route, Pheifferhorn via Red Pine Lake is a full day hike for the average in-shape hiker. From what a friend tells me the cross over from White to Red Pine Lake is pretty hard. Maybe someone else out there would know better.





Mt Timp vs Mt Nebo -- which would you hike?



Timpanogos for sure. Although Nebo is a good one, given the choice I would pick Timp in a heartbeat. It is in my and many other Utahan's top ten best hikes list. Go do the route described in Climb-Utah.com (Timpooneke) and descend the "glacier" with great care. If the glacier does not look good then descend back to the saddle then follow the trail to Emerald Lake then take the trail back to the head of the Giant Staircase.

James

accadacca
06-08-2005, 10:12 AM
I have hiked up to Lake Blanche several times. It is a fun hike! The river follows the trail for much of the hike. It is really pretty and there are many pools along the way with mini waterfalls. I always jump in a few of them along the way to cool off. The lake is a good reward for the hike and I have caught fish out of it. It should be really full this year. I would recommend this hike. It is a pretty easy hike and could be done comfortably in half a day. You could mix it in with another hike in Big Cottonwood canyon to fill the day. I am not sure about the peaks in the background. They don't look very intimidating to me. But I have not hiked them, so I don't know about a trail? Perhaps some exploring to reach the top of them?

I would also choose Timp over Nebo. Although Timp may be more crowded than Nebo. The Mt. Nebo Loop is a really pretty drive too. But the views from Timp are much better and a cool hike. They are both fun hikes. I would also look into Lone Peak: http://www.climb-utah.com/WM/lonepeak.htm

rockgremlin
06-08-2005, 02:17 PM
Lone Peak is fun if you're a tough guy. I've never done it, but a guy I know does it every year. He says it's one long, tough, S.O.B.

Iceaxe
06-09-2005, 07:40 AM
A couple of my favorite routes....

Pfeifferhorn
http://climb-utah.com/WM/pfeifferhorn.htm

Timpanogos form Timpooneke Trailhead
http://climb-utah.com/WM/timp.htm

Devils Castle Traverse
http://climb-utah.com/WM/devilscastle.htm

Lone Peak via Jacobs Ladder
http://climb-utah.com/WM/lonepeak.htm

Granite lakes Loop
http://climb-utah.com/WM/granite.htm

Lofty lakes Loop
http://climb-utah.com/Uinta/lofty.htm

Wall Lake Loop
http://climb-utah.com/Uinta/wall.htm

Long Lake Loop
http://climb-utah.com/Uinta/long.htm

All of these can be done as a day trip based out of Salt Lake. There are many otheres on my website but these are some of my favorites.

Shane Burrows
Climb Utah - Canyoneering & Mountaineering
http://Climb-Utah.com

Iceaxe
06-09-2005, 07:41 AM
Also add.... Monte Cristo & Superior using the optional ridge scramble listed at the bottom of the page. I'll lead this one later in the year if some of this group wants to get together and do it. It's a great route!

http://climb-utah.com/WM/superior.htm


Shane Burrows
Climb Utah - Canyoneering & Mountaineering
http://Climb-Utah.com

rock_ski_cowboy
06-09-2005, 10:47 AM
Can Naturalist Basin or Grandaddy Basin be completed in a day? Anywhere else in the Uintas?

Mt Timp vs Mt Nebo -- which would you hike?


Both can reasonably be looped in a day from the trailhead, but driving time will cut into your day. Naturalist Basin (a 14 to 17 mile round trip) from the Mirror Lake or Highline trailhead is definitely closer to SLC (1.5 hours). You're looking at at least 2.5 hour drive to the best Grandaddy trailhead (Grandview), but its a shorter hike (like 7 to 10 miles round trip). You can get there from the West Side (highline/mirror) but it seems like it would be a very long hike through the woods.

I've done most of Timp, but returned due to Lightning. Its definitely more scenic than Nebo, but Nebo's a great choice too. If you do it from the North side, you hit the highest peak and its a short day (9 or 10 miles round trip).

rock_ski_cowboy
06-09-2005, 01:27 PM
ioops

Tahoma
06-11-2005, 10:09 AM
You guys all ROCK! Thanks for all the helpful info. You got more? Keep 'er comin'!

Shane, that is one fantastic website -- very good details on the trip report, trail stats, directions, etc. A lot of my ideas for my visit were narrowed down after rockgremlin pointed out your site. There are soooo many booooomb places!

Thanks for the info on the High Unitas, too. I do think I'd like the drive time to be minimized, but I'm used to driving up to 3 hrs to get to a trailhead for a dayhike around here. :mrgreen: It might be at the tail end of my to-do list on this visit, so I'll play it by ear. Mt Timp is the one I've heard most about and I think it's a bit of a drive, so it'll be the only exception.

Lone Peak looks like a good one, too, but I'll save that for a different trip (I'm already anticipating a return... )


Follow-up questions...

How long does it take to drive from SLC to the Timpooneke trailhead?

Does anyone know what else there is to explore around Lake Blanche? Looks like the trail continues on to Lakes Florence and Lillian, and perhaps some off-trail route to the Sundial Peak basin. Can Sundial Peak be accessed coming up through the basin, past Point 9619, and upward near the peak itself? (see map: http://www.climb-utah.com/WM/Maps/blanche.jpg) It doesn't look like the peak can be summitted without technical gear.

Otherwise...let's say I go to Lake Blanche. It's been suggested that I can combine this hike with another short hike in the area to make it a long day. What would you suggest?

I'd like more info on the Granite Lakes. When it's said it's in the Brighton area, is it accessible from the ski resort?

Thanks again, y'alls! As you can tell, I like to ask a lot of questions and you've been most helpful. Don't forget to do the same here if you decide to make a stop in my backyard up here in the Cascades!

Tahoma
06-11-2005, 10:16 AM
oh yes, I'm not quite done...back to the White Pine Lake/Red Pine Lake deal...

see map:
http://www.climb-utah.com/WM/Maps/RedPine.JPG

What is the suggested route? The ridge dividing the two lakes seem quite brutal. There is a less graded route that goes around the ridge -- is there an unmaintainted trail there, or is it bushwacking country?

Can the Pfeifferhorn route be accessed from Upper Red Pine Lake?

On the return from Pfeifferhorn, is it better/more scenic to go down Maybird Gulch?

rockgremlin
06-15-2005, 07:19 PM
On a side note: Does anyone know if they have re-opened the Donut Falls hike?

I went up on Sunday to Donut Falls. Its open again, and its not very busy either. When I got there there were only 3 cars in the parking lot. I didn't go for Donut Falls though, I went up to hike the Mine Road Trail that weaves behind Donut Falls. There's a really pretty valley that opens up behind Donut Falls that I wanted to photograph. Unfortunately, the Mine Road Trail is currently off limits to public hiking. I disregarded the "No Trespassing" signs, and did the hike anyways. I found out why its off limits though - apparently an avalanche came down this past winter, and leveled all the trees in the valley. There is still a lot of snow up there, and there are downed trees all over the place, its a disaster!! Pissed me off because I hiked all that way to take some pretty pictures, and it was all in vain cause all the trees are torn to shreds. :frustrated:

Oh ya. I also jogged on up to Guardsman Pass - Its still got lots of snow, and is still closed!!!! :frustrated:

accadacca
06-15-2005, 08:36 PM
Oh ya. I also jogged on up to Guardsman Pass - Its still got lots of snow, and is still closed!!!! :frustrated:
Yeah it will probably be July before I can ride the crest. :doh: