Provo Peak Options

[CarpeyBiggs]

Hey guys (and gals),

New to the board here, but glad to find a place like this. Wonder why I've never found it before... Stumbled on it yesterday, and have spent about 8 hours reading everything I can... Have a feeling I am just scratching the surface.

I've been contemplating bagging Provo Peak for a while now, and I believe there are probably two good options, but I haven't found much beta on it. One would be to hike up Big Springs, to Lightning Ridge, and ridge walk to Provo. Looks LONG. Other would be to take the forest service road behind squaw peak and park at the bottom of the peak and just go for it.

Anyone have any better ideas? I've asked at some of the outdoors stores here in Provo, and never got anywhere. Seems pretty much underexplored.

Thanks in advance.

Dan

[asdf]

I've been contemplating bagging Provo Peak

I did Provo peak in 2003 by going up the west ridge. There first half of the hike is bushwhacking until you run into a very faint hikers trail that leads to the summit along the ridge.
Going up Big Springs and ridge walking to Provo Peak will be a very long hike. If you drive up the squaw peak road in a HCV you can park right at the base of the west facing ridge going up Provo Peak. If you are in car you will need to park at the old Rock Canyon Campground and hike a few extra miles up the road.
If you use Google Earth you can see where you need to park, if you can pick out Provo peak while driving up the road its not hard to find the "trail head".
This hike is very steep watch out for snow and the views from the summit are great. I really want to hit Provo Peak this later year.


The west ridge of Provo Peak.
http://hiking.hyrumwright.org/hike/Provo_Peak_(2)

http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/152065/provo-peak.html[/url]

[dillweed]

I want to bag it again too. I did it in 1998 - same route - West Ridge. The route is not very long though, and left me with a sense that I had "cheated" because I started from the dirt road and made it up in something like 90 minutes. But the views are great and when I do it next time I would like to ridge-walk to the south and hook up with the "Hog's Back Road" and either walk / bike back down to the starting point, or shuttle back down Hobble Creek. The photo is just south of Provo Peak. Maybe we could all plan a trip in a month or two. I'll subscribe to this thread and let's plan a hike.

[Scott Card]

As a former Big Springs counselor who has hiked to Lightning Ridge many many times, you ARE cheating if you take the lower dirt road from Rock Canyon Campground. Yes it is a bit long but the hike is spectacular from Big Springs. I would suggest you take the Big Springs route and enjoy the day. We hiked 5th graders to the ridge and back from the camp in 6 to 8 hours. From the ridge to the peak is not that far. Take a camera and enjoy the slide down the snow fields on the back side of lightening ridge (as long as there is snow).

[CarpeyBiggs]

Thanks for the replies. I've driven the route behind Rock Canyon a few times, and it seems like it could get ugly pretty easy back there, especially in an early spring melt. I can't imagine the road being passable until early summer? Perhaps I am wrong there.

One advantage that Big Springs has is it is open all year long. Rock Canyon route is only open after the forest service says so. What kind of spring hike would it be? I imagine the snow is fairly well consolidated right now, is it worthy of an attempt this early in the year with some snowshoes? Certainly would be beautiful with some snow still up there.

[asdf]

let's plan a hike.

I really want to park at camel pass then hike the ridge to Corral and Provo Peak... unless thats cheating ....

I would suggest you take the Big Springs route and enjoy the day. Take a camera and enjoy the slide down the snow fields on the back side of lightening ridge (as long as there is snow).

The Big Spings trail to the ridge is awesome I cant wait for the snow to melt so i can ride my bike up there.

I've driven the route behind Rock Canyon a few times, and it seems like it could get ugly pretty easy back there, especially in an early spring melt.

I have seen and Honda Civic make it from Provo Canyon to Hobble Creek
My wife and I drove up there one evening and came across a psycho and her son up to their headlights in mud with the rear wheels off the ground. She wanted us stand in the puddle and push her out because she was afraid that if we used the truck to pull her it was damage her car .... After we got her out she said was going to continue on to springville, we tried to follow her but we could not keep up! The lady was crazy, she must of hit at least 500 huge rocks above slate canyon.
Drive it like you stole it

[CarpeyBiggs]

That civic could very well have been mine. I like to call her the desert queen, she's done some impressive things in her time. Too bad I just retired her in favor of an Xterra. I drove that route late in the summer last year in the civic, and everything was in pretty good shape. Add water though, and I imagine it is misery waiting to happen.


I've mountain biked up past the big springs a few times, but man that trail gets crazy steep, and too wet. How far up do people actually go on their bikes? Must be stronger riders than I...

Let me know when you make the attack on Corral and Provo, I'd love to tag along if you are up for it.

[dillweed]

I really want to park at camel pass then hike the ridge to Corral and Provo Peak

Same here - that's the route I was talking about - how about in a week or two? Are Saturday's good? Saturday's are good for me.

Do you know when the camel's back road will be open?

[CarpeyBiggs]

I'm in if you do it in two Saturdays. Might be a bit ambitious on the road conditions though. Anyone else in the know on that?

[dillweed]

I mapped the route - it looks like it would be about 4.5 miles one way - longer than I thought.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=788733
.

[asdf]

The Pole Haven road is never open untill early summer so we would need to start from hobble creek and add at least 5 miles each way (if we want to do the ridge line).
My ankle is still not 100% I doubt I will be ready to put that many miles on it so soon. I am really going to put it to the test in the swell this weekend and should have a better idea of what it can do.