Bells Canyon- April 1st, 2011

[Dr. Nebz]

I spent the first day in April hiking instead of snowboarding. After getting out in Arizona, I have been dying to go for a walkabout since I got home. We finally got a warm spring day. Went to Meditation Rock for a bit of sun on my bones, then decided to push on and go explore. I spent the day walking all the way up to the bridge. Beyond that point was some serious snow I could see up hill. I made a full loop on the trail. As you can see from the pics, it was sunny skies, and the weather was sweet. With all this new snow we just got, looks like it is going to be a bit before I get out again. But it was awesome to to be out, silence, and being away from the madness in the valley. It just got me stoked for summer as I am dying to get out backpacking.

[Wasatch]

Nice pics. It's been a few years since I've gone up Bells.

[accadacca]

Coolness dood.

[Glockguy]

That is a fun canyon.

[mr. incognito]

I summited Lone Peak via Bells canyon once with a friend. That is not, I repeat not, the brightest idea I ever had. It ended up being a dark to dark 16 hour epic (that includes when we tried to lay in the trail for a 30 minute power nap we were so tired) Yeah, hit it instead from corner canyon or the American Fork side. Tons of route finding problems, sketchy rock climbing without needed gear, talus skiing, and uncontrolled glissading on the way out. Did see a lot of Mountain Goats though.

[gnwatts]

and the TR.

[accadacca]

I like the shot of the Oquirrh Mountains....

and the TR.

Ditto.

[Dr. Nebz]

I summited Lone Peak via Bells canyon once with a friend. That is not, I repeat not, the brightest idea I ever had. It ended up being a dark to dark 16 hour epic (that includes when we tried to lay in the trail for a 30 minute power nap we were so tired) Yeah, hit it instead from corner canyon or the American Fork side. Tons of route finding problems, sketchy rock climbing without needed gear, talus skiing, and uncontrolled glissading on the way out. Did see a lot of Mountain Goats though.

Damn! Sounds like one hell of an adventure. Yeah, I think you have to be pretty prepared for some serious shiz if you are going to head to Lone Peak from that route! Yeah the farthest I have ever gone up there was to the Upper Res. It is a pretty brutal climb with some serious scrambling and route finding at the top. We found the trail beyond the falls was not really a trail. Bush whacking at times, and sections here and there where you could tell there had been some foot travel. There were carins occasionally, but they really did not seem to help. It was more of route finding than anything. It was worth it, it is beautiful up there! We made a wrong turn on the way out and ended up on the boulder field on the right side of the canyon. Not the smartest place to end up up there. I route found our way back the the trail, and we barely made it to the car by dark. To top it off we ran out of water on the way down. I like it up there, for even just a short hike for some fishing. The Lower Res gets busy with hikers, but if you know the area well up there and just want a place to chill, it is not hard to get away up there. It is close to my home, so kind of my backyard. Probably the best, closest trail to my house with a ton of options up there.

[xjblue]

Nice report, I didn't get enough snowboarding in this year but so glad to see hiking season coming. Hiked up to the upper waterfall last spring right after the water levels peaked.

I've stood on South Thunder as the sun approached the western horizon and thought "better get down past the reservoir to that upper meadow before dark", while completing the beatout hike. Then suprised a boy scout group in that meadow about to get comfy around a campfire in the failing light of dusk. That experience hiking out of Bells in the dark was further dulled by the numbness accompanying the fatigue of that adventure, reaching the trailhead after midnight.
Descended Lone Peak via Bells once as well, crossed to the south summit and down shoulder a little before dropping in where it was less crazy and a good run out for sliding down on the snow.