Related:  Utah Mountain Biking:  The Cowbell and the Cryptobionic Highway (cryptobiotic crusts)
                     Angels Landing in Zion:  Not for the Faint of Heart
​                     Southern Utah Hiking and Biking in a Pandemic:  Zion, Wire Mesa, and Snow Canyon
​                     Canaan Mountain via Squirrel Canyon 

Our Hike
Fred and I decided to hike Mt. Kinesava when we were riding on the Wire Pass Trail near Springdale, Utah a few months ago and we saw it towering over the southern entrance to Zion National Park.  When we finally had a cool day during a more recent hike/bike vacation, we gave it a try.  Even though we didn't make it, this mountain is one of the most memorable I have ever hiked.  Majestic Mt. Kinesava remains elusive, invincible, its petroglyphs unreachable, at least to us.  A grudge peak.  
​
Kinesava is more than a hike, it's an experience.  The view of red and orange cliffs and pinnacles that tower the more you climb, the increasingly spectacular views of Zion Canyon behind you and the ever-shrinking town of Springdale below create a unique "surround-view" experience of being "perched" for hours.  Kinesava's refusal to let just anyone walk on her summit may be the reason why Native Americans chose this place to carve petroglyphs on the mesa just above these challenging rock walls.  Landmarks in Zion, like Mt. Kinesava and Sinawava are named after Paiute deities.

You have to do your homework for this cross-country hike, but there are few summit reports available.  There is a break in the cliff band that surrounds Kinesava's base created by an apparent old landslide where you can enter the terrain that will take you up to the cliffs.  You must catch this same entry point on your exit, so a good idea to look back to note where this is by looking at landmarks.  Rock cairns mark faint trails, but it seems like you usually find these more often on the way down.  Cairns left by previous hikers were helpful in the Class 3-4 sections.

For a more detailed hike description, click on "Trip Stats" above.  You have to navigate over three ridges brings before you get to the base of the sheer walls, where you scramble and climb across narrow sections of the cliff in a horizontal/diagonal direction following the line of trees.  Here, the climb is Class 3 (climbing with use of hands) up more or less vertical rocks, making your way to the right along cliff base.  Where we reached too much exposure (Class 4), we backtracked to find a safer route.  It took us longer than we wanted to navigate through the horizontal band of trees under the pinnacled vertical cliffs.  We reached a comfortable platform with a good view of the "catwalk", a very narrow section that must be traversed to gain access to the final climb up the diagonal band of trees to the notch that lands you on the plateau above.  This is where we stopped; it looked pretty difficult and  we didn't have enough time to summit AND get down (see image below).   Once on the plateau, Mt. Kinesava's summit is another 300-400 foot climb.  (See our GPS tracks below).

The Way Down
​The view of the cliff-hugging narrow "catwalk" and vertical rock towers is intimidating.  ​  It's a different feeling entirely as I sit here at my desk writing this post, where I am not facing this astonishing scene of exposed walls and loose rocks to climb - it's easy to think now I can do it.  Edward Abbey, in his book Desert Solitaire said that Southern Utah "is the most beautiful place on earth."  My words don't do justice when describing what it's like to hike in this extraordinary place, where all natural elements seem to fit almost magically together.  The orange and green, the soft sand and the hard cross-bedded rocks, the cliffs and the undulating lowlands and streams.  The expansive desert with steep mesas standing like platforms under a wide sky.  Places to rest and absorb the views among imposing and rugged terrain.  Prickly cacti and slender, waving penstemon.

We caught a defined trail on the way down that took us a bit too far to the west.  The most important thing to remember is to aim for the large white boulders on the edge of plateau; it's your exit point to the ridges below.

Hopefully next time I attempt this hike, we will be able to conquer this section, see the petroglyphs on the plateau above, and summit.  I already feel lucky to be able to see these sights that not many others have seen before, and to be able to hike with my husband.  We have fun!  Life is really good.

References
​Chesher, Greer K.  Zion Canyon:  A Storied Land.  2007.  The University of Arizona Press.

Quarnstrom, Evan.  Zion National Park:  Tackling Mt. Kinesava.  Website:  Evan Quarnstrom:  Stories of Travel and Adventure.

The Hiker's Code:  Brush Up on Trail Etiquette in Time for Hiking Season.  Posted 11/5/19 on Utah.com

Zion:  Mt. Kinesava.  Favorite Hikes In and Around Zion National Park.  zionnational-park.com

When temperatures soar in St. George, Utah, head up to the Pine Valley Mountains to look over Southern Utah and Arizona mountains in a cool, beautiful forest with mature stands of aspens, Mountain Mahogany trees, and plenty of trails and peaks to explore.

Related:  Canaan Mountain via Squirrel Canyon
                     Angels Landing in Zion:  Not for the Faint of Heart

Our Hike:   Forsyth Trailhead --> Summit Trail #3021--> spur trail to Burger summit
Many people consider Southern Utah synonymous with slot canyons and colorful cliffs, hoodoos, and mesas.  Its famous national parks - Zion, Bryce and Arches are gems with spectacular scenes.  Except when the temperatures reach 100 degrees.  In a way you could say we were lucky because of the hot temps in St. George - otherwise we might have never discovered the cool Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness, where we summited Burger Peak to see a vast view of the hot desert below.

The Pine Valley Mountains are less than an hour's drive north of St. George, and provide the forested backdrop to the little town of Pine Valley.  The drive itself is beautiful, as you pass by a huge cinder cone and gorgeous Snow Canyon State Park.  We felt lucky to have "stumbled" onto this wilderness, the second-largest in Utah because of the many trail and peak opportunities.  It has the most diverse flora of any Utah mountain range, with ~ 1,000 species identified so far, and numerous meadows.  We met a backpacker on a separate hike near Whipple Valley who said he had to go "two meadows over" for his first night.  He was doing a loop trip using Summit Trail, which treks 35 miles between entry points at Whipple Valley and Forsyth trailhead, up and along highest Pine Valley Mountains ridge.

The first mile wanders through large stands of mature Mountain Mahogany and Ponderosa Pines.  Stream crossings over Forsyth Creek are easy, with low stream flow.  This forest is so unique, because it has such a wide variety of trees.   Tree dead fall on the first mile attests to destructive bark beetles that have plagued many forests throughout the west.  At mile two, the trail steepens and follows Forsyth Creek as the canyon narrows.  It climbs steadily for the next 4.5 miles to the peak; we ran into our first snow bank around 9,000 feet.  A spur trail heading north from Summit Trail takes you to the peak.  The view of Southern Utah from the steep cliffs at this intersection is incredible.

This forest is filled with large, towering aspens.  I make a mental note to return in the autumn.  Many had names and dates carved into their trunks.  The carving above has a date of August 24, 1951.  The depiction of a mountain range with a moon overhead made this one unique.  This is possibly a Basque sheep herder carving or "arborglyph".   There are many Basque carvings in the high countries of the west; the sheep herders had a lot of time to pass and many carved not only their names, but also simple scenes of life in the mountains.

​

The 6.4 mile hike back gave us a lot of time to appreciate this beautiful forest with its mature, towering canopy.  We had made a trail through the snow that others could follow easily to the summit.  We saw only 4 other hikers the whole day.  We were so impressed with this wilderness that we hiked to Whipple Valley a few days later.

Pine Valley has an interesting history.  It was discovered by Mormon pioneers Gunlock Bill Hamblin, Jacob Hamblin, and Isaac Riddle when they were moving cattle north of Santa Clara for summer grazing.  A sawmill to process lumber was erected in 1856.   The tall white Pine Valley Chapel stands out as you drive through town.  Built in 1868, it is the oldest meetinghouse in continuous use of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Regrettably, The Pine Valley Heritage Center in town was closed as we finished the hike.  We will be back to explore more of this exquisite wilderness.  Possibly some snowshoeing in the winter?  For now, we head back to the sweltering St. George heat and its red sandstone to look up to the granite crags and cool Pine Valley Mountains.  

References
Pine Valley Mounains - Wikipedia
​
Exploring Burger Peak via Forsyth Canyon.  Don Gilman, September 26, 2018.  Southern Utah Now.  

Pine Valley Utah Official Home Page - History.  pinevalleyutah.org

Pine Valley:  More than a Chapel - Church History.  history.churchofjesuschrist.org

​

Related:  Angel's Landing in Zion:  Not for the Faint of Heart
​                    Canaan Mountain via Squirrel Canyon
​                    Zion National Park - Double Arch Alcove Hike
                    Utah Mountain Biking - The Cowbell and the Cryptobionic "Highway"
​                    Desert Plants

Snow Canyon State Park - April 1, 2020
The spring of 2020 will always be remembered as the time of the Coronavirus pandemic.  After Fred and I did more research than usual, we managed to get away on our annual Southern Utah trip despite Idaho's order to self-isolate.  It states, “The isolation order does not prohibit outdoor activity such as walking, hiking, running or biking, but a safe distance of six feet must be kept between those who do not live in the same household.”  Utah’s orders were similar.  We are very experienced in the art of social distancing - it comes naturally.  This time, however, as we planned our getaway from Boise to sunnier climes, there was a lot more to consider:  where could we stay?  Could we bring our trailer?  Are the Utah state parks and Zion National Park  closed?  Can we go on trails?  Can we go at all? 
 
Visions of red and orange rocks, azure skies and red-blooming cacti outweighed the risks, so off we were, with assurances from the manager at the Marriott Hotel in St. George that we wouldn’t be sent home after the 9-hour drive.  We had to leave our tent trailer behind as all parks and campgrounds were closed.  Into the truck went hiking boots, bike helmets, backpacks, clothes for a few weather conditions, food and clean bikes.   The promise of gear-grinding, rock-hopping, open-air adventures and the freedom to explore awaited us.  Just a few more rules this time.
 
      The chilly morning lent crystal crispness to a clear sky; on our bikes, we faced the yellow and rust-red sandstone towers standing like sentinels along the gravel road in Snow Canyon State Park.  The occasional CLINK of small rocks hitting my bike, the crunch of gravel under tires and the pleasant “good morning” greetings of couples walking along the road were the only sounds.  Breathe deeply that clean desert air.  We stash our bikes at the end of the road and walk a small distance up a narrow white ledge-lined canyon, following a sand wash with smoothed boulders.  In the shade of a towering wall the temperature cools suddenly.  I catch that unmistakable scent that only desert washes can produce – a sweet mixture of mesquite, yucca and sage, and the earthy scent of damp sand underneath.

Snow Canyon State Park is a beautiful place to bike, walk and hike.  We like to ride West Canyon Road and then find a high sandstone lookout and scramble up the slickrock for our lunch.    This canyon was used by Anasazi and Paiute Indians; more recently, its beautiful ancient sand dunes were featured in Hollywood movies such as Jeremiah Johnson and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.   While looking for lost cattle, Mormon pioneers discovered what is now Snow Canyon in the 1850's.  Be sure to check out the black basalt that fills some of these canyons, filling what used to be a topographic low (stream), but is now a topographic high due to the great volume of the flows.

Current restrictions as of 4/17/20:  Governor of Utah's directive entitled "Stay Safe, Stay Home" which prohibits anyone from going to Snow Canyon State Park that does not live in the county in which it resides (Washington County).  All users are to be ready to verify residency.
Map of Snow Canyon State Park
​The Geology of Snow Canyon State Park

Zion National Park, April 3, 2020
“Sulking indoors for the duration of this crisis is an obnoxious thought”, said Paul Theroux,  Wall Street Journal travel writer.  In his article addressing the stay-at-home directives, “A Wanderer’s Guide to Staying Home”,  he mentions past famous people who wrote from home or nearby, like Emily Dickinson and Henry David Thoreau.  He says, “to self-isolate means confinement; for habitual travelers it is something like punishment”; then  he concludes that the “ultimate freedom in travel lies in the road trip – setting off in your own car.”
 
My bare hands stung in the freezing wind blowing through Zion Canyon’s morning half-light as the hulking sandstone giants lining the eastern side shut out the sunlight to the canyon bottom.  Fumbling with my camera and tripod, I spent no time looking for gloves, as the light on Bridge Mountain, a massive, cross-bedded ancient sand dune was changing.  The visitor's center was abandoned, all parking places empty.  Part of me felt jubilant that I should have Zion all to myself, to photograph without constraint; the other part felt a slight uneasiness at the absence of people in this place that is visited by four million people each year.  The sun now sat on top of Bridge Mountain's ridge; it was time to move on.

We weren't surprised when we saw the sign "Angel's Landing Is Closed."  It is probably the most famous hike in Zion, and for good reason; to get to a breathtaking view of Zion Canyon, you hold onto bolted chains much of the way while climbing up a narrow fin of sandstone, walls dropping straight down for hundreds of feet on either side.  The sign read, "Violation of this closure may result in a fine of up to $5,000, 6 months in jail, or both."  I have seen a line of people waiting to ascend but today it was eerily vacant.  We continued past this and walked the West Rim Trail to where plants grow on sandstone walls overlooking Telephone Canyon.   When we went to the only open shop we could find to get ice cream afterwards, the employee there told us that Zion National Park was closed just one-half hour ago.  We'll always remember this lucky day when under sunny skies and perfect weather, we were able to hike Zion on nearly empty trails.  Too bad we couldn't do Angels Landing!
Zion National Park info and map

Wire Mesa Mountain Bike Ride, April 4, 2020
The Wire Mesa loop is a 7.6-mile rock-navigating, killer view single track source of joy.  We rode counter clockwise, having prominent Mount Kinesava with its vertical cliffs and other Zion Canyon temples in view until we reached the end of the mesa and the trail contoured to the west.    Most of this trail winds in and out of junipers, up and down over forgiving sandstone rocks, close to the mesa's edge.  We were surprised at the number of groups of hikers, campers, and bikers practicing their own wilderness social distancing.  The steep road up to the mesa from Rockville is best attempted with a 4WD vehicle.  Deep tire ruts attested to those who had traveled this clay-soil road probably the week before when there were downpours.

Utah mountain bikers are technically skilled, focused on mapping a route up and over sandstone.  We got better at this skill as we rode, but we did end up walking our bikes over many "steep" rocks.  

After this ride, we hiked in the Canaan Mountain Wilderness administered by the Bureau of Land Management, near Wire Mesa.  We encountered many cheerful hiking families and couples.  The BLM's current Coronavirus Advisory states "Please follow recommendations from the CDC and your state and local health authorities before visiting your public lands..."

It will be interesting to find out what directives and orders we must follow for our hiking and back packing trips this summer while we do what we love to do - "natural" social distancing.  Meanwhile, the red sand on our bike chains attests to the great adventures we had in Southern Utah.
MTB Project - REI - Wire Mesa Loop Information

Related:   Tucson Mountains Tour:  Golden Gate Mountain, Bobcat Ridge, and Little Cat Mountain
​                      Elephant Head Peak - Santa Rita Mountains, Southern Arizona
                      Desert Plants

We started on the Yetman Trailhead, not far from Golden Gate Mountain, instead of the Sarasota Trailhead which is closer to Cat Mountain so we could spend as much time as possible walking through this beautiful Tucson Mountain Park encompassing much of an ancient caldera, and weave around thorny saguaros and jumping chollas.  We had also started at the Yetman trail a few days before, when we hiked three high points in this park:  Golden Gate Mountain, Little Cat Mountain and Bobcat Ridge.  All four peaks could be summited in one long day.

Reach the saddle between Golden Gate Mountain and Bren Peak at 0.4  miles from Yetman trailhead, an excellent place to get a perspective on three high points:  Bobcat Ridge, Little Cat Mountain and Cat Mountain.  A textured green carpet sweeps down valley and up the slopes of these brooding, rugged mountains.  The only thing that distracts from this scene is the housing development in the valley to the west.  

​This pleasant view makes it difficult to imagine the sudden event of a magma chamber spewing the searing ash that formed this ancient caldera landscape.  Tucson Mountain Chaos is the term given by geologists to the valley rocks that underlie the Cat Mountain Tuff, the compacted ash that forms these peaks.  There is no definite answer to the thousands-feet thickness of this Cretaceous-age tuff.  Were these rocks below the Cat Mountain Tuff rafted from deeper levels by the rising magma?  Or, was this rock caused by a landslide in a caldera that had accumulated the tuff?  To make the geologic puzzle even more complicated, spreading of the Earth during Basin and Range faulting makes the geologist's task of identifying the age relationship of the rocks more difficult.

Cat Mountain from Explorer Trail on its north side.  We went up low saddle to the left of the summit block to gain lower ridge.

From our vantage point on the Explorer trail, we could see the gentler rise of Cat Mountain's east ridge. The three-trail intersection (Starr Pass, Explorer and Sarasota) is well-marked as are other intersections in this well-cared-for park.  We continued on the Explorer trail for 0.6 miles until we saw a manageable route to the ridge, leaving it earlier than the standard cairned route (1.0 miles past 3-way junction), making our own path.  A sea of detached teddy bear cholla branches, those little mobile yellow ovals armored with extremely sharp spines made us pick our footsteps carefully.  However, I wasn't careful enough; one jumped up and stuck my pant leg to my calf.  I remembered a hike many years ago when we used a metal comb to remove a cholla piece from a dog's leg.  Scott and Fred somehow got the prickly thing off me and we resumed our cross-country hike with no serious injury except for a few red spots on my skin.

​The day grew colder and cloudier.  The broken dark red and tan rocks deposited on the slopes from the tuff cliffs above crunched under our boots.  The occasional cactus spine scraped against our packs and in some cases grabbed on.  

After getting off Explorer, we looked for the best way up.  Rocks formed a natural staircase.  Four or five Coues Whitetail deer perched far above on steep cliffs stopped to watch us, curious at three humans stumbling through the cacti.   The ridge walk was straightforward and it felt good to follow its natural route and rhythm, using hands when needed.  We came upon cairns marking the final ascent to the summit and a complete change of view of the open sky and the sprawl of Tucson far below us.  There's just one Class 3 crack with mild exposure to navigate, with just enough ledges to place feet and hands.  Frequent rock cairns mark an obvious path.

Every ridge scramble, every summit has its own unique personality.  The scramble up Cat Mountain's east ridge is challenging yet not scary, exposed but safe, with the right amount of rocks and cactus gardens making it aesthetically friendly.  You're never bored with looking at saguaros and chollas because with each one, there is a different size or form.  This summit has one very unusual feature - a plastic white boulder that houses a radio repeater.  Looking at Cat Mountain from Tucson area, you would not suspect the spacious flat areas on its summit.  A steady cold  wind cut short our time lounging on the top, but we got a good look at Golden Gate Mountain to the northwest and the steep drop-off to the south.

As we walked down, the clouds closed again, the temperature dropped, and the wind chilled.  We hiked back via Sarasota Trail at the three-way intersection.  We added another summit to our "three friends who like to hike" resume', and more stories for reminiscing.  This will go down in the books as one of our more mellow hikes together.  Never stop climbing mountains!

With a second try, we made it to the lonesome summit of Elephant Head in the sparsely traveled Santa Rita Mountains, south of Tucson.

Related:  Tucson Mountains Tour:  Golden Gate Mountain, Bobcat Ridge, and Little Cat Mountain
                      Desert Plants
​                      Cat Mountain, 3,852' - Tucson Mountain Park

This elevation is too high and cool for saguaros to grow.  This hike travels through the transition between desert grassland and oak grassland biomes of Arizona's Sky Island region.  The ocotillo "forests" are remarkable and so are the mature Santa Rita Prickly Pears; they tolerate the cooler winters. Their pads can turn purple during the winter.

​So many things make this a repeat-hike in the future:  solitude, desert wilderness, route-finding, fun Class 2-3 climbing, and views.  Plans:  Elephant Head Peak plus Little Elephant Head (Peak 5,149').

References
An Archipelago in a Cordilleran Gap - The Sky Islands of Arizona and Sonora.  Brusca, R., Moore, W.                                     
https://www.rickbrusca.com/http___www.rickbrusca.com_index.html/The_Sky_Islands.html

Ganesha:  Hindu Diety.  Doniger, W.  Encyclopaedia Britannica.  https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ganesha

Geologic Map of the Mt. Wrightson Quadrangle.  https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Prodesc/proddesc_9405.htm

Mesozoic Stratigraphy of the Santa Rita Mountains, Southeast of Tucson, Arizona.  Drewes, H. 1971.  https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0658c/report.pdf

​​Plutonic Rocks of the Santa Rita Mountains, Southeast of Tucson, Arizona.  Drewes, H.  1976.  Geological Survey Professional Paper 915.  https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0915/report.pdf

Quantrell Mine Trail.  Coronado National Forest.  U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service.  
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coronado/recreation/recarea/?recid=25770&actid=50

Golden Gate Mountain
At the Yetman trailhead, we set out to discover a new area with hike directions from Earthline.  At the saddle between Golden Gate Mountain and Bren's Benchmark, 0.4 miles from the trailhead, we oriented ourselves and looked southeast to mountain summits, not yet knowing which ones we would be climbing.  We took a right 0.1 miles past the saddle at the cairned trail that gains the Golden Gate through a break between cliffs, and began our climb to Golden Gate Mountain, our highest summit at 4,288 feet (see photo below).

The golden color of the rocks perhaps gave this peak its name.  Cat Mountain Tuff, a thick layer of consolidated ash, makes up the bulk of these peaks.
​
Tucson Mountain Chaos is the term given by geologists to the rocks that underlie the Cat Mountain Tuff, seen in the valleys.  There is no definite answer to the thousands-feet thickness of this Cretaceous-age tuff.  Were these rocks below the Cat Mountain Tuff rafted from deeper levels by the rising magma?  Or, was this rock caused by a landslide in a caldera that had accumulated the tuff?  Of course, when you throw in the geometry of faulting that occurred later when Basin and Range was spreading, it makes the geologist's task of identifying the age relationship of the rocks more difficult.

Dodging teddy bear chollas and barrel cactus spines, we marveled at a rare cristate saguaro thrusting up from a steep, south-facing slope under orange cliffs.  Theories for the abnormal crest growth range from genetic mutations to lightning strikes.  The trail threads between welded tuff towers and tops out, weaves to the left following cairns to the summit.  Tucson spreads below, mountain ranges surround on the horizon.  Below us, a white cloud moved across the valley and swept over us, briefly covering the peak with fog that created a rare, softly illuminated desert scene.  Light rain produced vivid oranges, yellows and greens.  Return to Yetman Trail via the same path.

References:
Lipman, P.W.  1994.  Tucson Mountains Caldera:  A Cretaceous Ash Flow Caldera in Southern Arizona.  USGS Research on Mineral Resources 1994:  Part B, Guidebook for Field Trips.  U.S. Geological Survey.

​Tucson Mountains Geology:  Complex and Controversial.

Lipman, P.W.  Geologic Map of the Tucson Mountains Caldera, Southern Arizona.

Tucson Mountain Chaos.  Arizona State Geology: Blog of the State Geologist of Arizona.  Retrieved from internet. ​http://arizonageology.blogspot.com/2009/04/tucson-mountain-chaos.html

One of Idaho's greatest assets is the ability to find forest solitude in a short amount of time.  After an hour's drive north from Boise, we started our walk on the Station Creek Trail in the Boise National Forest's 2.5 million acres, weaving through a Ponderosa pine forest to a ridge with a view of Bald Mountain.  The summit feels grander than its relatively low elevation would suggest.   It stands high above Little Anderson Creek to the north, and Poorman Creek to the south, with views of snow-dusted Salmon River Mountains to the northeast.  Everything is good on this adventure - beautiful drive, challenging grade on a relatively short distance with great views.

"Poorman" is engraved on Bald Mountain's summit benchmark, a triangulation station established by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1933.   The History of the Boise National Forest - 1905-1976, an informative document, covers many subjects from the area's Native Americans, to the creation and administration of the Boise National Forest, its resources and its settlement.  The Sawtooth Forest Reserve was created in 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt.  A combination of the west portion of this reserve and the 1.5-million acre Payette Forest Reserve created the Boise National Forest July 1, 1908.  Idaho is one of the top states that has a large percentage of publicly-owned lands - 62% of it under federal jurisdiction of BLM and Forest Service.  This does not include state-owned land.

The Payette River was named after Francois Payette, a French-Canadian Hudson Bay Company fur trapper who explored southwestern Idaho.  Bald Mountain is tucked in between the main waterways of North Fork and South Fork of Payette River.

Access the Station Creek trailhead just off the Banks-Lowman Highway, right across from Garden City Ranger Station and heliport, past Mile 12 and Boise National Forest sign.  The trail treks north as it follows Station Creek, crosses it at 0.8 miles, then climbs the ridge that separates Station Creek and Poorman Creek.  At mile 2.6, this ridge tops out at Point 4,772 with bare-topped Bald Mountain in full view.

From point 4,772, hike 1.2 miles east/southeast to Bald Mountain's summit past some exposed granite outcrops.  The trail becomes less defined as it traverses across the top of the watershed for Little Anderson Creek, then through a tall shady stand of Ponderosa pines.  The trail then climbs the steep, open and grassy western slope to Bald Mountain's granite summit surrounded by the fall hues of red, yellow and orange senescent buckwheat and lomatium flowers.  

Bald Mountain stands above Garden Valley to the west and deep South Fork of the Payette River to the south and the snow-dusted  Salmon River Mountains to the north.  For a peak close to home, it feels and looks like wilderness - a quick nature fix.

An iron stand bolted into cement on the summit looks like it might have supported something, or is merely a marker.  I was unable to find information on this and the origin of the word "Poorman", although it could be in reference to previous mining activity.

Many Ponderosa pine trunks are blackened from the 18,000-acre West Anderson fire that occurred due to a lightning strike in August of 1986.  Four firefighters from New Mexico died when their truck tumbled down a dry creek bed near Crouch as they were driving from their fire camp.  Map of Boise National Forest fire history.

In the spring, this trail is bright with wildflowers, but autumn produces muted colors and textures, just as beautiful.  There are two loops that can be hiked instead of summiting Bald Mountain (Stueby's Outdoor Journal).  

Related:  Miner Lake - Smoky Mountains, Idaho

Our Hike:
Norton Peak became somewhat of a "grudge peak" after a failed attempt to summit it two years ago when a September storm left heavy snow and we got only as far as Miner Lake.  Even without snow, the trail was reportedly faint, so we decided not to continue on to the summit not knowing where it was in 1-2 feet of snow.   The contrast of fresh snow surrounding a green lake and thickly layering late summer's green vegetation was memorable (Miner Lake post).  

Norton Peak, the third highest point in Idaho's Smoky Mountains is a great hike for so many reasons:  there's a potential of seeing mountain goats, there are few people on the trails, its meadows and streams are beautiful, its summits are challenging Class 2 scrambles, and you have the opportunity to celebrate in Ketchum afterward with great food, drink, and fun.  The best of both worlds - that's why we love Ketchum.  Across the valley to the northeast you get a great perspective of the entire Boulder Mountain range and emerald lakes.  Both sides of the ridge as you approach the summit drop down steeply, so there is a feeling of walking on top of the range. 

Perhaps the Smokys are over-shadowed by the more famous and extolled Sawtooth Mountains just to their north, and as a result, there are less visitors.  I was pleasantly surprised at their beauty and solitude.  We have seen mountain bikers and horse-riders on this trail, as well as motorbike riders on Trail #134 to Prairie Lakes, so it is an area that is enjoyed by various modes of transportation.  Trail #135 to Miner Lake prohibits motor vehicles.

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area was created in 1972 by Congress as a result of national protests over the development of a proposed molybdenum mine with roads and an open pit at the base of Castle Peak, the highest in the White Cloud Mountains.  The law established the SNRA, covering 756,000 acres and banned mining.  Norton Peak and Prairie Creek trailhead are near the southern border of the SNRA.

Trailhead (7,500') to Miner Lake (8,776')
After spending the night in Wood River Campground, north of Ketchum, we drove to the Prairie Creek trailhead, happy that we had a clear day ahead of us. The morning was crisp as we made our way through a frosted and shaded forest - temperature 37 degrees.  The first 2.3 miles on Trail #134 is a level hike along Prairie Creek through shade, except for a large meadow where steep eastern talus slopes caused by faulting are revealed.  Prairie creek riffles over rocks making small waterfalls, even in September.  Take the less-traveled Trail #135 to Miner Lake at the intersection.  It will soon come to Prairie Creek with a wide crossing under large firs and pines.

After crossing Prairie creek at 7,640' elevation, climb 1.8 miles to Miner Lake at 8,780', making a 1,140' gain.  The trail crosses over the creek running through Miner Canyon, then climbs up to overlook the deep canyon far below to the east with at least one waterfall.  A few steep pitches up this part, then the trail crosses the point where an open meadow meets with the mouth of the canyon, and it emerges from the trees for the first view of Norton Peak to the southeast.

It was here that our walk in the snow two years ago became unforgettably beautiful.  Steep, gray talus slopes tumble down a U-shaped valley.  Firs and pines tower as you head south toward Miner Lake.  A few small crossings over the creek draining Miner Lake, a silent and pine-needle padded walk on level ground past some well-kept campsites, and you are at the edge of a steep-walled green lake.   What a difference 1,140 feet of elevation can make!

A photo below of our Miner Lake trip in the snow two years ago....

Walking through the shaded forest, a small bright light ahead slowly becomes more prominent, and as you emerge from the shade to the open shore, one by one the features of this beautiful lake come into focus.  Dense stands of fir from the ridge overlooking the lake curve down to water's edge, interspersed with the raw, bare rock and talus slopes of the Idaho batholith.  Bleached tree trunks lie horizontally, surrounded by reflections.  But it's the jade green color that is so striking.  On this morning, the lake is perfectly still, with nothing to disturb its glassy surface.

Miner Lake to Norton Peak 
Return to Trail #135 on the east side of the lake to follow tree blazes marking the trail and traverse steeply through switchbacks of alternating tree stands and rocks.  We reached the saddle, coming out of the shade of Miner Lake's cirque wall to full sunlight and a view of Norton Lakes on the other side to the southeast.  From the saddle, take a left off Trail #135 (north/northwest),  and head up a narrow, but well-defined trail to Norton Peak's south ridge.  Trail #135 continues over the saddle and descends to Norton Lakes and ultimately to the Baker Creek trailhead.  Although I had read that this was one of the best places in Idaho to see mountain goats, we saw none.  We saw three other people on the summit that had hiked up from Norton Lakes.

A defined trail leads to the "sawtooth" rocks where there is mild-moderate exposure on the ridge.  A three-foot tall wooden structure with "10,336" carved on it lies on its side at the summit, along with the peak register.  The most striking view is that of the Boulder Mountains to the northeast, where a long hike will take you to the interesting remnants of the Golden Glow mine and the Boulder Historic Site, where galena ore (AKA lead sulfide) was mined.

Supposedly the Smokys got their name from frequent forest fire smoke in the region.  

On the summit, we had time to sign the register, identify the surrounding mountain ranges, and celebrate;  Norton was no longer a grudge peak!  I spotted an interesting rock between the saddle and the ridge that looked like limestone.  After research of the rock layers in the Smokys, I thought the rock was a sandy limestone of the Wood River Formation of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks.  This was confirmed by a geologist at the Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology.  This rock exhibits calcite crystals (Geology and Mining History of Idaho's Smoky Mountains).

On the way down, we got a good look at Norton Lakes on the other side of the saddle.  The next hike to Norton Peak will be via these lakes and Baker Creek trailhead.  So much to explore, so little time!

We celebrated in Ketchum with a juicy rib-eye, a whiskey sour (for me) and a Manhattan (for Fred).  Life is good here in Idaho.  I think I will stay awhile.

References:

Wutz, Katherine. 2010. In Late 1800's, Mining was King:  Remnants of Silver Boom dot the Wood River Valley. Idaho Mountain Express.  (Internet).

​USDA Forest Service - Sawtooth National Recreation Area

Structural and Stratigraphic Transect of South-Central Idaho: A Field Guide to the Lost River, White Knob, Pioneer, Boulder, and Smoky Mountains.  citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.731.8163&rep=rep1&type=pdf

​Additional references on Geology and Mining History of Idaho's Smoky Mountains page.

Once you complete the steep and tedious climb out of the gulley from Alpine Lake, and descend into the basin that contains Upper Redfish Lakes, it feels like true wilderness with negligible signs of human impact.  The first two lakes are visible below.  A narrow trail follows the wide granite outcropping situated between two lakes.  The morning colors of blues, yellows and greens were vivid on the lake as we filtered water.  The land is pristine, the large smooth white rocks still cool from the night before.  Due south of the second Upper Redfish Lake is Lake Kathryn, considered the third Upper Redfish Lake, situated on the other side of the cirque's ridge.  Lake Kathryn is a beautiful lake, deep blue with a small island in the middle.

​Lake Kathryn is named after Kathryn Mills, according to Iowa State University's archives of the Vandervelde Family Papers. This fact leads me to consider whether Kathryn Mills was associated with the Iowa Mountaineers, a group important to the Sawtooth Mountains' climbing history.  This group led mountain ascents all over the world from 1940 until 1996.  The Iowa Mountaineers claimed first-time ascents of 18 peaks in the Sawtooth Mountains in 1940's, including Warbonnet Peak in 1947, a challenging sheer-wall spire where all routes to the top are Class 5 climbing.  Lake Kathryn is located ~ 5 miles southeast of Warbonnet Peak, and at the base of Reward Peak.

It feels like the top of the Sawtooth Mountains here, with distant serrated dark peaks lining a 360- degree horizon; however Thompson Peak, the highest Sawtooth peak to the north is almost 700 feet higher.  Packrat Lake sits in a deep basin to the north.  The view is so spectacular I think of Lucy Jane Bledsoe's quote from her book, The Ice Cave:

The descent is not too difficult - just a lot of picking through boulders until you reach the forest and meadows surrounding Upper Redfish Lakes.  Not in a rush to get back to camp, we took a long break sitting in the soft meadow grass as we listened to the melodic stream.  Mellowed and relaxed, we took another break on the large polished granite outcrops that separate the Upper Redfish Lakes.

When climbing steeply out of Upper Redfish Lakes basin, the saddle and gulley overlooking Alpine Lake is toward the right (northeast), just left of the furthest point to the right on the ridge as you climb - Point 9337.  From below, it is difficult to get bearings because you can't see the top.  Once on the saddle, the lowest point on the ridge above, the gulley down to Alpine Lake is steep and tedious, rocks slide as you step down, and the large boulders at the bottom take some navigation unless you can circumvent these and stay higher on the gulley slope.  We heard a pika chirping its alarm as we clumsily made our way down.

The gulley ends in a beautiful meadow, where we hiked steeply down, back to camp.  The two ducks on the lake quacked and paddled toward each other as dusk settled in.  We were in our sleeping bags before twilight.  The glow in the tent awoke me again, I checked the mountains above the lake.  They weren't as spectacularly lit as the previous night; the moon not as high yet, but still a memorable sight.  Commit the scene to memory.  Never stop climbing mountains.

References:
Lopez, Tom.  Idaho:  A Climbing Guide - Climbs, Scrambles and Hikes.  2000.  The Mountaineers Books.

Vandervelde Family Papers.  Iowa State University.

Related:  Sawtooth Wilderness:  Upper Redfish Lake Cross Country Hike
​                     Goat Mountain:  11,913':  Pioneer Mountains, Idaho

"You Should Never Stop Climbing Mountains", Andy Rooney proclaimed in one of his commentaries from the television show 60 minutes.  Many years ago, my sister sent me a written copy of this excerpt along with photos of my hiking adventures neatly arranged in two connected frames.  I still have it displayed along with other old hiking photos.  In this segment, Rooney describes how he climbed Pilot Knob Mountain behind his cottage on Lake George in New York 4 or 5 times each summer during his childhood, and later climbed it with his kids.  One day, he came across old photos of he and his kids on top of Pilot Knob,  and it occurred to him that he had stopped climbing mountains, just like he had stopped doing "...a half a dozen things."  He tells a few stories of some of his memories on this mountain and then sums up his commentary with "I may never climb Pilot Knob again.  I never should have stopped."

Our Hike
The first part of the trail is a pleasant and easy climb along Iron Creek with its gentle melodic waterfalls through pines, firs and green understory.  The tread is soft and dusty and the forest fragrant.  Near the intersection with the trail to Alpine Lake,  Alpine Peak rises 2,000 feet over the lake's cirque to the south.  As the trail switch-backs out of the forest, views open, becoming more stunning with each step.  To the northeast, a perfectly U-shaped thickly forested valley carved by glaciers from the Little Ice Age extends below.  After reaching Sawtooth Lake, the real feel for this terrain and its breathtaking views become apparent with the steep and rocky Class 2-3 climb to the summit.

​Mile 0  to  Mile 3.5 at intersection of trail to Alpine Lake 
8:15 a.m:  We obtained our Sawtooth Wilderness permit at the trailhead kiosk.  It was a bit early for John, but Val, Fred and I were excited about the hike and ready to go.  This section gains 1,200 feet, crossing over Iron Creek as it approaches Alpine Lake, a perfect mirror of the clouds above.  On the way to Alpine Lake turnoff, pass two trail intersections.  An old, classic wooden trail sign, splitting through the middle, indicates the way to Stanley Lake.  An intersection before that indicates Trail #528 to Marshall Lakes (this trail goes to Goat Lake, an excellent hike).  Crossing over the creek before the switchbacks up to Alpine Lake must be interesting in the late spring with the increased run-off of that cold, crystal clear water.