Thank you for commenting. I was kind of surprised to see you haven't climbed the Grand yet with all the places you've been, so I hope you get to do it. I noticed Timpanogos was your first climb ever. What a great introduction! It's one to easure all others by, in my opinion.
I've lived at the base of Timpanogos most of my life, so obviously I'm a bit baised, but I must say I agree with you whole-heartedly about the splendor of this mountain. You did a fantastic job capturing the wonder of Timp in your article. As you mentioned, the two main trails (Aspen Grove and Timpooneke) can get crowded in the summer (July and August), but if you explore off trail both in easy and challenging terrain, you'll find solitude and beauty. Also, if you pack crampons/axe and head out in winter, spring, or early summer, you'll find the mountain to be empty on most occasions. The crowds generally materialize when the two main trails are free of snow.
Two years ago I took friends from the mid-west up the Aspen Grove trail, and they were honestly overwhelmed with the scenery and the beauty of the environment. They had no idea such rugged, lush beauty existed.
On my personal website I have a Timpanogos page with many different routes and tons of photos from all seasons. There's some cool stuff, check it out here.
How lucky you are to live where you do! I just love visiting the SLC area. Yes, I know I got lucky in having the mountain to myself in the summer, but I hope to try it in other seasons, too, and Everest Ridge sounds awesome. I considered hiking up from Aspen Grove when I spent the night there this past Columbus Day Weekend, but I had to catch a 1:00 flight and didn't want to take the chance of missing it. I'm thinking of going back this October, though.
I will definitely check out your site. Thanks for your detailed comment!
This is Utah's finest mountain and this is an excellent tribute to it. My second choice would be Ibapah Peak and then Kings. Timp indeed rules and dominates the whole area and rightfully so. It is a beauty.
Thank you-- I'm glad it passed muster with someone of your experience, especially considering that you maintain the page for Timpanogos. I'd love to do Ibapah myself-- the remoteness of the area sings to me.
I made a mistake of first going up Timp on a Labor Day weekend when the BYU crowd unofficially continues the no-longer-legal tradition of mass ascent. Couldn't make myself to touch this mountain for years after this initial experience. It was a mall and a circus of a mountain. We could only park way up the road. There were lines at every obstacle. A few hundred people picniced around Emerald Lake, and there was nowhere to sit down for a snack within a hundred yards of the top. There were broken extremities and SAR with choppers and grannies comforting crying grandkids and blonds with cheeks turning spotty pink of exertion. We tried to escape the pandemonium by descending Timponeeke, and then had a long twilight run from there back to the car.
BTW my best-alpine-summit picks for Utah are White Baldy and Beulah.
Should I laugh or cry? From here, probably laugh, but had it happened to me, I think I'd cry. I can certainly see why you stayed away after that. And I will certainly take your advice. Had I experienced that, I doubt I'd have written this piece.
Is that now-illegal tradition the Timp Hike I read about in David Day's book? That's what I allude to when I mention the mountain was once nearly ruined.
I know of White Baldy, but not of Beulah. I'll check it out. Utah has several lifetimes' worth of incredible mountains.
It was a beautiful tradition at first, but the crowds grew and it really didn't fly with the wilderness designation and with the age of liability, so officially, it's long over.
Hey BSIHLER - BTW, I was introduced to US mountains in your home area, with the classics like Old Rag or White Oak, by old Cliff Noyes of Sierra. You know by any chance if the guy's still around? It must have been in mid-90s!
I did Timp once on labor day as well and it was a zoo as you indicated. They even had ham radio operators strategically placed to handle communications for the emergency situations.It was a mess. However, the other times I've been up the mountain, the crowds were not a problem and the key is to always do Timp on a weekday.
MOCKBA, I don't know Cliff, but his name is all over area hiking and outdoor groups here. If I have the right guy, his e-mail address is cliff.noyes@juno.com.
Timpanogos is one of my favorite mountains and one of the first ones I ever stood on top of. It has become a yearly trek to the top for me (spring snow climbs being my favorite) Very nice job on putting this article together. Good work!
Period. I love this mountain. One of the best views at any ski area is on the Great Western chair at Brighton - when you get up to the cat track just before the top, the entire eastern side of Timp comes into view from behind Snake Creek Pass. It is truly awe-inspiring. Thanks bhisler for recognizing one helluva mountain.
Thank you for your comments. I enjoyed a view similar to the one you describe when I hiked to Catherine Pass and from there on towards Sunset Peak, starting from Albion Basin.
By the way, I undid that new section on the Badlands page because I know I won't keep up with it the way I should. I did, though, make one of your shots the primary image for the page-- it's the one with the dark storm clouds and intense light-- and I'm still looking at ways to put others of yours in there, too. You're right in that you were in the right place at the right time, but not everyone could have captured those shots successfully.
I once climbed Timp on Labor Day. We left Aspen Grove at about 1:30 PM and summited around 5:00 or 6:00, lower down there were hundreds of people, but we got the summit and sunset to ourselves. My favorite part of the climb is when you get up to the pass and you can see the summit hut way up in the sky, it looks unreal. Early summer with crampons or ice axe is the best time in my opinion to climb Timp, especially coming from Timpooneke.
Scott - Feb 8, 2007 7:36 pm - Voted 10/10
Nice article.Timpanogos is my favorite mountain in the Rockies. Grant Teton is great too, but haven't climbed it yet.
Great article.
Bob Sihler - Feb 8, 2007 10:12 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice article.Thank you for commenting. I was kind of surprised to see you haven't climbed the Grand yet with all the places you've been, so I hope you get to do it. I noticed Timpanogos was your first climb ever. What a great introduction! It's one to easure all others by, in my opinion.
Augie Medina - Feb 8, 2007 7:38 pm - Voted 10/10
Very Nice Write-UpExcellent.
Bob Sihler - Feb 8, 2007 10:13 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Very Nice Write-UpThank you for reading and commenting.
marauders - Feb 8, 2007 8:49 pm - Voted 10/10
Great Article!I've lived at the base of Timpanogos most of my life, so obviously I'm a bit baised, but I must say I agree with you whole-heartedly about the splendor of this mountain. You did a fantastic job capturing the wonder of Timp in your article. As you mentioned, the two main trails (Aspen Grove and Timpooneke) can get crowded in the summer (July and August), but if you explore off trail both in easy and challenging terrain, you'll find solitude and beauty. Also, if you pack crampons/axe and head out in winter, spring, or early summer, you'll find the mountain to be empty on most occasions. The crowds generally materialize when the two main trails are free of snow.
Two years ago I took friends from the mid-west up the Aspen Grove trail, and they were honestly overwhelmed with the scenery and the beauty of the environment. They had no idea such rugged, lush beauty existed.
On my personal website I have a Timpanogos page with many different routes and tons of photos from all seasons. There's some cool stuff, check it out here.
Nice work!
Bob Sihler - Feb 8, 2007 10:18 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Great Article!How lucky you are to live where you do! I just love visiting the SLC area. Yes, I know I got lucky in having the mountain to myself in the summer, but I hope to try it in other seasons, too, and Everest Ridge sounds awesome. I considered hiking up from Aspen Grove when I spent the night there this past Columbus Day Weekend, but I had to catch a 1:00 flight and didn't want to take the chance of missing it. I'm thinking of going back this October, though.
I will definitely check out your site. Thanks for your detailed comment!
Bob Sihler - Feb 11, 2007 9:21 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Great Article!By the way, your website's awesome. It's like a smaller SP in some ways. Very nicely done, and informative.
marauders - Feb 18, 2007 9:25 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Great Article!Thanks. It's a hobby I really enjoy.
Dean - Feb 8, 2007 9:18 pm - Voted 10/10
You nailed it....This is Utah's finest mountain and this is an excellent tribute to it. My second choice would be Ibapah Peak and then Kings. Timp indeed rules and dominates the whole area and rightfully so. It is a beauty.
Bob Sihler - Feb 8, 2007 10:14 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: You nailed it....Thank you-- I'm glad it passed muster with someone of your experience, especially considering that you maintain the page for Timpanogos. I'd love to do Ibapah myself-- the remoteness of the area sings to me.
Dmitry Pruss - Feb 8, 2007 11:48 pm - Voted 10/10
Just don't go on a Labor Day weekend :)I made a mistake of first going up Timp on a Labor Day weekend when the BYU crowd unofficially continues the no-longer-legal tradition of mass ascent. Couldn't make myself to touch this mountain for years after this initial experience. It was a mall and a circus of a mountain. We could only park way up the road. There were lines at every obstacle. A few hundred people picniced around Emerald Lake, and there was nowhere to sit down for a snack within a hundred yards of the top. There were broken extremities and SAR with choppers and grannies comforting crying grandkids and blonds with cheeks turning spotty pink of exertion. We tried to escape the pandemonium by descending Timponeeke, and then had a long twilight run from there back to the car.
BTW my best-alpine-summit picks for Utah are White Baldy and Beulah.
Bob Sihler - Feb 9, 2007 12:22 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Just don't go on a Labor Day weekend :)Should I laugh or cry? From here, probably laugh, but had it happened to me, I think I'd cry. I can certainly see why you stayed away after that. And I will certainly take your advice. Had I experienced that, I doubt I'd have written this piece.
Is that now-illegal tradition the Timp Hike I read about in David Day's book? That's what I allude to when I mention the mountain was once nearly ruined.
I know of White Baldy, but not of Beulah. I'll check it out. Utah has several lifetimes' worth of incredible mountains.
Dmitry Pruss - Feb 9, 2007 12:45 am - Voted 10/10
BYU annualIt was a beautiful tradition at first, but the crowds grew and it really didn't fly with the wilderness designation and with the age of liability, so officially, it's long over.
Hey BSIHLER - BTW, I was introduced to US mountains in your home area, with the classics like Old Rag or White Oak, by old Cliff Noyes of Sierra. You know by any chance if the guy's still around? It must have been in mid-90s!
Dean - Feb 9, 2007 1:13 am - Voted 10/10
Re: BYU annualI did Timp once on labor day as well and it was a zoo as you indicated. They even had ham radio operators strategically placed to handle communications for the emergency situations.It was a mess. However, the other times I've been up the mountain, the crowds were not a problem and the key is to always do Timp on a weekday.
Bob Sihler - Feb 9, 2007 1:30 am - Hasn't voted
Re: BYU annualMOCKBA, I don't know Cliff, but his name is all over area hiking and outdoor groups here. If I have the right guy, his e-mail address is cliff.noyes@juno.com.
Travis Atwood - Feb 9, 2007 11:14 pm - Voted 10/10
Nice workTimpanogos is one of my favorite mountains and one of the first ones I ever stood on top of. It has become a yearly trek to the top for me (spring snow climbs being my favorite) Very nice job on putting this article together. Good work!
Bob Sihler - Feb 10, 2007 12:06 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice workThank you! You are so lucky to live where you do. Thank you for reading.
46and2 - Feb 10, 2007 5:49 am - Voted 10/10
Nothing Beats TimpPeriod. I love this mountain. One of the best views at any ski area is on the Great Western chair at Brighton - when you get up to the cat track just before the top, the entire eastern side of Timp comes into view from behind Snake Creek Pass. It is truly awe-inspiring. Thanks bhisler for recognizing one helluva mountain.
Bob Sihler - Feb 10, 2007 8:05 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Nothing Beats TimpThank you for your comments. I enjoyed a view similar to the one you describe when I hiked to Catherine Pass and from there on towards Sunset Peak, starting from Albion Basin.
By the way, I undid that new section on the Badlands page because I know I won't keep up with it the way I should. I did, though, make one of your shots the primary image for the page-- it's the one with the dark storm clouds and intense light-- and I'm still looking at ways to put others of yours in there, too. You're right in that you were in the right place at the right time, but not everyone could have captured those shots successfully.
madsjim - Feb 10, 2007 10:06 pm - Hasn't voted
ExcellentI once climbed Timp on Labor Day. We left Aspen Grove at about 1:30 PM and summited around 5:00 or 6:00, lower down there were hundreds of people, but we got the summit and sunset to ourselves. My favorite part of the climb is when you get up to the pass and you can see the summit hut way up in the sky, it looks unreal. Early summer with crampons or ice axe is the best time in my opinion to climb Timp, especially coming from Timpooneke.