- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 4,119
Go west young man. So west is where I headed on my 61st birthday to summit Deseret Peak in the Stansbury Range. The range is located between the Tooele Valley on the east, and Skull Valley to the west.
My old hiking partner Katie decided to tag along on this one along with friends Jon and Amy who have joined me on previous birthday hikes in the past.
It's about and hour and fifteen minute drive to the trailhead from my house, so Katie and I left at 5:45 am to meet up with Jon and Amy at 7:00 am. With it forecast to reach 100 degrees in the valleys, we were hoping it would be cooler up top.
I've summitted Deseret twice before, but I had only done an out and back on those two hikes, but this time we were going to complete a lollipop loop hike in order to take in some new scenery on our way down.
The wildflowers, while not as nice as my previous two hikes: Mount Aire and Gobblers Knob, they still had some moments on this one.
Overview map
Deseret Peak and the Stansbury Range in the distance on our drive to the trailhead
Deseret Peak falls within the Deseret Peak Wilderness
Two of three deer that we saw on this hike. I wasn't quick enough to get a shot of the third one.
Plenty of aspen on this hike
A chipmunk
We'll be heading up South Willow Creek
Tall larkspur
Breaking out of the trees for some views
Columbine
Few-flowered pea
Lupine
Hound's tongue
We'll be switching back up the ridge ahead
Penstemon
Paintbrush
Heart-leafed arnica
View back down from where we came
Unnamed peaks 10,685 and 10,521 come into view to the north
Not the best shot, but this was one of eight grouse that we saw - a record for me on one hike
Katie, on the switchbacks that lead to the top of the ridge
Signpost at the top of the ridge
Monument plant with a bumblebee in flight
More up
The city of Tooele to the east
Dugway Range in the distance
Jon and Amy, tearing up the pea patch with unnamed subpeak 10,674
Paintbrush
Looking south along the range
Final push to the top
A view down Dry Lake Fork
Stansbury Island to the north
View down into Skull Valley with the Cedar Range beyond
Summit shot
Wide angle shot to the north
Wide angle shot to the northeast
Wide angle shot to the south
Wide angle shot to the west
Starting our descent
Jon and the northern end of the Stansbury Range
Cushion phlox
View down into Big Creek Canyon
Another grouse
Hooker's onion
Some stonecrop
Looking back up at the summit of Deseret Peak
View down into Pockets Fork
A bumblebee on some rock goldenrod
Wild buckwheat
Sego Lily
Look at all the buckwheat as we descend down Pockets Fork
Trail junction sign
Deseret Peak as we round the corner into Dry Lake Fork
Pink and yellow monkey flowers
Monkshood
An admiral butterfly
Closing off the lollipop loop
Leaving the wilderness
Back at the Subes.
Leaving the forest.
The End.
My old hiking partner Katie decided to tag along on this one along with friends Jon and Amy who have joined me on previous birthday hikes in the past.
It's about and hour and fifteen minute drive to the trailhead from my house, so Katie and I left at 5:45 am to meet up with Jon and Amy at 7:00 am. With it forecast to reach 100 degrees in the valleys, we were hoping it would be cooler up top.
I've summitted Deseret twice before, but I had only done an out and back on those two hikes, but this time we were going to complete a lollipop loop hike in order to take in some new scenery on our way down.
The wildflowers, while not as nice as my previous two hikes: Mount Aire and Gobblers Knob, they still had some moments on this one.
Overview map
Deseret Peak and the Stansbury Range in the distance on our drive to the trailhead
Deseret Peak falls within the Deseret Peak Wilderness
Two of three deer that we saw on this hike. I wasn't quick enough to get a shot of the third one.
Plenty of aspen on this hike
A chipmunk
We'll be heading up South Willow Creek
Tall larkspur
Breaking out of the trees for some views
Columbine
Few-flowered pea
Lupine
Hound's tongue
We'll be switching back up the ridge ahead
Penstemon
Paintbrush
Heart-leafed arnica
View back down from where we came
Unnamed peaks 10,685 and 10,521 come into view to the north
Not the best shot, but this was one of eight grouse that we saw - a record for me on one hike
Katie, on the switchbacks that lead to the top of the ridge
Signpost at the top of the ridge
Monument plant with a bumblebee in flight
More up
The city of Tooele to the east
Dugway Range in the distance
Jon and Amy, tearing up the pea patch with unnamed subpeak 10,674
Paintbrush
Looking south along the range
Final push to the top
A view down Dry Lake Fork
Stansbury Island to the north
View down into Skull Valley with the Cedar Range beyond
Summit shot
Wide angle shot to the north
Wide angle shot to the northeast
Wide angle shot to the south
Wide angle shot to the west
Starting our descent
Jon and the northern end of the Stansbury Range
Cushion phlox
View down into Big Creek Canyon
Another grouse
Hooker's onion
Some stonecrop
Looking back up at the summit of Deseret Peak
View down into Pockets Fork
A bumblebee on some rock goldenrod
Wild buckwheat
Sego Lily
Look at all the buckwheat as we descend down Pockets Fork
Trail junction sign
Deseret Peak as we round the corner into Dry Lake Fork
Pink and yellow monkey flowers
Monkshood
An admiral butterfly
Closing off the lollipop loop
Leaving the wilderness
Back at the Subes.
Leaving the forest.
The End.
