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- Dec 23, 2013
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Yesterday, my family embarked on a 10.5 mile lollipop loop hike that began at the Grandeur Peak Trailhead in Millcreek Canyon. We first summited Grandeur Peak, and once on top we stopped for a quick snack and some picture taking. We then took the trail back off the summit until it married up with the Millcreek Ridge. At that point, we made our way east, off-trail along the ridge to Church Fork Peak. We enjoyed a late lunch by the summit cairn on Church Fork, and then continued east along the ridgeline until we reached upper Burch Hollow. After a quick descent down the Burch Hollow Trail, we met up with the Pipeline Trail and headed west, back to the Grandeur Peak Trail to complete the loop.
This was easily the most crowded I have ever seen the trail up to the summit of Grandeur. Of course, along the way, I was stopping to take photos of all the wonderful wildflowers along the trail. Our experience hiking east along the Millcreek Ridge was the complete opposite of the Grandeur Trail, as we saw no one. We wouldn't see another person until we left the Burch Hallow Trail and started heading back towards Grandeur on the Pipeline Trail.
The route along the ridge took us some time, and there was some unavoidable bushwhacking through scrub oak at times, even a little bit of route finding to try and avoid the worst of the scrub oak was called for. And of course the wildflowers were abundant along the ridgeline too, just like they had been along the Grandeur Peak Trail.
Here's some shots of our hike.
Overview map of our hike
Millcreek
Had to walk from the road, through the picnic area to reach the official trailhead for Grandeur
A nice patch of Snake Grass, which looked better in person than it turned out in the above photo.
After gaining a little bit of elevation, Mount Olympus and Wildcat Ridge to our south begin to come into view
Geranium?
Woodland-star
Starwort
Wild Pea
Choke Cherry
Solomon's Seal
Arrowleafed Balsamroot
A look up at Grandeur Peak
Caterpillar nest - We ran into a lot of these on our hike
More wild pea
Wasatch Beardtongue
More beardtongue
Groundsel and Fernleaf Biscuitroot
Utah Serviceberry
More caterpillars
Working our way up the Grandeur Trail - slow going thanks to Scatman taking a lot of pictures.
View of the ridgeline, from the summit of Grandeur, that we will take on our way to Church Fork Peak
Grandeur summit shot
A lizard, just off the summit of Grandeur
Larkspur
On the Millcreek Ridge, looking back west at Grandeur Peak
View along the ridge to Church Fork Peak
More ridge views - looking east towards Church Fork Peak
Nice shot down Church Fork Drainage to the bottom of the canyon
Pretty typical of ridge hiking in the Wasatch
Common Storksbill
Prickly Pear
More ridge views
@Outdoor_Fool - need some help identifying
Scrub oak bushwhacking
Mountain Mahogany in bloom
Third straight weekend hike that I've seen horney lizards
Who chose to go this way! A nasty patch along the ridge.
Looking back at Grandeur and the portion of the ridge that we have hiked across thus far.
Aerial target on the ground
Aspen, just starting to get their leaves at roughly 8000 feet
More hills to make our way up along the ridge
Approaching the Church Fork Peak summit
The Millcreek Ridge, from Grandeur Peak to Church Fork Peak. Who are those stragglers heading up the ridge?
Church Fork summit shot
Church Fork Yurt - just off the summit
Goosefoot Violets on our way to Burch Hollow
Small-Flowered Blue-Eyed Mary
Upper Burch Hollow, our way back down, and Mount Aire to the east
A look down Burch Hollow to the bottom of the canyon
A look back up at the ridge we traversed from Church Fork Peak to Burch Hollow
Ball-head Waterleaf - this wildflower was everywhere along the Pipeline trail
Only about 1.6 miles to complete the loop and about 2 more miles to the Subaru.
A patch of phlox along the Pipeline Trail
Grandeur Peak - the last summit to the west along the ridgeline, and a look down Millcreek Canyon
Nice little waterfall on Church Fork
Back at the Sube.
The End.
This was easily the most crowded I have ever seen the trail up to the summit of Grandeur. Of course, along the way, I was stopping to take photos of all the wonderful wildflowers along the trail. Our experience hiking east along the Millcreek Ridge was the complete opposite of the Grandeur Trail, as we saw no one. We wouldn't see another person until we left the Burch Hallow Trail and started heading back towards Grandeur on the Pipeline Trail.
The route along the ridge took us some time, and there was some unavoidable bushwhacking through scrub oak at times, even a little bit of route finding to try and avoid the worst of the scrub oak was called for. And of course the wildflowers were abundant along the ridgeline too, just like they had been along the Grandeur Peak Trail.
Here's some shots of our hike.
Overview map of our hike
Millcreek
Had to walk from the road, through the picnic area to reach the official trailhead for Grandeur
A nice patch of Snake Grass, which looked better in person than it turned out in the above photo.
After gaining a little bit of elevation, Mount Olympus and Wildcat Ridge to our south begin to come into view
Geranium?
Woodland-star
Starwort
Wild Pea
Choke Cherry
Solomon's Seal
Arrowleafed Balsamroot
A look up at Grandeur Peak
Caterpillar nest - We ran into a lot of these on our hike
More wild pea
Wasatch Beardtongue
More beardtongue
Groundsel and Fernleaf Biscuitroot
Utah Serviceberry
More caterpillars
Working our way up the Grandeur Trail - slow going thanks to Scatman taking a lot of pictures.
View of the ridgeline, from the summit of Grandeur, that we will take on our way to Church Fork Peak
Grandeur summit shot
A lizard, just off the summit of Grandeur
Larkspur
On the Millcreek Ridge, looking back west at Grandeur Peak
View along the ridge to Church Fork Peak
More ridge views - looking east towards Church Fork Peak
Nice shot down Church Fork Drainage to the bottom of the canyon
Pretty typical of ridge hiking in the Wasatch
Common Storksbill
Prickly Pear
More ridge views
@Outdoor_Fool - need some help identifying
Scrub oak bushwhacking
Mountain Mahogany in bloom
Third straight weekend hike that I've seen horney lizards
Who chose to go this way!
A nasty patch along the ridge. Looking back at Grandeur and the portion of the ridge that we have hiked across thus far.
Aerial target on the ground
Aspen, just starting to get their leaves at roughly 8000 feet
More hills to make our way up along the ridge
Approaching the Church Fork Peak summit
The Millcreek Ridge, from Grandeur Peak to Church Fork Peak. Who are those stragglers heading up the ridge?
Church Fork summit shot
Church Fork Yurt - just off the summit
Goosefoot Violets on our way to Burch Hollow
Small-Flowered Blue-Eyed Mary
Upper Burch Hollow, our way back down, and Mount Aire to the east
A look down Burch Hollow to the bottom of the canyon
A look back up at the ridge we traversed from Church Fork Peak to Burch Hollow
Ball-head Waterleaf - this wildflower was everywhere along the Pipeline trail
Only about 1.6 miles to complete the loop and about 2 more miles to the Subaru.
A patch of phlox along the Pipeline Trail
Grandeur Peak - the last summit to the west along the ridgeline, and a look down Millcreek Canyon
Nice little waterfall on Church Fork
Back at the Sube.
The End.
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