Great Western Trail through Utah

[Artemus]

Cody, I just stumbled upon this thread and have to ask, what time of June did you do that first or "central" leg?

Wasatch, (I wish I would have thought of that name first dang-it )

As a fellow admirer of @Cody and the GWT traverse I say you GO boy. Let me know when you are finishing and I will try and meet you here at my home near Summit Park with a beverage and vitamin I.

Here is a valuable resource to assess current and historical snowpack all over the Wasatch and the country for that matter. It is a NOAA site that has as its underlying data a snow model supplied with actual conditions on the ground using human measurements and snotel sites, satellite imagery of the snowpack and then forecasts 5 days into the future using the weather forecast. Most importantly you can compare current snowpack to the average and then observe any time in the past. A gem. Recommended. No, invaluable.
http://goo.gl/o0E4Fz

 

[WasatchWill]

Thanks Lang! You know...I remember looking at that NOHRS site for a King's Peak trip last year and forgot all about it. It's bookmarked now. Great resource indeed!

 

[Cody]

Cody, I just stumbled upon this thread and have to ask, what time of June did you do that first or "central" leg? I ask because I'm planning a trip from here in Provo up to Summit Park in Parley's Canyon where my in-laws live this year. I had originally penned the first week of June so as to assure more flowing springs and cooler temperatures along the way but I'd also like to have Catherine Pass and the Brighton lakes area mostly clear of snow. In looking at Google Earth's June 2013 images, that area looked like it was still pretty covered at that time last year so now I'm looking at early July.

Terrific trip report & pics by the way. How's the progress coming on your goal to complete the rest of the GWT sections?

That section was June 23-26, 2012. The only snow I recall crossing was in the vicinity of Desolation, Porter Fork, and Mt Raymond and it was very very little. There may have been a little near Catherine Pass. Great section of trail. I'm especially fond of the southern half: Baldy, Chris Flat, Sagebrush Flat, Julie Andrews Meadow, the Ridge Trail, North Fork AF Canyon, the Ant Knolls, Catherine Pass. You'll have a great time! Even if snow lingers into June, the route should be passable and good water options all the way with a little advance planning.

My ambitions to knock out some Wasatch winter sections haven't played out (just yet). My next target is the Skyline Section north of Fairview. Have fun, and feel free to hit me up with any route questions!

 

[Cody]

Wasatch, (I wish I would have thought of that name first dang-it )


Here is a valuable resource to assess current and historical snowpack all over the Wasatch and the country for that matter. It is a NOAA site that has as its underlying data a snow model supplied with actual conditions on the ground using human measurements and snotel sites, satellite imagery of the snowpack and then forecasts 5 days into the future using the weather forecast. Most importantly you can compare current snowpack to the average and then observer any time in the past. A gem. Recommended. No, invaluable.
http://goo.gl/o0E4Fz

Handy site, Art! Thanks for the tip.

 

[TannerT]

This trip is awesome. Have do you plan to finish going south. It seems to me that there won't be very many reliable water sources?

 

[WasatchWill]

I'm especially fond of the southern half: Baldy, Chris Flat, Sagebrush Flat, Julie Andrews Meadow, the Ridge Trail, North Fork AF Canyon, the Ant Knolls, Catherine Pass.

That will all be part of my route and I'm really looking forward to that stretch. I'll be walking out my door to catch the BST at Slate Canyon to Rock Canyon, then up Rock and down into Provo Canyon where I'll catch the BST/GST again near Bridal Veil and take it up along the West side of Timp, around the north side of Timp, up the Ridge Trail, over Catherine, through Brighton, then to Murdock Peak, and finally from there straight up and into Summit Park.

It's that last stretch between Murdock Peak and Summit Park that doesn't show any official trail. I know that the GWT can be taken around the other side of Murdock Peak and up through Lambs Canyon but that'd take me too far west.

According to Google Earth/Maps though, it appears there is a trail with no name that can be picked up near the northeastern base of Murdock Peak and taken into Toll Canyon where I can then connect over to a trail that will pretty much take me right into the back "yard" of my in-laws who live near the top of Summit Park. There, I expect my wife and kids will await me, hopefully with plenty a refreshment.

Soon as the snow melts out of that area, I'll be day hiking from my in-laws up through Toll Canyon to scout out and confirm a route between there and Murdock Peak.

In fact, here's a link to the route I have planned. http://caltopo.com/map?id=0P6S

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[Artemus]

Wasatch, from Summit Park to Murdock is relatively straight forward, and indeed it is all the way to Guardsman's Pass near the top of BCC. Look me up for one your training hikes from Summit Park and I will hike with you. That's my back yard. You are in luck. Toll Canyon used to be private property and we (the community) just bought it to preserve the environment and the open space.

 

[steve]

I'll be walking out my door to catch the BST at Slate Canyon to Rock Canyon, then up Rock and down into Provo Canyon where I'll catch the BST/GST again near Bridal Veil and take it up along the West side of Timp, around the north side of Timp, up the Ridge Trail, over Catherine, through Brighton, then to Murdock Peak, and finally from there straight up and into Summit Park.

That sounds like a fun route.

 

[Bret(@runxc1)]

I have been looking into the Great Western Trail and this thread has given me a lot of ideas. Does anyone here happen to have a GPX file that covers the entire Utah section of the trail?

 

[Artemus]

I have been looking into the Great Western Trail and this thread has given me a lot of ideas. Does anyone here happen to have a GPX file that covers the entire Utah section of the trail?

I would love to see that too. In fact, I'd love to see the whole thing as it is laid out on a map as a GPX or whatever...

 

[LarryBoy]

I would love to see that too. In fact, I'd love to see the whole thing as it is laid out on a map as a GPX or whatever...

Third. GWT would make a cool way to connect the AZT and the ICT.

 

[regehr]

Is there a definitive resource for the GWT? I was expecting a good book or web site or something but there doesn't seem to be that much out there unless I've just missed it.

 

[Perry]

http://gwt.org/


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[regehr]

http://gwt.org/

The Utah section has no content, am I missing something? And is this site hosted over someone's modem??

 

[Perry]

It’s funny. That’s a reference from Wikipedia


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[Perry]

This guy has done the GWT from the Idaho border to Big Mountain Pass as part of his Footslog Project. Maybe he might have some data...

https://www.youtube.com/user/RUTired


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[Perry]

Had to watch one of his videos. In the credits he lists this URL to his track http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6384954

 

[regehr]

Thanks Cuberant!

 

[Perry]

Some more (Dang! I need to stop watching all these videos and get something done!)
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6804191
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6804198

 

[WasatchWill]

Wow...reviewing this thread where I said I was looking at going from Provo to Summit Park, I ended up doing it in reverse. Sorry @Artemus, I'll have to take a rain check on that offer.