Lady Mountain - 2014

Howells Outdoors

Adventure is my middle name...actually it's Keith.
Joined
Sep 26, 2012
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I never posted this on here, but I got to hike Lady Mountain this year with a group of friends from SUU. If you're thinking of hiking Lady Mountain, know that it was probably the most strenuous day hike I've ever done.
I have done many of the hikes in the park, but this one takes the cake for kicking my butt! I’m not ashamed to admit it. The hike was hard.
It’s over 2,600 ft. of elevation gain in 2 miles. I said gain, not change, but GAIN. Most of that is done in a mile stretch.
When it comes to difficult hikes in Zion, I rank them like this in terms of difficulty (1 being the easiest:
  1. Angels Landing
  2. Observation Point







  3. Lady Mountain
But it was well worth every step. That’s a major part of getting outdoors. You have to stretch yourself, get out of your comfort-zone and find the beautiful, memorable locations in the world.

Before I dive into philosophical moment, I hiked this in a $20 pair of shoes from Walmart I bought the morning of the trip. They worked really well, and my feet feel fine. “Quality products at an affordable price.” – Evan
IMG_6793.jpg


Back to the previous thought of getting out of your comfort-zone.
Most of the reason I try to take photos and write these posts isn’t to brag about the cool things I get to do or try to give directions to the best places to visit (if you want directions, use Google). I’m not a photographer, so I’m not trying to sell you my prints. Although…

I post about these places to show that there is so much to do outside. Many of which are right in town. For examples of those check out these posts: Looking for Bald Eagles, 1776, Some unknown History, and probably the best one on the subject is The Kids Who Play In Dirt.

I grew up going to Zion and I thought I had hiked all the trails in the main canyon. Nope, there are plenty more that I have learned about in the past few years to add to my list.

Western Shooting Stars?
IMG_6794.jpg

The point is that there are great things outdoors. Things to make you discover more about yourself than any other activity. I have to add to that though. As long as you are out there hiking around, your music and other such things left behind, you’ll learn about yourself.

I say hiking for a reason. Many people nowadays want to get outdoors and go ATV riding, mountain biking, and other forms of quick more adrenaline filled recreation. Those are fun and exhilarating, but they don’t offer the chance to discover and see the small things in the world. They don’t allow you to be in your head and have to hear your thoughts — something that is sadly missing from so many people’s lives.

View of Lady Mountain from the Lodge.


Hiking up Emerald Pools.


What kind of things will you discover on a hike? I don’t know, but here’s a few things I found out from this hike: I talk a lot and am kind of obnoxious. I keep a pretty consistent attitude (whether that is good or bad is debatable). Nature pays attention to details. And no matter what we try to do in this world, nature wins.

Is that what you’ll find out there, in the great outdoors? Again, I don’t know. Just get out there and walk around. Be smart about it, but just go and wander around a creek near your house. Climb a tree. You’re never too old to climb a tree.

That’s it, that’s all I got.

Enjoy some photos from Lady Mountain, then go have an adventure.
Also, after doing this hike I know what Frodo and Sam-wise went through climbing up to Shelob’s Lair.













I probably climb the least out of this whole group, and I drink so much MTN Dew that I got to be in the back the whole time.








Favorite photo from the trip, group a top Lady Mountain.








This is where my friend decided he could use a sniper on hikers a top Angels Landing. He's not so morbid.










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Lady Mountain is fun!!! I loved it, short and strenuous and the views from top are awesome.
I love it, and I'd do it again. I was TIRED though!
 
A few of you have harnesses on. Is this hike technical? Do you know what it's rated. Looks like a fun spicy meatball.
 
A few of you have harnesses on. Is this hike technical? Do you know what it's rated. Looks like a fun spicy meatball.
I was wondering the same thing?
There are two sections of the hike that you should be ready to make some 5th class climbing moves...at least one person in your group. The rest just need to have a harness and prussik.

The guy standing in the top of the chute (Chris) climbed this section and its single 5th class move and if you fell just below this climb is a nice drop of about 50 ft. Susan then just used a mechanical ascender to climb up.
IMG_6849.jpg
 
Western Shooting Stars?
IMG_6794.jpg
Those appear to be Nightshade, perhaps Silver Leaf Nightshade
A sort of copycat weed. Shooting stars will have dark anthers and a yellow center of the corolla (where the petals meet in the middle) while these are opposite with yellow anthers and dark center of the corolla, and shooting star petals are more delicate, reclined, and separated apposed to these with fanned out fused petals.

That hike makes my palms sweaty looking at the trip reports!
 
Those appear to be Nightshade, perhaps Silver Leaf Nightshade
A sort of copycat weed. Shooting stars will have dark anthers and a yellow center of the corolla (where the petals meet in the middle) while these are opposite with yellow anthers and dark center of the corolla, and shooting star petals are more delicate, reclined, and separated apposed to these with fanned out fused petals.

That hike makes my palms sweaty looking at the trip reports!
You're absolutely right! Now that I look again it totally isn't.
 
@slc_dan - it is about a 5.3 crux although climbers would call it 4th class. It does require a rope and gear for the less experienced. There is big exposure at many places and medium exposure at the crux. I was with experienced people and we only roped up that one crux and mainly because we brought the gear. It is a climb with history. The Park Service built and used to maintain a whole laddered and cable-wayed route to the top with excavation and rock work. They dismantled all that because it was over their arbitrary and moving safety targets.

@Howells Outdoors - great TR. Thanks. Using your rating system of top 10 you can look forward to some great exploring ahead. Keep going - you are going to find even more and higher numbers. :) That is a high-class problem! Meaning more exploring to do is a stimulating and fun incentive.
 
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