Mendon Peak - Wellsville Mountain Wilderness - June 4, 2022

[scatman]

My wife signed up this year for the Little Red bike ride in Cache Valley, so the family headed up on the 3rd to the rodeo grounds in Lewiston, Utah to camp out for the night so that she would be right there for the start of the ride on the morning of the 4th.

While Sheila was looping around Cache Valley for 104 miles, Katie and I headed over to Deep Canyon in the Wellsville Range, claimed to be some of the steepest mountains in North America, to do some hiking in the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness. Our goal was Mendon Peak, which is located on the northern end of the range.

Wildflowers and caterpillars were the highlights of our day as we made our way up Deep Canyon to the saddle between Mendon Peak and Hawkswatch Peak. From there, we headed south until we gained the crest of the ridge, and then we made our way back north to the summit of Mendon.

The hike was roughly 7.5 miles roundtrip, and it took us about six hours and forty minutes to complete - this included lunch up top, and a lot of stops for me to take pictures.

Setting up at the rodeo grounds in Lewiston

I asked this lady if she would prefer to hike or bike the next day.

I think this might be a distant cousin of the mule @Rockskipper. I'm not sure though.

The next morning, Sheila taking her place at the start with the other 100 mile riders

And she is off!


Katie and I hoped in the Sube and headed to the Wellsvilles

The Deep Canyon Trailhead

A look towards the Wellsvilles and Deep Canyon

Almost ready to go

The trail just off the trailhead

A lot of balsamroot at the beginning. Ignore my hiking poles.

Lewis flax

Wooly worm

Apparently Wayne's Loop is closed.

Caterpillar

Someone or something had made this little shelter.

Ladybug

Another wooly worn enjoying a late breakfast

Cinquefoil

Browse milkvetch

Beetle. @Rockskipper, you told me what this was, but I can't remember now. Please refresh this old man's memory.

I saw more caterpillars and nests on this hike than on any other hike I have ever done.

The Deep Canyon Trail

Scarlet gila

Wasatch beardtoungue

Choke cherry

Dyer's woad along the trail

Distant phacelia

Making our way up the canyon

The wilderness boundary

Woodland star

More caterpillars

Starwort

Western wallflower

Solomon's seal

Snake on the trail

Hiking into aspen

Violet

Spring beauty. These were abundant all the way to the summit

Butterfly on a dandelion

You guessed it, more caterpillars. These guys are hungry.

The canyon is about to open up

And it does

Looking towards the saddle

Old man Scat.

Lookin up at the ridge

Moose maybe?

A stand of aspen on the hillside

Glacier Lilies become abundant as we gain elevation

Hitting some switchbacks at this point

More spring beauties

A look down Deep Canyon from the saddle

A peak of Wellsville Cone

View to the west from the saddle. The Bear River is meandering its way towards the bird refuge below

Katie making her way up to the ridge, with Hawkswatch Peak in the distance

Mendon Peak above

Gained the ridge

Summit just ahead

A look to the south down the spine of the Wellsville Range

The beautiful Cache Valley, with Logan Peak, and Logan Canyon across the way. And I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shoutout to my
alma mater Utah State University. Go Aggies!

More Cache Valley with the Little Bear River/Logan River wetlands visible

View to the west from the summit

Lunch on top

Will the wolf survive? Bandana from the Los Lobos concert in Park City two nights before.

A little wider angle shot of the Wellsvilles

Some white pine along the ridge

View down into Deep Canyon on our way back down

Another view down the canyon, back at the saddle

Another nest

Cache Valley below, with the Mount Naomi Wilderness across the way

Hitchin' a ride. Ride, ride, ride, hitchin' a ride.

Back at the car.


We made our way back to Lewiston to cheer on Sheila at the finish line.

And the answer to the question - yes, the wolf will survive. The Big Bad Wolf looking for Little Red.

Shelia, returning from Preston, Idaho, turning the corner onto Center Street in Lewiston for the home stretch

And crossing the finish line.

One happy cycler, and one happy hiker.

After breaking down our tent and loading up, we stopped at El Toro Viejo in Logan for a celebratory diner which ended a wonderful two days in Cache Valley


The End.

 

[regehr]

the summitpost page for Mendon Peak says "Adventure and solemnity await you here on the slopes of this Northern Utah jewel."

I hope that you were appropriately solemn, Scat

 

[Rockskipper]

A unicorn as my relative? Only in mythology.

I'll never forget looking at the Wells from campus and wishing I was up there instead of studying. Really nice TR, but it makes me want to move back up there (Logan, not the top of the Wells, well, maybe the top of the Wells if someone would bring me lattes from Jitters).

 

[Bob]

That gals outfit in the second pic could give your kilt a run for the money

 

[marmot_boi]

I think that snake is a rubber boa, which is a pretty cool find!

 

[scatman]

the summitpost page for Mendon Peak says "Adventure and solemnity await you here on the slopes of this Northern Utah jewel."

I hope that you were appropriately solemn, Scat

The people whose vehicles were parked at the trailhead all passed us on their way down as we made our way up, so we had the entire ridge and summit to ourselves. On our way down, a group of four were heading up at about the halfway point.

 

[scatman]

A unicorn as my relative? Only in mythology.

I'll never forget looking at the Wells from campus and wishing I was up there instead of studying. Really nice TR, but it makes me want to move back up there (Logan, not the top of the Wells, well, maybe the top of the Wells if someone would bring me lattes from Jitters).

I'll bring you lattes, but there will be a transportation fee applied when I get to the top. What do you think a fair price would be?

I miss Logan and Cache Valley too. I really need to make a point of going up there more often than I do.

You didn't answer my beetle question from the report.

 

[scatman]

That gals outfit in the second pic could give your kilt a run for the money

No doubt. The mannequin was standing in for the real Little Red who got COVID two days before the ride.

 

[scatman]

I think that snake is a rubber boa, which is a pretty cool find!

Thanks for identifying the snake. I didn't realize that boas were native to North America. An interesting read on the rubber boa.

 

[Rockskipper]

I'll bring you lattes, but there will be a transportation fee applied when I get to the top. What do you think a fair price would be?

I miss Logan and Cache Valley too. I really need to make a point of going up there more often than I do.

You didn't answer my beetle question from the report.

The beetle goes by the scientific moniker of stinkbug.

As for the transportation fee, why not just get a mule?

 

[scatman]

The beetle goes by the scientific moniker of stinkbug.

As for the transportation fee, why not just get a mule?

Ah yes, the stinkbug. I should have been able to remember that.

As for Dooley, he requires a carrying fee too, but he can deliver multiple lattes at the same time to you. Maybe some of his friends can help out?

 

[The Trout Whisperer]

Lookin forward ta seein ya rock a leopard skin kilt now!

 

[scatman]

Lookin forward ta seein ya rock a leopard skin kilt now!

Ha! Do they even make one? Asking for a friend.

 

[SteveR]

Congratulations Sheila! That's a lot of pedalling.
Nice to see all the flower pictures. It's been a slow start to that in the mountains here.
Jealous of the Los Lobos concert too.