Mount Tukuhnikivatz

IntrepidXJ

ADVENTR
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
3,479
Independence Day Weekend | Saturday – Monday, July 2-4, 2016


Mount Tukuhnikivatz during a stormy sunset. A mountain so nice I had to climb it twice…

“All around the peaks of the Sierra La Sal lies the desert, a sea of burnt rock, arid tablelands, barren and desolate canyons. The canyon country is revealed from this magnificent height as on a map and I can image, if not read, the names on the land.” -Edward Abbey

This weekend Diane and I headed to the La Sal Mountains near Moab to spend the Fourth of July weekend hiking and camping. I had intended for this to be a peak-bagging trip, but unfortunately the stormy weather would only allow me to climb Mount Tukuhnikivatz this time. Even though I didn’t get to climb more mountains this trip, we did have a nice relaxing time at camp, did a little exploring in the Jeep and I was able to photograph some nice sunrises and sunsets, thanks to the weather.

We left home on Saturday morning and drove through Gateway and then John Brown Canyon on the Gateway-Castleton Road. We turned off on the Taylor Flat Road and followed the Paradox Trail towards the Buckeye Reservoir. Since it had rained quite a bit the day before, many parts of these roads were muddy and rutted, which slowed us down considerably once we crossed the state line into Utah. The roads got a little better as we neared the La Sal Pass Road, which we would take up to the pass between Mount Peale and South Mountain. We found a nice spot to spend the weekend at near Medicine Lake and setup camp. Then we spent the rest of the evening exploring the area around La Sal Pass.

Driving towards the La Sal Mountains on the Gateway – Castleton Road.



On our way to to La Sal Pass with Mount Peale and Mount Tukuhnikivatz in the clouds.



Our first view of Mount Peale from La Sal Pass.



Camp setup near Medicine Lake. We recently purchased the Kelty AirScreen Shelter and were trying it out for the first time on this trip. It worked pretty well at keeping the bugs out and was easy enough to setup and take down.



Exploring a nearby two-track below Mount Peale.



The low clouds were around for much of the evening.



Medicine Lake with South Mountain (11,817) shrouded in clouds.



Even though the low clouds were around for much of the evening, they did start to clear a little for a short time just before sunset. That’s also when it started to rain and hail and it would end up raining pretty heavily this evening. After we got in the tent to go to sleep a thunderstorm moved over us that produced a lot of close lightning and thunder.



I was originally thinking about hiking Mount Peale (12,721) on Sunday morning, but while we were out exploring the previous afternoon we noticed the gully that we needed to climb was still full of snow and it looked kind of steep. I had brought my ice axe and microspikes with, but Diane doesn’t have an axe, so we decided to play it safe and skip that hike this time. Instead we would start with Mount Tukuhnikivatz (12,482).

I had hoped to start hiking around 6am this morning and woke up around 5:30am, but I quickly noticed that there was probably going to be a nice sunrise, so I walked over to Medicine Lake with my camera and started taking photos. We didn’t end up starting the hike until 7am, but the delay was worth it!

Morning light strikes South Mountain with a little mist in the air and a nice reflection in Medicine Lake.



Nice spot-lighting as clouds moved through the sky.



There was some nice morning light on Mount Tukuhnikivatz, too.



One last reflection shot of South Mountain this morning.



After the early morning clouds cleared out of the sky it looked like it was going to be a nice clear day as we started climbing the newly constructed Tuk Trail (I’m not sure when this trail was constructed, but it’s definitely within the past couple of years and I haven’t been able to find any reference to it online.) to the ridge between Mount Peale and Mount Tukuhnikivatz. As we crested the ridge we finally got our first view of the northern La Sal Mountains and also a glimpse of the dark clouds building in that direction. At first, it looked like the clouds were moving east so we continued up the ridge towards the summit. We had to cross a short patch of snow, but the rest of the route was dry. Unfortunately, as we were climbing the final stretch and about 300 feet below the summit we noticed that the dark clouds were moving in right above us. It was a tough decision, but the clouds looked dark so we decided it was best to not take our chances and we turned around and headed back down.

Diane hikes ahead of me on the BurlFriends Trail near La Sal Pass.



Into the light she goes…



The beginning of the Tuk Trail through the trees.





Wildflowers and Mount Tukuhnikivatz from along the trail.



Dark clouds moving into the area over Mount Peale as we hiked back down the ridge.



After our failed summit attempt we still had plenty of daylight left, so we decided to continue down the La Sal Pass Road on the west side to Moab. It’s been about 9 years since I was last on this roadand I didn’t really remember it all that well, but it sure seems like it might be rougher now? It was a slow drive back to town where we topped off the fuel tank in the Jeep and grabbed a bite to eat. Then we headed back to camp on the longer but less rough route through La Sal Junction and La Sal and the easier east side of La Sal Pass. We returned to camp and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening around the area. Before getting to bed I would photograph a spectacular sunset around Medicine Lake as it started to rain again. Thankfully, the rain wouldn’t last too long and stopped before we went to bed.

Driving down a talus shelf on the La Sal Pass Road.



Dark clouds over green terraces that were constructed on the flank of South Mountain. Does anyone out there know the purpose of these terraces? I did a little searching and found a reference to the CCC building terraces in the Abajo Mountains, but I haven’t been able to find a reason? Please let me know in the comments below if you know anything about them!



South Mountain and Medicine Lake at sunset.



Rain started to fall at sunset and the sky just exploded with color towards Mount Tukuhnikivatz.



The sky went from a golden yellow to a bright magenta.



There was even a rainbow over Medicine Lake for a little bit.



The colors were pretty intense. It was definitely one of the most colorful sunsets I’ve seen in a while.



On Independence Day I decided that I wanted to try Mount Tukuhnikivatz one more time since we were still camped nearby, instead of driving elsewhere to hike. Diane wasn’t feeling up for another attempt and decided to stay back at camp this morning. This time I started the hike at 6am and made it to the summit by 8:30am under a cloud-free sky. Unfortunately, there were still wildfires burning nearby, so the view from the top was obscured by a smoky haze. It was still a nice place to see the familiar surrounding desert from. I made it back down to camp in about an hour and a half and found that Diane had just about everything packed up and ready to go. We finished loading the Jeep and then headed home by going over Geyser Pass to the La Sal Mountains Loop Road into Castle Valley and then following the River Road back to the interstate. Things didn’t go as planned this weekend, but we still had a great time!

Morning light on South Mountain.



A smoky view into Colorado with Lone Cone and the San Juan Mountains visible on the horizon.



Hiking the ridge towards the summit.



Steep and rocky to the top, but not difficult.



If you look closely, you can see the Tuk Trail switchbacks on the green ridge below.



From the summit I could see Castle Valley to the Book Cliffs in the distance.



Here’s a view from the summit overlooking Moab to the San Rafael Reef. I’m sorry if the photo looks a little ‘off’ but I used the Dehaze feature in Photoshop to cut through the smoke in the air and help make the distant features a little more visible.



Looking over to Mount Mellenthin (12,645).




>> Mount Tukuhnikivatz Photo Gallery
>> The Original Trip Report on ADVENTR.CO
 
"Does anyone out there know the purpose of these terraces? I did a little searching and found a reference to the CCC building terraces in the Abajo Mountains, but I haven’t been able to find a reason? Please let me know in the comments below if you know anything about them!"

In WY, near my home town, there are some mountain terraces that my dad told me was for avalanche control. I'm guessing this is the same thing?
 
From that article;

Fires and overgrazing by sheep and cattle since pioneer days had denuded the Wasatch range. Farmington was battered by flash floods throughout the 1920s and early 1930s. A cloudburst on Aug. 13, 1923, killed seven people in Farmington. Five of them were Boy Scouts camping in Farmington Canyon. A young couple honeymooning in the canyon was also killed.

Terracing proved to be the best solution. It was relatively inexpensive and dealt with flooding at its source. Although terraces were built on mountains throughout Utah, the most outstanding examples are in Davis and Box Elder counties.
 
Comments have already well covered it, but I'll second that the CCC terraces are flood/erosion control. I spent my childhood staring up at the ones above Farmington, Utah.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
Udink Deadman Point, Haystack Mountain, and Mount Tukuhnikivatz Hiking & Camping 3
scatman Mount Superior - July 14, 2023 Hiking & Camping 16
scatman Mount Raymond - July 8, 2023 Hiking & Camping 17
scatman Mount Aire - June 17, 2023 Hiking & Camping 23
ANelson Hiking to the Top of the Henry's (Mount Ellen) August 2022 Hiking & Camping 10
scatman Mount Olympus - March 18, 2023 Hiking & Camping 3
scatman Mount Wire - February 25, 2023 Hiking & Camping 15
scatman Mount Wire Loop - 2003 and 2016? Hiking & Camping 13
scatman Mount Aire - June 18, 2022 Hiking & Camping 6
scatman Mount Wire - April 30, 2022 Hiking & Camping 6
Yvonne Climbing Mount Saint Helens via Monitor Ridge Route, July 2021 Hiking & Camping 16
scatman Mount Olympus - January 17, 2022 Hiking & Camping 6
scatman Mount Wire - January 1, 2022 Hiking & Camping 8
scatman Mount Van Cott - December 18, 2021 Hiking & Camping 25
scatman Mount Wire - December 11, 2021 Hiking & Camping 12
scatman Mount Olympus - November 13, 2021 Hiking & Camping 11
scatman Mount Wire and Mount Van Cott Lollipop Loop (or the Foothill Follies) - November 6. 2021 Hiking & Camping 20
TheMountainRabbit Horse Ridge to Mount Febbas (Fitzpatrick Wilderness) - July 2021 Backpacking 24
scatman North Summit, Mount Olympus - July 3, 2021 Hiking & Camping 12
scatman Mount Raymond and Gobblers Knob Lollipop Loop - June 18, 2021 Hiking & Camping 17
scatman Mount Aire and Unnamed Peaks 8490 and 8319 Lollipop Loop - June 12, 2021 Hiking & Camping 11
Udink Mount Belknap and Bullion Canyon Hiking & Camping 3
scatman Mount Aire - January 2, 2021 Hiking & Camping 4
scatman North Summit, Mount Olympus - October 17, 2020 Hiking & Camping 16
norwegianxplorer Summiting Mount Whitney from Guitar Lake, 6 Days backpacking the Sierra before the Creek Fire closed everything down. Backpacking 5
scatman Mount Nebo - August 6, 2020 Hiking & Camping 13
SteveR Mount Burke, Alberta Hiking & Camping 5
scatman Mount Raymond via Bowman Fork - June 27, 2020 Hiking & Camping 6
J Mount Nutt Wilderness Cave Spring Area dayhike Nov 26, 2019 Hiking & Camping 0
scatman Mount Olympus - November 10, 2019 Hiking & Camping 1
BJett Mount Rogers National Recreation Area - Virginia Backpacking 18
TractorDoc Three Days at Mount Rainier in late July. Hiking & Camping 10
TractorDoc Mount Rainier in Late July -- Day Hiking Meet Up (Members Only) 0
scatman Mount Aire - September 23, 2018 Hiking & Camping 11
stevecochranephotography Blue Lakes Trail... Southwest Colorado in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness Hiking & Camping 9
stevecochranephotography Notch Mountain Trail - Mount of the Holy Cross and Shelter - Minturn, Colorado Hiking & Camping 4
Dave Mount Watson Hiking & Camping 12
scatman Mount Olympus - April 5, 2018 Hiking & Camping 15
AbinadiWitness Part 1: Telluride Via Ferrata and Mount Sneffels SW Ridge from Blue Lakes- Colorado Trip # 1 - 2017 Backpacking 0
misSOULa Montana's Pintler Wilderness: Goat Flat and Mount Tiny Backpacking 6
Devin Ashby Mount Agassiz Beta Trip Planning 4
scatman Mount Olympus - February 20, 2017 Hiking & Camping 9
scatman North Summit of Mount Olympus - November 6, 2016 Hiking & Camping 8
Udink Mount Peale Hiking & Camping 4
Udink Mount Sneffels and Handies Peak Hiking & Camping 4
blueeyes Winter Snowshoe Mount Baird, ID April 23-24 2016 Backpacking 10
Bryan Harwood Glacier National Park: Wintersun on Mount Brown March. 2016 Hiking & Camping 4
Elemental Fluttershy Mount Adams Rec. Area: Wildflowers at Bird Creek Meadows! (Washington) Hiking & Camping 3
Tres Westbrook Death Valley National Park - Day Two - Mount Perry Hiking & Camping 4
scatman Mount Wire - January 10, 2016 Hiking & Camping 15

Similar threads

Back
Top