- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 3,761
I took the day off from work to head out to the Cedar Mountains in the west desert to hike up Tabby's Peak before the weather turned south here in Utah. Tabby's Peak is located in the southern portion of the Cedars, and the easiest access point is from Rydalch Canyon. It took us a couple of hours to drive to the canyon, and along our drive south along the west side of the Cedars we saw 17 antelope. We parked my Jeep at a point where a drainage intersected with the dirt road, and then we made our way up the drainage to a saddle located between Tabby's Peak and unnamed peak 5485. After a short break, we proceeded to make our way up the northwest line to the summit ridge of Tabby's Peak. Once on the ridge, we then had a short scramble to the northeast and the summit. After taking a long lunch up top, we headed back down (southwest direction this time) to the Jeep and headed back home by driving over Rydalch Pass and down into Skull Valley and back to Salt Lake.
![84909 84909](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84926-b1024f2c33d9e29f77cf5433f67607b2.jpg)
Heading south on the west side of the Cedar Mountains
![84910 84910](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84927-603dc47e219201549b34a6708772a62e.jpg)
Just entered Rydalch Canyon with Tabby's Peak ahead.
![84911 84911](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84928-3612dbaa5ef3947ee4196dae87740fca.jpg)
Tabby's Peak - viewed from the south
![84912 84912](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84929-84ef81ecff5cd9a86c6fce5f71657680.jpg)
Making our way up the drainage
![84913 84913](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84930-b8453c4e3d4650424fc74ef149fcc481.jpg)
First view of Skull Valley, the southern tip of the Stansbury Range and the Onaqui Mountains to the southeast
![84914 84914](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84931-d057af0e521f20c48dd72153f5aa9706.jpg)
View of the top from the saddle
![84915 84915](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84932-805091426254abcf943f0023433a5fca.jpg)
A lot of dead Junipers to take pictures of along the way
![84916 84916](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84933-913092b81d1ae9ec1851e4505c23ad7a.jpg)
![84917 84917](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84934-2e09a44c0ae832a20cea87e1be0ea2b9.jpg)
Danny digging in
![84918 84918](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84935-834fb6016b440d4064ad1d7efc944ccb.jpg)
We were aiming for these rocks with lichen on them along the summit ridge
![84919 84919](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84936-45b3ae8bdcdfd21038102cb0102da3b2.jpg)
Looking northeast along the summit ridge at the summit
![84920 84920](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84937-d7df4a9e1e6bdf9c500f41b7f8bed75d.jpg)
Approaching the high point
![84921 84921](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84938-e1573f722c0d64310f960f94f96259b8.jpg)
Looking north along the Cedar Mountains. The high point of the range can be seen in the middle of the image.
![84922 84922](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84939-756461a4bff3ae06c6d48e9812f42d01.jpg)
Looking east towards the Stansbury Range and Deseret Peak
![84923 84923](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84940-fc9bf8bd532a923b9886ed45778ba3a6.jpg)
Looking west towards Wildcat Mountain and Nevada
![84924 84924](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84941-7d873ea0d8063062ee6a7d3fefd63645.jpg)
Deseret Peak across Skull Valley
![84925 84925](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84942-5ad3c0d87801e4a526c110dc1f358532.jpg)
Looking southeast across Skull Valley towards the Onaqui Mountains
![84926 84926](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84943-9df83e660ccf9906abbeae2ca51f9be4.jpg)
Looking southwest towards the Dugway Range
![84927 84927](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84944-b344338a5dfa76132824cf8ca84ecd93.jpg)
Looking south
![84928 84928](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84945-a64f5a167050dcd7ad72ee210f134da3.jpg)
Kite flying time
![84929 84929](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84946-ad600363779827ff83444b2cac1d8592.jpg)
Looking down below for wild horses
![84930 84930](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84947-076f23a250d7f94f961acf274dc1a444.jpg)
Our summit shot
![84931 84931](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84948-e6eca894960e4360acec02e5843d14f3.jpg)
Heading back down
![84932 84932](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84949-5766b4fb24d2af43b30940a571efb8e8.jpg)
Horse bones ?
![84933 84933](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84950-6b4eee15936d36d37f004d8d04dc4a8e.jpg)
Wild horse scat
![84934 84934](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84951-ddaa057e472db18831eea5d67b123037.jpg)
Small spring we ran into on our way back to the Jeep.
![84935 84935](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84952-3b7a553b34383772f942af3d47682d31.jpg)
The Jeep eagerly awaits our arrival.![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
![84936 84936](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84953-ac0498506c1b759bf66efaaf7e771b5e.jpg)
Tabby's Peak from the Skull Valley side of the Cedars.
![84909 84909](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84926-b1024f2c33d9e29f77cf5433f67607b2.jpg)
Heading south on the west side of the Cedar Mountains
![84910 84910](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84927-603dc47e219201549b34a6708772a62e.jpg)
Just entered Rydalch Canyon with Tabby's Peak ahead.
![84911 84911](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84928-3612dbaa5ef3947ee4196dae87740fca.jpg)
Tabby's Peak - viewed from the south
![84912 84912](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84929-84ef81ecff5cd9a86c6fce5f71657680.jpg)
Making our way up the drainage
![84913 84913](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84930-b8453c4e3d4650424fc74ef149fcc481.jpg)
First view of Skull Valley, the southern tip of the Stansbury Range and the Onaqui Mountains to the southeast
![84914 84914](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84931-d057af0e521f20c48dd72153f5aa9706.jpg)
View of the top from the saddle
![84915 84915](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84932-805091426254abcf943f0023433a5fca.jpg)
A lot of dead Junipers to take pictures of along the way
![84916 84916](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84933-913092b81d1ae9ec1851e4505c23ad7a.jpg)
![84917 84917](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84934-2e09a44c0ae832a20cea87e1be0ea2b9.jpg)
Danny digging in
![84918 84918](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84935-834fb6016b440d4064ad1d7efc944ccb.jpg)
We were aiming for these rocks with lichen on them along the summit ridge
![84919 84919](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84936-45b3ae8bdcdfd21038102cb0102da3b2.jpg)
Looking northeast along the summit ridge at the summit
![84920 84920](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84937-d7df4a9e1e6bdf9c500f41b7f8bed75d.jpg)
Approaching the high point
![84921 84921](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84938-e1573f722c0d64310f960f94f96259b8.jpg)
Looking north along the Cedar Mountains. The high point of the range can be seen in the middle of the image.
![84922 84922](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84939-756461a4bff3ae06c6d48e9812f42d01.jpg)
Looking east towards the Stansbury Range and Deseret Peak
![84923 84923](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84940-fc9bf8bd532a923b9886ed45778ba3a6.jpg)
Looking west towards Wildcat Mountain and Nevada
![84924 84924](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84941-7d873ea0d8063062ee6a7d3fefd63645.jpg)
Deseret Peak across Skull Valley
![84925 84925](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84942-5ad3c0d87801e4a526c110dc1f358532.jpg)
Looking southeast across Skull Valley towards the Onaqui Mountains
![84926 84926](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84943-9df83e660ccf9906abbeae2ca51f9be4.jpg)
Looking southwest towards the Dugway Range
![84927 84927](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84944-b344338a5dfa76132824cf8ca84ecd93.jpg)
Looking south
![84928 84928](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84945-a64f5a167050dcd7ad72ee210f134da3.jpg)
Kite flying time
![84929 84929](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84946-ad600363779827ff83444b2cac1d8592.jpg)
Looking down below for wild horses
![84930 84930](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84947-076f23a250d7f94f961acf274dc1a444.jpg)
Our summit shot
![84931 84931](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84948-e6eca894960e4360acec02e5843d14f3.jpg)
Heading back down
![84932 84932](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84949-5766b4fb24d2af43b30940a571efb8e8.jpg)
Horse bones ?
![84933 84933](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84950-6b4eee15936d36d37f004d8d04dc4a8e.jpg)
Wild horse scat
![84934 84934](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84951-ddaa057e472db18831eea5d67b123037.jpg)
Small spring we ran into on our way back to the Jeep.
![84935 84935](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84952-3b7a553b34383772f942af3d47682d31.jpg)
The Jeep eagerly awaits our arrival.
![84936 84936](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/84/84953-ac0498506c1b759bf66efaaf7e771b5e.jpg)
Tabby's Peak from the Skull Valley side of the Cedars.