- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
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- 4,092
Well, one of my "to-dos" for 2025 was to hike Mount Olympus at least twice this year, since I only managed it once in 2024. So on Saturday, the 31st of May, I started out early and made my way to the summit - the south summit that is. The last time that I hiked Olympus was with my son last July, about a week short of my 60th birthday, so I wanted to see if I could get it done at 60. 
When I arrived at the Mount Olympus Trailhead at 5:58 am, there were only 3 parking spots left and they were all on the north end of the lot. I thought, "Man, there are a lot of people here this early in the morning." I think it turned out to be the busiest I have ever seen the Olympus trail before. We are going through a warm spell here in Salt Lake the last few days, and I think it was supposed to reach 92 on Saturday, so I assumed not too many people would want to brave the heat on Olympus, but turns out that I was wrong.
The hike was a slow go for me. I'm three weeks out from my knee scope so I took it easy as not to overdue it. I'm pretty sure everyone parked in that parking lot passed me on the way up.
I kept thinking that I'd ask @Bob why everyone was passing me, but I was sure he'd respond, "because your old and slow!"
Anyway, I made it to the top, ate my lunch, took a bunch of pictures, and then headed back down in the heat. On my way up, I lost my lens cap for my camera, but I was lucky enough to find on my way back down.
I used the Canon Rebel T4i on this hike as I continue my rotation through my cameras. The T4i was released in 2013.
Some shots of my hike:

I drove the Jeep on this one.

At lower elevations the broadleaf penstemon was common

Sunrise on Lone Peak and north and south Thunder Mountains

Common yarrow

Sunrise on Broads Fork Twin Peaks

Spider milkweed

Juniper berries



Mule-ears were plentiful along the trail

Rounding the corner into Tolecats Canyon

Zoomed in on the "Blister Hill" portion of the hike with the Arete to the south

Fireweed

Mountain ninebark

Stream in Tolecats

Miners lettuce

The shadow of Olympus looking down Tolecats Canyon

Larkspur


Western wallflower


Woodland star

Trail up "Blister Hill"

Corn lilies?

Choke cherry

Sorry @regehr , but this was the best I could do. Someone left this sign along the trail as a warning to others.

Western waterleaf


From just above "Blister Hill" to the saddle the trail is steep and rocky

Glacier lilies. I only saw two of these plants along the trail.

Nearing the saddle

View up at the summit of Mount Olympus from the saddle. I stopped at the saddle for a few minutes because I could hear
@TractorDoc 's voice in my head saying that it was time to apply some sunscreen.
I also ate a couple of fig newtons to get me
to the top.

North and South Thunder Mountains viewed from the saddle

View down into the valley from the saddle


1st scramble section

2nd scramble section

Last little scramble to the summit

View of the north summit of Mount Olympus, with the Dude Benchmark in the distance. I liked this shot.

For @Ugly , the Pfeifferhorn and UPWOP, that from the head of Maybird Gulch

L-R Dromedary Peak, Sunrise Peak, Jepson's Folly, and Broads Fork Twin Peaks

View of downtown SLC through rocks on the summit of Olympus

Summit shot

And this one is for @Rockskipper . Welcome back! You're therapist might survive this one.

The Canon T4i - notice no lens cap.





Extra wide angle shots from the summit

Lizard on the summit as I begin to head down

Triangle (Hobbs) Peak to the east of Olympus

This guy was interesting, he had started at 6:00 pm on Friday and had summited
Olympus four times in 17 hours. I chatted with him as he passed me by on the way
down the first scramble section.

Pretty!

Broads Fork Twin Peaks, across Big Cottonwood Canyon

Spring beauties

My wife tells me that this is a Western Wood Peewee - located at the top of a tree on the saddle

Goosefoot violet

Heading down, getting close to rounding back into Tolecats Canyon

A look back up from whence I came

Stonecrop

Spreading fleabane

Back at Tolecats

Looking down Tolecats

About to leave Tolecats

Mount Olympus Trail

Another favorite shot of the hike. Lone Peak is in the distance. Not sure if the large rock in the foreground has a name.

Back at Pete's Rock

Woodland rose in the shade of some scrub oak

Back at the Jeep

Mount Olympus from the Walmart parking lot where I stopped and got some grapefruit juice for my wife on my way home.




Saturday night was Beer Night, so I had just enough time to get home, splash off my face, change cycling caps and then head to
Desert Edge Brewery to meet friends and coworkers for some food and drink. I had the nachos (not as good as the Porcupine
nachos) and a Latter Day Stout on nitro. After the Latter Day, I then finished off the nachos with a Conspiracy Russian Imperail Stout
which was really good.
The End.
When I arrived at the Mount Olympus Trailhead at 5:58 am, there were only 3 parking spots left and they were all on the north end of the lot. I thought, "Man, there are a lot of people here this early in the morning." I think it turned out to be the busiest I have ever seen the Olympus trail before. We are going through a warm spell here in Salt Lake the last few days, and I think it was supposed to reach 92 on Saturday, so I assumed not too many people would want to brave the heat on Olympus, but turns out that I was wrong.
The hike was a slow go for me. I'm three weeks out from my knee scope so I took it easy as not to overdue it. I'm pretty sure everyone parked in that parking lot passed me on the way up.

Anyway, I made it to the top, ate my lunch, took a bunch of pictures, and then headed back down in the heat. On my way up, I lost my lens cap for my camera, but I was lucky enough to find on my way back down.
I used the Canon Rebel T4i on this hike as I continue my rotation through my cameras. The T4i was released in 2013.
Some shots of my hike:

I drove the Jeep on this one.

At lower elevations the broadleaf penstemon was common

Sunrise on Lone Peak and north and south Thunder Mountains

Common yarrow

Sunrise on Broads Fork Twin Peaks

Spider milkweed

Juniper berries



Mule-ears were plentiful along the trail

Rounding the corner into Tolecats Canyon

Zoomed in on the "Blister Hill" portion of the hike with the Arete to the south

Fireweed

Mountain ninebark

Stream in Tolecats

Miners lettuce

The shadow of Olympus looking down Tolecats Canyon

Larkspur


Western wallflower


Woodland star

Trail up "Blister Hill"

Corn lilies?

Choke cherry

Sorry @regehr , but this was the best I could do. Someone left this sign along the trail as a warning to others.

Western waterleaf


From just above "Blister Hill" to the saddle the trail is steep and rocky

Glacier lilies. I only saw two of these plants along the trail.

Nearing the saddle

View up at the summit of Mount Olympus from the saddle. I stopped at the saddle for a few minutes because I could hear
@TractorDoc 's voice in my head saying that it was time to apply some sunscreen.
to the top.

North and South Thunder Mountains viewed from the saddle

View down into the valley from the saddle


1st scramble section

2nd scramble section

Last little scramble to the summit

View of the north summit of Mount Olympus, with the Dude Benchmark in the distance. I liked this shot.

For @Ugly , the Pfeifferhorn and UPWOP, that from the head of Maybird Gulch

L-R Dromedary Peak, Sunrise Peak, Jepson's Folly, and Broads Fork Twin Peaks

View of downtown SLC through rocks on the summit of Olympus

Summit shot

And this one is for @Rockskipper . Welcome back! You're therapist might survive this one.

The Canon T4i - notice no lens cap.





Extra wide angle shots from the summit

Lizard on the summit as I begin to head down

Triangle (Hobbs) Peak to the east of Olympus

This guy was interesting, he had started at 6:00 pm on Friday and had summited
Olympus four times in 17 hours. I chatted with him as he passed me by on the way
down the first scramble section.

Pretty!

Broads Fork Twin Peaks, across Big Cottonwood Canyon

Spring beauties

My wife tells me that this is a Western Wood Peewee - located at the top of a tree on the saddle

Goosefoot violet

Heading down, getting close to rounding back into Tolecats Canyon

A look back up from whence I came

Stonecrop

Spreading fleabane

Back at Tolecats

Looking down Tolecats

About to leave Tolecats

Mount Olympus Trail

Another favorite shot of the hike. Lone Peak is in the distance. Not sure if the large rock in the foreground has a name.

Back at Pete's Rock

Woodland rose in the shade of some scrub oak

Back at the Jeep

Mount Olympus from the Walmart parking lot where I stopped and got some grapefruit juice for my wife on my way home.




Saturday night was Beer Night, so I had just enough time to get home, splash off my face, change cycling caps and then head to
Desert Edge Brewery to meet friends and coworkers for some food and drink. I had the nachos (not as good as the Porcupine
nachos) and a Latter Day Stout on nitro. After the Latter Day, I then finished off the nachos with a Conspiracy Russian Imperail Stout
which was really good.
The End.