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- Dec 23, 2013
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I heard on the radio Sunday morning that this was the 5th driest January in Salt Lake since records have been kept. This is probably why I've been able to hike every weekend this winter so far. Yesterday's hike was to the Dude Benchmark with sits about 5.5 miles from the Ensign Peak Trailhead along the north ridge of City Creek Canyon. We've had another high pressure move in, so once again we have an inversion in the valley, and Sheila and I were hoping to get above it along the ridge.
The route is pretty straight forward: once on the ridge, just follow the old Jeep road to just below the summit of Dude Benchmark, and then take the trail to the summit. Now while the route is simple enough, the ridgeline has many hills along it, which makes for a up and down kind of hike. Once we reached the communication Towers on City Creek Benchmark, the road/trail was snow covered, and on the north side of the hills we encountered some deeper snow. We took our microspikes, but we never used them. The trail was frozen most of the way up, but softened up on our way down.
Now I had played two hours of basketball on Saturday, so I was pretty sore on this 11 mile jaunt, and was even sorer by the time we finished.
Ensign Peak
Looking back on Ensign
Enjoying the flat spot while it lasts
We are heading towards the communication towers above to left
View up City Creek Canyon, where the haze has made its way up the canyon. The Dude Benchmark is at the upper left with just a
touch of snow at the summit. From there (L-R) are Burro Peak, Lookout Peak, and the Black Mountain Ridge which forms some
of the southern ridge of City Creek Canyon
After the towers, the trail was snow packed for the most part. Lookout Peak at the head of the canyon above my head
The Wasatch Front above Woods Cross, Bountiful and Farmington comes into view
See the guy sitting there? Maybe looking out over the canyon? Keep him in mind.
More Wasatch views
Black Mountain Ridge
Snow covered road, but melted along it at this point
Dude Benchmark. We are still a couple of hours from reaching its summit
Unnamed ridge that runs towards North Salt Lake
Time for a fig newton.
Dude Benchmark above.
Beginning our climb up the Dude.
Looking back the way we had come
Sheila, making the curve coming up the mountain.
The Sessions Mountains
View down into City Creek
Moose on the loose! The cow was on the ridge east of the Dude
Moose. We watched her while we ate our lunches.
More moose
Burro Peak
Grapefruit and the Sessions Mountains. My last week to purchase grapefruits.
Literally on the Dude Benchmark
The Dude Benchmark
Summit shot
Moose track on our way down
Oak and snow
Remember that guy sitting and looking out over City Creek? We'll he had to be Life Flighted off the ridge.
Life Flight coming in
Life Flight
Landed
The south ridge of City Creek Canyon
Life Flight taking the patient to the hospital
The last snow of the hike
Back to Ensign and the haze.
On our way home we stopped at Katmandu for some Indian food. We enjoyed some Baigan Bharta with some garlic naan.
When we left the restaurant, Sheila had to help me up out of the booth.
And now on this last day of January, here are some facts that may interest only me:
1. We have gained 49 minutes and 13 seconds of daylight since December 21st.
2. We are gaining more that two minutes of daylight per day now.
3. This Thursday, the average daily temperature will reach 40 degrees here in SLC.
4. By mid-February, the sun angle will be high enough to begin breaking up these inversion cycles that settle in when we don't get storm fronts that move through the region.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is that old man winter is beginning to loosen his grip - at least here in Salt Lake.
The End.
The route is pretty straight forward: once on the ridge, just follow the old Jeep road to just below the summit of Dude Benchmark, and then take the trail to the summit. Now while the route is simple enough, the ridgeline has many hills along it, which makes for a up and down kind of hike. Once we reached the communication Towers on City Creek Benchmark, the road/trail was snow covered, and on the north side of the hills we encountered some deeper snow. We took our microspikes, but we never used them. The trail was frozen most of the way up, but softened up on our way down.
Now I had played two hours of basketball on Saturday, so I was pretty sore on this 11 mile jaunt, and was even sorer by the time we finished.
Ensign Peak
Looking back on Ensign
Enjoying the flat spot while it lasts
We are heading towards the communication towers above to left
View up City Creek Canyon, where the haze has made its way up the canyon. The Dude Benchmark is at the upper left with just a
touch of snow at the summit. From there (L-R) are Burro Peak, Lookout Peak, and the Black Mountain Ridge which forms some
of the southern ridge of City Creek Canyon
After the towers, the trail was snow packed for the most part. Lookout Peak at the head of the canyon above my head
The Wasatch Front above Woods Cross, Bountiful and Farmington comes into view
See the guy sitting there? Maybe looking out over the canyon? Keep him in mind.
More Wasatch views
Black Mountain Ridge
Snow covered road, but melted along it at this point
Dude Benchmark. We are still a couple of hours from reaching its summit
Unnamed ridge that runs towards North Salt Lake
Time for a fig newton.
Dude Benchmark above.Beginning our climb up the Dude.
Looking back the way we had come
Sheila, making the curve coming up the mountain.
The Sessions Mountains
View down into City Creek
Moose on the loose! The cow was on the ridge east of the Dude
Moose. We watched her while we ate our lunches.
More moose
Burro Peak
Grapefruit and the Sessions Mountains. My last week to purchase grapefruits.
Literally on the Dude Benchmark
The Dude Benchmark
Summit shot
Moose track on our way down
Oak and snow
Remember that guy sitting and looking out over City Creek? We'll he had to be Life Flighted off the ridge.
Life Flight coming in
Life Flight
Landed
The south ridge of City Creek Canyon
Life Flight taking the patient to the hospital
The last snow of the hike
Back to Ensign and the haze.
On our way home we stopped at Katmandu for some Indian food. We enjoyed some Baigan Bharta with some garlic naan.
When we left the restaurant, Sheila had to help me up out of the booth.
And now on this last day of January, here are some facts that may interest only me:
1. We have gained 49 minutes and 13 seconds of daylight since December 21st.
2. We are gaining more that two minutes of daylight per day now.
3. This Thursday, the average daily temperature will reach 40 degrees here in SLC.
4. By mid-February, the sun angle will be high enough to begin breaking up these inversion cycles that settle in when we don't get storm fronts that move through the region.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is that old man winter is beginning to loosen his grip - at least here in Salt Lake.
The End.
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