Album The members of backcountrypost.com

TractorDoc · May 17, 2025

scatman said:
We then headed on to REI to pick up something for @TractorDoc, and that ended up turning into an expensive trip.

What can I say? I have expensive needs.

Looks like you had a very enjoyable anniversary -- it looks like you even ran a comb thru your hair before heading out.

I hope you two make it to fifty years together and beyond.

My day involved inviting/meeting/hiking with some friends at CVNP. A pop up rain shower poured on us for about ten minutes or so when we were about two miles from the car. . . hopefully they answer the phone the next time we call.

scatman · May 17, 2025

Sheila hasn't been on a hike since December 21st of 2024 due to surgery on her heel. The doc said that she could start hiking again in May, so today we attempted something easy - Ensign Peak.

I also had my left knee scoped this past Monday, and I was curious how it would do on the hike up Ensign.

The trail was crowded today, at least up until it started lightning and thundering. It eventually started to rain some which cleared most of the hikers off the trail. With the weather being as it was, this was definitely the most exciting hike up Ensign that I have had.

After taking a nice camera up Maybird Gulch last weekend, I am back to my normal rotation of cameras for this hike. on this one, I used the Canon Rebel T1i. It was released in 2009 and has a 15.1 MP sensor.

Here are some shots from today's short hike:

Gearing up at the trailhead

This used to be the original way up Ensign, but they don't want you taking this route
anymore.

Wood's rose

Utah service berry

Our modest goal

Alfalfa

Yellow salsify

The arrowleaf balsamroot is starting to get beat-up

That guy seems determined.

Phlox

Balsamroot and Ensign

Tall tumblemustard

Crow, flying to the east of us

Northern sweetvetch

Globemallow

Hawksbeard

Desert Alyssum

Getting there

Storm clouds moving in

Downtown SLC

The Wasatch Front and foothills

Aiming straight towards Mount Van Cott

I liked this shot with the clouds above

Summit shot

The Avenues Twin Peaks

Getting windy

Biscuitroot

Paintbrush

Dyer's woad

Heart-padded horse cress along the fenceline

Black locust

Great mullein

Fragrant sumac

Jupiter's beard

Primrose

Back at the Sube

Sheila's heel did okay, though I did notice that walking around Living Traditions later in the day that she had a slight limp. My knee seemed to be okay too, so we might graduate to the Avenues Twin Peaks next week and see how we hold up with that one.

The End

Ugly · Monday at 8:54 AM

@scatman congrats on the anniversary and getting back on the trail. Glad the lightning avoided you, it would not want to mess with your bionicness.
I hope you used a coupon at REI.

That dragon's tail looks easy from below

Jupiter's beard, fragrant sumac, and all the flowers are blooming like crazy.
Did both or either or none of the two cameras survive Maybird?

kwc · Monday at 7:18 PM

Bob said:
Congrats on 28........ We are at 49 this year

Congratulations to both of you! (52 for us later this year)

scatman · Tuesday at 9:21 AM

Ugly said:
@scatman congrats on the anniversary and getting back on the trail. Glad the lightning avoided you, it would not want to mess with your bionicness.
I hope you used a coupon at REI.

That dragon's tail looks easy from below

Jupiter's beard, fragrant sumac, and all the flowers are blooming like crazy.
Did both or either or none of the two cameras survive Maybird?

Thanks Ugly. Not really sure if Ensign counts as getting back on the trail? I think the Avenues Twin Peaks will be more of a true test this coming weekend.

I used the coupon at REI, and took serious advantage of the 30% off of REI brand gear.

I'm guessing the heat coming in later this week will be the end of the foothill flowers.

My cameras are still drying out. I will put them both out on my deck later in the week when we reach to the mid-80's. My deck will probably be 90 with the heat radiating off of it. Another two weeks, and I'll try the big camera and see if it will power up and take a picture. As for the smaller point-and-shoot one, it got fully submerged on my little escapade and got lot of water in it, so I might go another month or two before I see if it still works. I did test out the Canon EF 24-105mm F/4L IS USM lens and it appears to work now, so that is some good news.

You been dreaming about the Draper Ridge?

Ugly · Tuesday at 11:45 AM

scatman said:
You been dreaming about the Draper Ridge?

Dream is perhaps not the right word...
I was younger the very first time I went up it.

This is some of the ridge near the top.

scatman · Tuesday at 12:43 PM

Ugly said:
Dream is perhaps not the right word...
I was younger the very first time I went up it.
View attachment 141652

This is some of the ridge near the top.
View attachment 141651

Nice Beanie!

scatman · 2025-05-25T14:34:52-0600

I got my stitches out from my knee scope on the left knee on Friday. The doctor said that it is a six to eight week recovery timeframe from the date of surgery. So that means I'm two weeks in as of tomorrow, so four to six weeks left. That being said, I hiked up the Avenues Twin Peaks which was a step up from the short hike up Ensign last week. I struggled some on this one and I'm not sure why. There was some humidity in the air in Salt Lake yesterday which doesn't happen often. That combined with tree pollen made me feel sluggish from the get go. I went slow so as not to aggravate the knee, and it did reasonably well. Sheila joined me on this one and pretty much left me in the dust. Wildflowers were plentiful and I took a lot of pictures of them on the way up.

I continued the camera rotation, using a Canon Rebel T2i which was released in 2010.