The Van Cott Loop - April 15, 2023

scatman

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With all the snow Salt Lake was getting over the past three weeks, I was relegated to walks up City Creek, but today with sunny skies and highs in the fifties, it was time to hit the foothills again. Our route took us up the north side of Mount Van Cott, but about halfway up, we deviated off the trail to go check out an old quarry, and then off-trailed it from there to the summit. We returned by hiking down into Red Butte Canyon, and then looped back to our Subaru.

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This hike is a favorite of magpies too.

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Cutting up hill to the old Jeep road

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Deer track on the way to the Jeep road

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The only wildflower that was blooming at this point was the spring parsley. I though we might get to see some storksbill, but we
didn't.

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On the old Jeep road that leads to the old quarry


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The old quarry is located at the upper right of the image. Normally, you take a left here to gain the northern ridge, but we instead
followed the road to the east.

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Elk track

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Were there is track, there is bound to be scat

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Making our way through some scrub oak

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Following a game trail at this point

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A look across to the ridge to our north, with a lady and her dog. That is the normal trail up the north side. Beyond that ridge is
the south summit of the Avenues Twin Peaks

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Some scrub oak bushwhacking was inevitable. :)

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Looking down on the quarry which was filled with snow

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An old camp chair out in the sticks. How'd it get there? :thinking:

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On top of the ridge now, looking north towards the Avenues Twin Peaks. For some reason I had James Brown's Payback stuck in
my head on this hike.

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Looking up towards the summit of Van Cott

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These spiders were everywhere today. I literally couldn't take a step without seeing one.

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First good view of Black Mountain Ridge to the north

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Summit shot.

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Our lunch view

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Heading down the south side of Van Cott, with views up Red Butte Canyon

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Enjoying the view

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Look back up at the summit on the south side of Van Cott

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A deer that didn't make it through the winter

Red Butte Creek was ripping. It will only get worse in the next couple of weeks
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A painted lady on the dirt road up Red Butte Canyon

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On the way home I stopped off at ARUP to donate a pint.

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Saturday's pizza was a vegetarian. I added more to my side and Kalamata olives to the whole thing.

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And to replace my depleted fluids from donating blood, we have a Pendejo Porter from Little Toad Creek Brewery in Silver City,
New Mexico. I bought a six pack last year after my Gila River Trip and this is my last one. Wow! I can't believe it has already been
a year since I did that trip. Man how time flies! :( @Rockskipper, I'm going to need you to talk to old man time and get him to
reverse the hands on the clock for me. Scat needs his youth back. :moses: :)
 

regehr

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scat do you have a sense if hiking Big Beacon tomorrow would just be wading in mashed potatoes + mud down low, or might it not be too bad? I'm outta shape and need to get this fixed soon....
 

scatman

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scat do you have a sense if hiking Big Beacon tomorrow would just be wading in mashed potatoes + mud down low, or might it not be too bad? I'm outta shape and need to get this fixed soon....

I'm thinking it would be potentially pretty muddy from the junction with the Living Room up to the saddle. Looking across from Van Cott, there seems to still be quite a lot of snow on the north side of Beacon. When I went to pick up the pizza, I could see that there was snow higher up on the south side too.
My guess is that that side would be drier until your near the top, though it is quite a bit steeper.
 

regehr

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quite a lot of snow on the north side of Beacon. When I went to pick up the pizza, I could see that there was snow higher up on the south side too.
My guess is that that side would be drier until your near the top, though it is quite a bit steeper.
thanks!

yeah I normally hike up the south side since it doesn't get that many people, but that level of steepness on mush or mud would be absolutely no fun.
 

TractorDoc

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On the way home I stopped off at ARUP to donate a pint.
Do I see a G+ on your donation bag? They must know you are Grizzly Positive.

I like the spider picture. Mrs. Scat emerging from the Scrub Oak is a good one too. Perfect day for the two of you to be bare-legging it!
 

Rockskipper

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Sorry, Scattie, me and Old Man Time aren't on speaking terms ever since he blatantly stole my youth and won't return it, just like he did yours. I keep wondering what he does with all those youths? I think he takes photos of them and uses them to taunt us.

As for the giving blood, you look almost beatific - now we know what it takes to get you to smile.
 

scatman

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Do I see a G+ on your donation bag? They must know you are Grizzly Positive.

I like the spider picture. Mrs. Scat emerging from the Scrub Oak is a good one too. Perfect day for the two of you to be bare-legging it!

That G+ just means that we are going to see multiple grizzlies on our August trip. Actually, I am O+, but I have these really rare antigens that they want for some reason, at least that is what they tell me. I think they just want Scat traits spread throughout the general population. :D Mrs. Scat ended up with a nice long scratch on her left leg. I told her that she was now initiated into the official Bushwhackers' Club. :)

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scatman

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Sorry, Scattie, me and Old Man Time aren't on speaking terms ever since he blatantly stole my youth and won't return it, just like he did yours. I keep wondering what he does with all those youths? I think he takes photos of them and uses them to taunt us.

As for the giving blood, you look almost beatific - now we know what it takes to get you to smile.

I've got a plan. I'm thinking that we take old man time and put him in a gunny sack and deposit him somewhere in the deep, dark backcountry of Yellowstone, then have a good old fashion Irish wake for the fellow. What say you?
 

Bob

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I've got a plan. I'm thinking that we take old man time and put him in a gunny sack and deposit him somewhere in the deep, dark backcountry of Yellowstone, then have a good old fashion Irish wake for the fellow. What say you?
Come on you youngsters...... Get walking
 

Rockskipper

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I've got a plan. I'm thinking that we take old man time and put him in a gunny sack and deposit him somewhere in the deep, dark backcountry of Yellowstone, then have a good old fashion Irish wake for the fellow. What say you?
Backcountry? I'm in if it's a thermal feature.
 

regehr

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Sarah and I popped up to Van Cott this morning, just perfect weather right now, and the snowbank near the summit had froze up nice so we didn't even posthole
 

scatman

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Sarah and I popped up to Van Cott this morning, just perfect weather right now, and the snowbank near the summit had froze up nice so we didn't even posthole

Nice! See anything of interest while up there?
 
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