Naomi Peak

Naomi Peak

County: Cache
Peak elevation: 9,979'
One way hiking distance: 3.4 miles
Elevation gain: 1,899'
Date hiked: Aug 22, 2009

I did this hike with Sean Olsen, Matt Sartori and Bob Grant one weekend while we were staying at Bob's in-law's cabin at Bear Lake. It was a very pretty and enjoyable hike. It was pretty easy and we did it faster than I thought we would. Seeing how we did the hike about 5 months ago, I can't remember the details of the hike, but it was very nice and i'd defiantly do it again. A very easy county high point to check off the list. Great views of the Cache valley from the top. The only picture I have was taken from my cel phone.

Bridger Peak

Bridger Peak
County: Rich
Peak elevation: 9,255'
One way hiking distance: ~1 mile
Elevation gain: ~1000'
Date hiked: July 27, 2008

Interesting notes from Summit Post:
"Within Utah, Bridger Peak claims title to the lowest county highpoint, while in the US, it claims title to the highest "runt" county highpoint (Bridger Peak is the highest of the lowest county within a state)."
"Rich county's current population is estimated at 2100 people (2004 census), making it the third lowest in Utah behind Piute, and Dagget counties."
"Rich is also home to Utah's coolest average temperature throughout the county: 41 degrees."

The last statement, about the average temp, was confirmed when we took a tour of Minnetonka Cave while we were staying at Bear Lake last weekend. The tour guide said that the temperature of any cave is the average temperature of the surrounding area above ground. The temp inside the cave was about 40 F.

So the hike was short, but steep for the first half mile or so. I think it took us about 45 minutes to get to the top. We drove on highway 89 on our way home from Bear Lake, where we were staying in a cabin for the weekend with our friends the Grants and the Olsens, and just a mile or so after Bear Lake Summit we went north on Swan Flat Rd. Swan Flat was a pretty good dirt road that takes you clear up to less than a mile from the peak. We parked where we found the ATV trail that heads up the mountain. If you see the sign for the Idaho state line then you've gone too far. So the ATV trail takes you about half the way up the mountain, and when that trail starts to head east, you need to bushwack your way to the top. There aren't a lot of trees to go through, just weeds. I got lots of those stupid seeds that stick to your socks on me. Very annoying. Like SummitPost says, at the top there is a pile of rocks and a register. There was no pen or pencil, so I didn't sign the register. It was also missing its lid. This hike was not really the coolest county highpoint hike, but there are worse. It is something to do while your staying at Bear Lake. This was Milo's first county highpoint! Good job buddy! He did pretty good in his backpack. He started getting fussy on the way to the top, so I took him out and just carried him for about 10 or 15 minutes. He slept for most of the way down.

2008 County Highpoint Goal

So here is the goal for hiking county highpoints in 2008:

- AF Twin peaks: Hike it while Im up at Tibble Fork as part of the Elder's Quorem campout. I read that there is a 4x4 trail that takes you to 500 vertical feet below the peak. The only question is how much snow there will be on June 20th when the event it planned.

- Bridger Peak: Hike it while we are at Beak Lake with three other couples and kids at the Chauza's cabin. It could be tricky getting away from the wives and kids for a half day, but we'll probably get away with it.

- Bull Mnt: This is a drive right to the top peak that I'll be able to take the wife and kid on (if the wife wants to go) on a Saturday. I'll just have to wait until there won't be any snow up there. That would be the worst to drive clear to the Northwest corner of Utah just to be blocked by snow partway up.

- So Tent Mnt & East Mnt: As far as I know these are two highpoints that you can drive quite a ways to the top. I think each peak has about a mile or so hike from where you park. I'll probably save these two for August or Sept, after I have gotten a hiking backpack for Milo.

- Mnt Nebo: I'll probably do this one in July or August with Eric. I for sure won't be taking Milo or Erika or Sohpie. Its probably an 8 hour round trip hike and quite difficult. .

- Brianhead Peak: We are going to Zions this fall with some friends so we'll stop by Cedar Breaks National Monument and bag this peak on the way through.

- Fishlake Hightop, & Bluebell Knoll: These are another two drive-almost-to-the-top peaks that I might get in this summer if I have some open Saturdays.

Im thinking that I should get most of the long drive/easy hike ones done while Milo is a baby. I'll have quite a few Saturdays when Erika is working and I need to watch Milo this summer so this might be a good way to spend the day, as long as the dirt roads aren't too rough. Its looking like I'll need two more summers after this summer though so maybe I'll be able to finish by the end of 2010.

Mine Camp/Monument Peak

Mine Camp Peak

County: Millard

Peak elevation: 10,222'

One way hiking distance: ~3/4 miles

Elevation gain: 400'

Date hiked: Aug 25, 2007

Monument Peak

County: Carbon
Peak elevation: 10,452'
One way hiking distance: 0 miles
Elevation gain: 0'
Date hiked: Aug 25, 2007

This was kind of a fun tour of Central Utah trip that Sophie and I took one Saturday that Erika was working. We started by driving down to Filmore then headed south east into the mountains. It was a pretty rough road for about 10 miles where we finally reached the trail head for Mine Camp Peak. It was just a quick down 1/4 mile then up about 1/2 mile. Very easy except that there wasn't a trail. We had to kind of bush wack it. After we got back in the car we continued driving south east through the mountains for about 10 miles until we came out at Richfield. From there we drove north through Manti, Ephraim and Fairview and then we went east towards Electric Lake. At a certain point we took a dirt road south and drove for about 5 miles until we got to the peak. We were able to drive right up to the top. We got out, looked around for about 10 seconds, then went back to the highway. We then drove to Scofield Reservoir and I let Sophie play in the lake for about 20 minutes. She was getting pretty restless after being in the car all day. Then from Scofield we drove north to highway 6, then back to I-15 then home.

Wasatch County Liner

Wasatch County Liner

County: Wasatch
Peak elevation: 10,840'
One way hiking distance: 1/3 mile
Elevation gain: 300'
Date hiked: July 7, 2007

Erika, Sophie and I hiked this little pooper scoop county high point on our way to an overnight backpacking trip to Ibantik Lake. I had the coordinates of the high point in my GPS, so we just pulled off the side of the road along the Mirror Lake Highway, just past Mirror Lake, where I thought we should start hiking, and up we went. It only took about an hour tops. The camping at Ibantik Lake was a fun trip. We actually camped at Meadow Lake, just a mile or so north of Ibantik. We started hiking at Trial Lake, then went past Wall Lake, through the Notch, past Ibantik and then we stayed overnight at Meadow. We had the whole lake to ourselves.

Deseret Peak

Deseret Peak

County: Tooele
Peak elevation: 11,031'
One way hiking distance: 4 miles
Elevation gain: 3600'
Date hiked: July 4, 2007

Erika and I and Sophie spend our 4th of July hiking Deseret Peak. This is a great hike. Very pretty the whole way up, moderately challenging, saw some deer along the way, not crowded, overall a great, close hike. To get to the trail head we drove to Grantsville, then up South Willow Canyon. Pretty easy to find. It is kind of amazing how this alpine mountain sticks out of the desert like it does. You get on top and look around and there is desert all around, especially to the west, but the whole way hiking up you would have thought you were in the Wasatch mountains. Anyways, the hike up was nice. Pretty steep in some spots. It was about as challenging as Mt. Olympus. Sophie was getting pretty hot and tired by the end. She was happy to cool down in the river towards the bottom. I would definitely put it towards the top of my list of favorite hikes.



Sitting on the peak with Sohpie

Looking down the way we hiked up

Erika with the GSL in the back


On top, looking East. Tooele in the distance, with the Oquirrh mountains behind and the Wasatch mountains behind them.

Looking West from the peak. Lots of desert.

Thurston Peak

Thurston Peak

County: Davis/Morgan
Peak elevation: 9706'
One way hiking distance: ~4 miles
Elevation gain: ~2000'
Date hiked: June 24, 2007

Erika and I and Sophie climbed this peak. We drove up Farmington Canyon and parked just below the big domes up there. There is a jeep road that continues past this parking area towards Thurston Peak, but I didn't want to drive my 4runner over a big patch of snow that blocked the way. But, we had our mountain bikes so we carried them over the snow and were able to bike for about a mile or so until the jeep road turned into a hiking trail. I thought we were going to be able to bike further, but we hiked the last 3 miles. This was a pretty easy hike. Starting at Francis, you hike over/around about 3 or 4 small peaks until you reach Thurston. Its a fun hike because of the nice views of Davis county on the west and Morgan county on the east. The last 1/2 mile to the peak was the only steep part.




We saw a baby moose on the dirt road in Farminton Canyon on the way back.