The Great Baldy Ascent 2010

Emily and I (Steve) decided to make the ascent after my half-marathon in Moab had been canceled. I was rather saddened that something I had worked hard to train for had not worked out, so was feeling morose. But there, staring me in the face was mount Baldy, rising 8700 feet right out side my door. It was time for an expedition to the top and I knew who would dare scale those airy heights with me: intrepid Emily, one of the most fearless explores of our time. From the map you can see there are numerous routs to the top. The northern ascent is made through Battle Creek canyon, a steep rocky clime up onto the flanks of Mt. Timpanogos. We set out about 10am, with hearts light and two camel backs full of water, some candy bars, a sports drink and two peanut butter sandwiches. The leaves were in full splendor because the fall has come so late this year and it was gorgeous.



But, it was hard going. The trail was very steep and poor trail placement up the canyon means that spring runoff gouges out the trail making it like hiking up a creek bed. It was tiring! We rested often:



But it was a gorgeous hike:


As we approached the upper meadow we were exhasted. We reached the point where the Battle Creek trail joined the Mt. Baldy trail in a beautiful meadow. We laid on our backs pondering if we should go on. Well, at least I did, but Emily wanted to go on. Of course here is her condition:



Here is mine:



The trail continued up as we climbed the saddle connecting Baldy to Timp. It was becoming a slog until suddenly Emily started singing marching songs and the time passed more quickly and with less attention to the state of exhaustion as we sang "I've been working on the railroad," The theme to Gilligan's Island," and "There is a Hole in the Bucket." Up, up, up we climbed, but either due to the thin air, the singing, or the shear beauty of the place, we were in a very good mood as we hiked up the saddle:




At the top of the saddle, we came upon some hunters looking for Elk up at the top of the ridge and chatted with them a few minutes. The first people we had met on the trail since early that morning way down in Battle Creek Canyon. They were amazed we hiked so far. We then turned West for the final assault on Baldy. The trail had been rough, but now it was very steep and we were exhausted. But we reached the top! We met a couple about my age coming down and chatted with them for a minute, they were exhausted too. But then we were there! We had climbed 3300 vertical feet. We had summitted! The first thing we did was reach for our peanut-butter sandwiches and take a picture. It was the best sandwich I ever had:



We then called Mom:



She pulled out her binoculars and looked at us standing on the top. It was funny to think that Mom could see us. I pulled out a white long-sleeved T-shirt I had brought in case it got cold and waved it. She could see it. Yes we had made it to the top!




We stayed for a few more minutes, but then it was time to head home:



It was grueling and hard, but throughout it all we could not help but notice the solitude (we saw five people the whole hike just after leaving the crowds that hike to the waterfall just inside Battle Creek Canyon), the beauty of the fall leaves, golden-leafed aspens stridulating in the wind, the deep dark of the old-pine forests on the flanks, and the cool fall air making it a perfect hike.

By the end we were exhausted. It was much harder than running a half marathon. I'm so proud of Emily. We covered over 10 miles on some rough trails, that climbed very steeply, and trust me going down was every bit has hard as going up. When we reached the Battle Creek waterfall we called Lori and she made a run to KFC. This is what she found when she walked in the house:



But we did it! We climbed Baldy and lived to tell about it!