just grand

Since we had learned the day before that access to Millcreek Canyon was free all weekend, we returned to that canyon Sunday morning - after breakfast* at Millcreek Cafe & Eggworks - to bag another summit, this time Grandeur Peak.  Our hiking books call it "the most accessible and the easiest of the major peaks overlooking the Salt Lake Valley" but since we had conquered one of the more challenging ones last Sunday, we thought this hike wouldn't hurt our trail cred too much.

Looking back down from whence we came

Starting from the Church Fork picnic area - the very popular and beautiful first picnic area in Millcreek Canyon - it's 2.75 miles to Grandeur Peak, with an elevation change of 2,619 feet.  Like the trail to Mount Aire, the trail begins in a well-shaded canyon, following the streams before emerging onto exposed switchbacks that lead up to a saddle.  From there, it's another half mile and 680 feet up - much steeper than the lower section.  The footing was comfortable, only rocky in a few sections, and although it was hot, both on the more humid sections by the streams and out in the bright sun (it hit 90 in the valley!), we made good time and didn't feel as though we were ever overdoing it.

The view from the summit is much like the views we've been seeing on our recent hikes: 360 degrees of the Salt Lake Valley, the Oquirrhs to the west, the Uintas to the east, the Wasatch crags over the canyons to the south, etc.  Just because we've seen it a lot lately doesn't make it any less impressive.  And Millcreek Canyon has more deciduous trees than BCC and LCC do, so the early summer green is quite vibrant, especially against the cloudless sky.

False summit - keep going!

We didn't stay too long at the top, not wanting to get too sunburned or drink all our water too long before getting back to the car (I drank about 1.5 liters on this hike, a new record for me).  Crazily enough, on our descent we actually ran into someone I know: one of my coworkers and her husband.  They're big hikers and backpackers and as we chatted on the trail for a bit, they pointed out some other peaks on the southern wall of the canyon that they thought H and I might like to try (Mt. Raymond and Gobblers Knob).

These colors are just overwhelming in person

H had had the foresight to pack a small cooler before we left the house, so after we got back to the car we changed out of our sweaty hiking boots, grabbed the cooler and found a shaded and unoccupied picnic table up the canyon a little ways.  Sitting by the rushing creek, devouring our apples, granola bars and cold water, we deemed it a very grand day indeed.

Apres:  the Hog Wallow for Uinta Cutthroat pale ale.

* New rule for A: no more egg- and cheese-heavy breakfasts before hot summer hikes.