grandeur, not solitude

The weekend after we got back from Moab was pretty rainy and we didn't end up doing much other than chores around the house.  This past weekend, however, was looking good weather-wise, especially for folks who went out to do their outdooring in the morning - scattered showers and thunderstorms threatened each afternoon.  Friday night we decided that we would hike Grandeur Peak Saturday morning: it had been a while since we'd done that one, plus the mileage was appropriate for just getting back into hiking after winter.  What I always, always forget about Millcreek Canyon hikes, however, is that they are steeper than I think they are going to be.  I can never remember that until the next day, when my quads are yelling at me.

Beautiful day in the neighborhood

We were out of the house before 7 a.m. but there were already a bunch of cars at the Church Fork trail head.  We paused to say hello to Sadie (a wire-haired griffon) and her person - it was an off-leash dog day in the canyon so Sadie was the first of many dogs we got to pat - then started on our way.  Although it was in the mid-50s F, we warmed up quickly as we tromped up the road through the currently-closed-for-winter picnic area, then continued up the trail alongside the creek.

South Salt Lake Valley

There were SO MANY people out on that trail.  We encountered a ton of trail runners, working their way back down. [Side note:  trail runners seem to think that they have the right of way, no matter whether they're going uphill or downhill.  For the record, uphill traffic always has the right of way (although if I'm hiking up and see a MTB coming down, I'll let them go by because it's simpler for me, as a pedestrian, to get out of the way).]  We passed a bunch of people on our way up and didn't get passed by anyone, although we did have to share the summit with Sadie and her mom, a father and son, a couple on a date with a stock beagle, two girls in trucker caps and a small troop of Boy Scouts and their fathers.

Amazing that no one else is in the shot

It took us longer than we thought it would to get down because we had to keep stepping aside for the hordes of people coming up; they seemed to be in waves, like they had planned to meet their hiking partners on the hour or half hour.  We met a kid and his collie mix dog who were heading to Maine in June to attempt the Appalachian Trail north-to-south (I recommended bug spray); one or two more Boy Scout troops; lots of UofU and BYU students - just hordes of people and lots of polite dogs.  My favorite was George, a sweet, five month old boxer puppy.  After George's mom watched me let him lick my face, she exclaimed, "I think you need a dog!"  That may be, but we definitely got to pat a bunch of them on Saturday, and that'll do to hold me for a while.

A rarely-captured H sighting

Hike stats:  6.46 miles RT; time 3:04 (moving 2:26; standing :38); elevation gain 2,549 ft.