what are the odds?

Last summer was "the summer of biking," since H had some big rides to train for and do (Porcupine Hill Climb, Crusher in the Tushar and the Ultimate Challenge).  This summer, we've decided that it is "the summer of hiking" and we're trying to jump-start our legs by going longer distances sooner.  We wanted to do a nine mile hike on the Saturday of the three-day Memorial Day weekend and a quick scan of the hiking books came up with Bowman Fork to Baker Pass.  It had been about four years since we'd last done it and it seemed like a good one to do again.

Another nice day in Millcreek Canyon

We drove up Millcreek Canyon again, maybe fifteen minutes later than the previous Saturday, and as we passed Church Fork, the parking was already busy there.  Up further, however, we were the first car to park in the small parking area across the canyon road from the entrance to the Terraces.  We started stumping up the steep drive and when we got to the trailhead, turned right to Bowman Fork (the left option will take you along the ridge to Elbow Fork, further up Millcreek Canyon).

Boot-packing

This trail is a good one.  The footing is fantastic, with soft, packed dirt nearly the whole way and only a few rocky spots.  It is mostly shaded and runs alongside a creek for a while, making it a good dog hike.  This morning, it was not a very popular trail - which was great, given the hordes we had encountered at Grandeur Peak last weekend - we only saw five people and four dogs on our way up.  First snow was at 8,539 feet.  After that, there was a fair amount of it, packed into shady drainages and lining the north-ish slopes of Gobblers Knob.  We picked our way carefully across these sections: we counted twenty-five snow crossings and six or seven of them were no-fall zones.  Fortunately, there were old tracks we could follow.

This bowl is pretty steep

It was breezy at Baker Pass, with Gobblers Knob and Mt. Raymond bracketing us.  We could see other hikers on each of those peaks, aiming for the tops.  After snacks, we turned around and retraced our steps, back through the snow fields lining the bowl, down the rocky ridge and back into the woods in Bowman Fork.  The descent was fast: even though there are some steep sections, the footing is so secure that you can really make good time.

Mt. Raymond

We encountered more people and dogs on the way out, including a very cute pack consisting of a corgi, a young black lab and a basset hound puppy, but still nothing like the numbers of last weekend.  We think that a lot of Utahns head out of town for Memorial Day weekend, so if you get out early, you can enjoy local trails without too many other locals.

A deer's hind leg, hip to ankle

After changing to dry clothes and shoes, and of course a post-hike beverage, we ran into town to pick something up at my office.  Then, since we were so close, I suggested that we stop by the Beer Bar for, you know, beer.  When we got there, it was PACKED with hipsters, there to watch Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League final.  We snagged some beers and a spot by the sausage cooler and watched the second half of the game.  It was a lot of fun, watching soccer with a big, involved crowd; the majority of fans were pro-Liverpool but there were enough Real Madrid fans to make some noise for Gareth Bale's incredible bicycle kick.  The RSL vs. Seattle game was coming up next but we didn't stick around for that, calling it a [good] day instead.

Gorgeous light

Hike stats:  9.05 miles; 3 hrs. 19 minutes moving and 4 hrs. 31 minutes total; 2.7 m.p.h. moving speed and 2.0 overall speed; 3,266 ft. elevation gain.

Now, why is this post titled "What are the odds?"?  Because the last time we did this Bowman Fork to Baker Pass hike, it was Memorial Day weekend 2014; we took almost the exact same photos as we did this time; and in 2014, we went to a bar to watch RSL vs. Seattle after the hike.  And since I didn't bother to reread that 2014 post before we did the hike this time, we had no idea.  Talk about coincidence.