East coast hiker visiting Utah

Vegan.Hiker

Vegan.Hiker

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Hi guys,

I'm a hiker from northern NJ just a few miles from NY State. I've been wanting to get a taste of Utah hiking for quite a some time but already used up most of my vacation days for a week in the White Mountains in NH next month.

So I went ahead and booked a Friday flight to Salt Lake City and fly back at midnight Sunday night. I'll get 2 days of hiking in and will only miss 2 days of work. The dates are Sept 19th - 21st.

I've never been to Utah, let alone hiked it, so I'd appreciate if anyone familiar with the area could help me dial-in my plan.

My tentative plan so far is as follows...

My flight arrives in SLC at 4:20pm. I plan on renting a car at the airport and driving to Timpooneke Campground where I will sleep Friday night (so I will be at the trailhead to Mount Timpanogos when I awake Sat morning).

Saturday I plan on hiking Mount Timpanogos. When I get back to Timpooneke Campground I intend on sleeping there again Sat night (and loading up on sleep again for the next day).

Sunday morning I plan on packing up my tent and heading north to hike either to Red Pine Lake (and beyond the lake to the summit of Pfeifferhorn if I have it in me). Either that or Blanche Lake. After the hike I was planning on stopping at Tanner Campground on the way back to the airport and paying for a site just so I can take a shower and change before flying home. My flight departs at 11:59 pm on Sunday night. Needless to say I will be pooped and probably my pass out for the 7.5 hr flight home.

Flight lands 9:30 am Monday morning. I'm taking the rest of the day as a recovery day before retuning to work Tuesday.

So my main questions are...

- Is it realistic to think I can do Mount Timp then Summit Pfeifferhorn the next day? I'm a capable hiker in pretty good shape but that's just a lot of elevation gain and mileage for a 48 hr window. Then again I want to get the most out of this trip.

- I'm still debating between Red Pine Lake (and possibly Pfeifferhorn) and the Hike to Blanche Lake for Sunday. I'm hoping somebody has done both and can make a suggestion.. As far as my priorities, I'm not a peakbagger. My biggest priority is finding beauty and if that means summiting a peak, so be it.

- I read that Mount Timp gets really busy on Saturdays. Should I re-plan so that Mt Timp falls on Sunday instead? I'd rather do the hike closer to the airport on Sun (hence Timp on Sat) and was assuming that mid Sept wouldn't be as busy as the summer months? Any suggestions?

- Anything else I should be considering? Any other hikes in close proximity to SLC airport I should consider instead of these? Any suggestions regarding my logistics? Also any differences in preparation from an east coast hike? My camelback is 3L and I always bring some aquamira just in case. I know rain gear/light jacket are a good idea because of the elevation. I ordered the Nat Geo Uinta National Forest trail map (pretty sure that will cover the hikes I mentioned). Anything else?

Thanks,
John


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You won't find a shower at tanner camp ground. Other then than your plan might work. Plan on 10 to 12. Hours for Timp. And about 5 RT for red pine. Similar for Blanch.
 
Thanks.. Any ideas on a place to shower between Red Pine Lake and SLC airport without having to shell out for a hotel room? I'm sure there must be other campgrounds so I'll look into it. I guess I can go back to Timpooneke campground to shower but that's in the opposite direction as the airport.

Since the Timp takes that long I'm going to keep it for Sat. If I moved it to Sun I'd be cutting it close on getting back to the airport.


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Timp is busy on Saturdays but I think the crowds will have peaked over Labor Day weekend. Being your first time in Utah, it can still be good to have people around on the trail like that, though it sounds like you're experienced enough to know your needs, etc. I haven't been up Red Pine Lake or Pfeifferhorn. Lake Blanche would be nice as would just about anything up Big Cottonwood, especially with all the fall colors settling in about that time.

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Have you ever hiked at elevation before? Not that I think you'll get sick, but if you've never hiked at elevation you don't know how your body will respond. A local friend of mine can tell me when we pass 10,000 feet on the way up to Timp. Whereas I've never felt any effects of elevation.
 
Ned has a point, hence why it maybe good to have a busy trail with Timp.

Also, for showers, that's not a common amenity with most campgrounds out here unless it's a national park or some of the state parks. But for what it's worth, it looks like there is a KOA camp on North Temple just a few blocks east of the airport.

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Thanks guys, the elevation is a legitimate concern for me. We just don't have that kind of elevation over here in the east coast. I've been in the Adirondack high peaks and the Whites of NH but those are half the elevation of the Timp and Pfeifferhorn. I'm not concerned about the climb since I've done equivalent base to summit gains, but planned on ascending slower than normal since the thin air will be new to me. Other than letting my body acclimate slowly to the change, are there any tips or advice I should follow?

And thanks for the lead on the KOA, I'll give them a call.



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Just pace yourself wisely. You'll quickly find out what feels comfortable when you're starting out. If you ever start to feel lightheaded, nauseous, headache type symptoms, have a sit, a drink, a bit of food, and rest at least 10 to 15 minutes before pressing on, assuming you're feeling well again by that point.

There is also some stuff out there called Acli-Mate ( http://acli-mate.com/acli-mate-products/ ) that might be worth a try.

I've only encountered what was a very mild headache at about 13k that was resolved with the same rest procedure above.

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Awesome thanks for the tips Will. I wonder if it'll help at all that I'll be flying at like 24k ft for 8 hours the day before?

I've been doing some internet searching and it sounds like he beauty of Blanche Lake can't be beat so I'm leaning towards that for my second day instead of Red Pine Lake/Pfiefferhorn. Has anyone gone past the Blanche Lake to Sundial? If so, is it worth it from a scenic standpoint?


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Great thanks again. On the east coast I'd normally be hesitant to bushwhack alone in an unfamiliar area but it seems like with Sundial and Lake Blanche as two nearly always visible landmarks, getting lost doesn't seem too likely. I'll probably plan on just making the call at the lake to either turn around or keep going, depending on how I'm feeling and how I'm doing on time.


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Definitely worth continuing on to the top of Sundial if you still have any gas left in your tank.
 
Timpanogos and Lake Blanche, those are the two prettiest hikes in the Wasatch in my opinion. They will be busy, but you will still have a great time. I've done Red Pine, it is very nice as well, but I think Lake Blanche is a bit prettier.
 
Flying does nothing for altitude. Cabins are pressurized at around 7000 ft max. but you are only at it for a couple hours, makes no difference. Do you lower hikes first.
 
There's a gas station just off the Redwood Road exit (about 2-ish miles away from the Airport exit) that has showers. I can't remember the name of the gas station but its on the left (west) side of the road after heading one block right (North) when you get off. If you've gone past North Temple Rd then you've gone too far. That may help you if you're rushed for time and need something close to the airport.

Agreed with everyone saying that Lake Blanche and Timp are worth it. Cheers to your adventures, sir.
 
Taylor F. said:
There's a gas station just off the Redwood Road exit (about 2-ish miles away from the Airport exit) that has showers. I can't remember the name of the gas station but its on the left (west) side of the road after heading one block right (North) when you get off. If you've gone past North Temple Rd then you've gone too far. That may help you if you're rushed for time and need something close to the airport.

Agreed with everyone saying that Lake Blanche and Timp are worth it. Cheers to your adventures, sir.
Click to expand...

So regarding my need for a place to shower on Sunday after hiking and before heading to the airport. I called the KOA in SLC that Wasatch Will recommended and when I told them I just needed a place to shower, they recommended a place down the highway called "Loves Truck Stop" on I-80 and Redwood Rd, exit 118 (pretty sure this is the place Taylor was talking about). I looked up the place online and called them. They do indeed offer shower services 24/7 for $10 and the woman who answers assured me they are clean. Unless you guys have any horror stories about this place, I think this will be my solution. Anyone have any experience on this place?

I'm also trying to decide on whether to camp at Timpooneke Campground Fri and Sat night so I'm at the Mt. Timp trailhead Saturday morning or whether I should just go with convenience and stay at a Motel 6 in Provo both nights (so I don't have to pack my tent and camping gear for the flight). Anyone ever stay at Timpooneke campground before? Is it nice enough of a place that I'll regret staying in a motel?

Lastly, I was inspired by Interpid XJ's trip report to the San Juan Mountains and was wondering if anyone knew of any roads to some scenic spots in the Mt Timp area that I could drive to Sat evening after a long day of hiking?
 
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It's a nice campground. Doesn't really have many views, it's buried in the forest. On the Alpine Loop I would go check out Cascade Springs, it's a pretty nice spot for a relaxing evening.
 
andyjaggy said:
It's a nice campground. Doesn't really have many views, it's buried in the forest. On the Alpine Loop I would go check out Cascade Springs, it's a pretty nice spot for a relaxing evening.
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I might keep it simple, pack light and just shack up at a motel then. Thanks for the tip on the Alpine Loop and Cascade Springs. What about the Nebo Loop? I read that's nice as well. Any recommendations between the two?


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Nebo loop would be a long drive kind of far from Timp if you'll be spending the day there. If you're going to do Timp, I'd just settle for the Alpine Loop. Cascade Springs is off that loop, or if you want something with a view, if your rental car is high clearance, you can do the Timpooneke Road out of Timpooneke CG to the west side of Timp. Another good view accessed by a paved road is Squaw Peak overlook from Provo Canyon. Bridal Veil Falls is also a great spot to just sit and relax, though, there will often be tons of people around and passing by there.

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