"You're hiking Timp today! It's time to get up! You are so excited!" I groaned and turned off the alarm on my cell phone that I had made the night before. What was I getting myself into?
One hour and one carsick ride through Provo Canyon later (note to self: do not eat chocolate chip cookies, greasy popcorn, and snickerdoodle cake the night before driving to Aspen Grove), Kevin, my sister Kaylie, my brother Spencer, my mom, my dad, and I were in the parking lot, eager to hike Mount Timpanogos. Well, eager enough. I was a little upset that we hadn't brought sunscreen (in fact, I had remembered sunscreen but not bothered to grab it because I figured there would be some in my parents' car), but we figured we would just tough it out. So off we went.
The first part of the hike went smoothly. The trails were much better marked than they were 2 years ago when we ended up in a parking lot rather than on Timp, but that's probably because the main trail was washed out by flooding this year so they had to redirect people. As we walked we enjoyed the sunrise (minus the fears of sunburn).
The switchbacks at the beginning weren't too eventful. Kevin and I talked about engineering curriculum stuff with my dad while Kaylie belted out songs nonstop as I listened in awe (she goes running more than I do so she has better lung capacity). Sometimes I'd get a little embarrassed when she was singing around other people, but more often than not they would join in, which was fun. The whole first part was steep and green and calm and beautiful, and I absolutely loved the waterfalls. And Spencer's poses at the waterfalls.
As we made it past the switchbacks and into the meadows, the day became overcast and cool, even raining a bit. So much for needing sunscreen and two liters of water each, haha. As we walked through the meadows bursting with wildflowers, my mom would point out specific flowers and tell us their names. I was impressed.
After 2 1/2 or so hours of hiking, we made it to Emerald Lake. There, we ate and relaxed and watched my dad try to hand off food to random strangers ("The more you eat, the less I carry," he quipped). My mom wasn't feeling well so she decided to turn around while the rest of us went on. She was smart.
As we continued on through the snow and loose rocks, a young woman named Clarissa ended up walking with us for a little while. I listened to Kaylie get to know her better while I trudged onward, unwilling to expend precious energy for talking. Once we reached the loose rocks, she picked up her pace and said good-bye.
And then came the climb. I hadn't remembered how steep it was just to get up to the saddle. Once we reached the saddle, we took a quick breather,
and then continued to the peak. I had actually been terrified about this part for weeks. I had heard a few horror stories of people falling off the narrow paths, and in my morbid imagination I envisioned one of my siblings falling off the edge. But by the time I was there, the path was wider than I had remembered, and I didn't really mind the hike at all. Except that it was long, and steep, and long, and steep, and sometimes people accidentally kicked rocks down toward you.
And after what felt like hours (at least 45 minutes, I think), we made it to the peak! I collapsed onto some rocks and let my legs return from jelly to flesh. As we sat at the peak we ate sandwiches (complete with mayonnaise, courtesy of my dad) and looked over Utah Valley. And tried not to freeze.
And then Clarissa came back! She asked if we would take our picture at the top, and then she took ours.
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| Spencer is wearing mittens made from plastic bags that I had brought along. Note that I am the only one who remembered a jacket. I felt smart. |
Just as Clarissa was going to head back down the way she came, Kaylie told her she should come the glacier way with us. (You can either go back the way you came along those narrow switchbacks of death, or you can go forward on a few more switchbacks and then slide down the glacier to Emerald Lake. My family has traditionally gone for the glacier since there's less risk of falling off the mountain that way.) Clarissa stopped and said, "I kind of wanted to try the glacier, but I didn't want to go by myself. Could I go with you guys?" We all said absolutely, and so she waited a few minutes for us to pack up. And then off we went!
to be continued . . .
