Hiking Grandeur Peak in Millcreek Canyon With Friends

A short journal entry

I don’t usually do these types of blogs anymore, but hey, let’s mix it up. I’m currently out of state bagging some rad peaks and doing some amazing hikes. I have some new hikes to write about, and lots of beautiful fall pictures to share But, I wanted to share some of these shots I got a couple weeks back.

See, I always hike alone because my work schedule is pretty favorable, and I can get off in the mid-afternoon or earlier if I want. So, when I get the opportunity to go with a couple friends, it’s usually a pretty fun time. The pace is usually slower, the solitude is gone, and there’s more than one pair of boots crunching the ground, but the conversation makes up for it all. Plus, I get to have subjects for my photos!

So, one afternoon after work, I met up with a few friends and hiked up Grandeur Peak, one I had bagged earlier this year. The colors were just starting to come out in Utah, and it was fun seeing how cool this hike could be in a couple weeks. Nevertheless, we headed up the trail in Millcreek Canyon, taking in the spectacular views along the way.

We saw a little bit of wildlife along the way, although not the kind you may expect. I was leading the group nearly the entire way up, and I nearly stepped on a sneaky little snake! The snake slithered away just in time. Later on the trail, we saw a pretty massive spider. It’s the biggest I’ve ever seen in Utah, and reminded me of seeing Huntsman spiders in Australia.

Eek!

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We slowly made our way to the top and were greeted with a pretty fantastic sunset. Salt Lake has a habit of showing off some mesmerizing colors, and these are some of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen. Mountain sunsets just hit a little bit differently!

We took a group shot at the top and needed to descent quickly – the light was fading fast! We ended up descending nearly in complete darkness, and I was smart enough to have brought a headlamp along for the trip. Dark descents can be a little sketchy! I’d done this trail two times before, so I felt confident in my abilities to navigate in near-total blackness.

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We finally exited back to our cars, having put in a good days work. The rewarding sunset, the laughs and conversation on the trail, and the matching burgers the four of us got later were well worth it.

On to the next adventure.

Parting shot:

Next blog: Back to regular scheduled blogs? I think so! I’ve been up to some rad things recently….stay tuned for some elevation!!! And also, if we liked this style of blog, I’ve done a couple other hikes with friends. It’s a different change of pace for me!