Timpanogos...almost

Mt Timpanogos majestically stands at 11,749 feet, the second highest in Utah's Wasatch Mountain range.

I have not been to the actual tip-top of the summit...only to Emerald Lake two years ago. Which lies at the base of the glacier field plunging down from the peak. 2012 was my year to summit Mount Timpanogos!

With an unwillingness to wake up at 5:00 am and drive the required two hours to Mt Timp, we decided to sleep in until 6:00 and be on the trail by 9:00.

After some parking snafus...or rather lack of parking, since the American Fork Canyon "powers that be" decided to dig up the popular hiking trail parking lot during the last busy month of the hiking season...we finally hit the trail a little after 10:00. Not a good start...I knew our summit plans were in jeopardy.

We love hiking with the Lehnardt family, a bunch of cute boys and one angelic girl child (not with us this day). After several failed scheduling attempts, this hike had been on the calendar since last summer.

You can see why we love hiking with this bunch...always an adventure! Erik, imitating a passing "shirtless" hiker is probably going to be mad at me for this photo. But hey...he knows I'm a blogger and always packing the camera!

The hike to the summit of Mount Timpanogos is almost 15 miles round trip with an elevation gain of about 4300 feet.

It is what we call "a butt kicker!" Thanks for posing Izzy!

A few miles in...the group began to separate which makes Izzy very antsy. Whining, she paces back and forth between the two groups.

This is the only group photo I have...actually taken at the end of the hike with my iPhone.

With the amount of daylight hours numbered we made the decision to separate and sent the older teenage boys ahead to the summit. Erik, Michelle, Dean, Lisa and Gabe would meet the hikers at Emerald Lake...which is still a tough hike...at 13 miles and 3000 feet of elevation gain! Admittedly...for a second I considered joining the teenage boys.

On most hiking trails you have to rough it..with no facilities ANYWHERE! Passing this sign the last time I was on this hike, I wondered what kind of a "toilet" they would have all the way up here? Nature called...and well Michelle and I listened and investigated...hesitantly!

This is what we found located around the bend of the grassy hillside.

Talk about roughing it...Michelle and I chose to answer nature's call in the trees...thank you very much!

The last big push up through this rock field gets a little dicey! We even leash Izzy up for fear of the pooch slipping off the cliff.

 Can you even pick out the trail though that spot?


And finally, Emerald Lake...beautiful glistening glacial waters. Utah is in the midst of a serious drought this summer, and the usual snowfield has melted down to almost nothing.

Anxiously watching the storm blow in, we search the mountainside and finally spot the boys sliding down through the snowy glacial field...the teenagers were on their way toward us. I think both sets of parents were thrilled to see them all descending from the ominous peak.

Energetic and eager, the teenagers gathered around us with wet shorts and snow-chilled hands. Cold windy conditions on top and the sketchy path that brought them back to us were all they could talk about.

And for me...I listened intently as the boys recounted their hike to the top, happy that they spent quality "boy bonding" time together. I didn't even think twice about not reaching the summit.

Safely down at the bottom again, surrounded by my boys I ponder what a lovely time I had hiking today with my friend Gabe, oh and his family too!