Bragging Rights and Blog Material

I think of Provo Canyon as my home away from home. As a family we've had experiences in the canyon and Wasatch mountains that could fill volumes of blog-space: Visiting Grandma and Grandpa Brown’s trailer across from Vivian Park, picnics at Vivian, South Fork, Bridal Veil, and Canyon Glen parks, afternoon-drives around the Alpine Loop and to Squaw Peak, biking the Provo River Parkway Trail, water-skiing at Deer Creek, tubing the Provo river, hiking Upper Falls, Stewart Falls, Cascade Springs and Timpanogos Cave trails, family reunion activities, backpacking and camping along the Ridge Trail. I have memorized every mile-marker along the Provo River Parkway Trail from Will’s Pit Stop to Vivian Park. Our son Justin lived for a summer at Aspen Grove Lodge where he worked as a camp counselor, and our daughter Jen even held her June wedding reception at the Conrad Ranch in Provo Canyon.

Mount Timpanogos is my landmark for home. We watch the peaks of Timpanogos for the first signs of the incoming season, and my favorite is autumn. Even though it feels like I’ve explored every inch of wilderness in the Wasatch mountain range, I’ve never hiked Mount Timpanogos. But this last Saturday, thanks to the encouragement of my cute little sister-in-law Emily, I experienced the spectacular colors of autumn from a whole new vantage point. Kirk, Emily and I hiked the twelve-and-a-half miles (I’m spelling it out so it sounds as long as it felt) to the summit of Mount Timpanogos.

I’m so glad I can check this off my “things to do before I die” list (and by check-off I mean be done with it!) I can honestly say this was harder than running a marathon, which may actually have more to do with being 15 years older and 50 pounds heavier; nevertheless it was grueling. I believe it was even more arduous for poor Emily, aka Mountain Goat, to hike with us, but as I consistently reminded her, I have children that are Emily’s age. Remember Kirk is the eldest son of 12 boys and 2 girls? Emily is married to Ryan, who is one of the brothers who falls in the younger-half-category of the 14 children. At one point on the downhill-side and toward the end of the hike (about mile 10) when she thought I wasn’t looking, I actually caught Emily jogging. It was almost as though she was desperately looking for a way to turn this into a workout, as if it hadn't been already!

We started at Timpooneke trailhead in American Fork Canyon at 7,370 feet, and hiked to the summit at 11,749 feet, which I will repeat is a twelve-and-a-half mile round trip. Two of our favorite boys (Chris and Jake from our BYU ward) met us at the summit, after having spent the night on the trail so they could watch the sunrise. There had been some mention of Chris and Jake having breakfast ready for us at the top, but since we didn’t arrive until after lunchtime….

For the bragging rights and blog material alone, we are happy we did it! Thanks Em, and thanks Ryan for letting us have your wife for the day!