Not Denali

Mount Timpanogos at 11,749 feet, isn't the tallest mountain in Utah. But, it may be the most well known. Its top is actually a long ridge with several peaks that fan out along the Northeastern edge of Utah county. I recently read someone else's account of climbing it and thought I should put down in words my only experience doing the same.

It was in the Fall of 1980. I had finally returned to BYU after my mission. I left early one Saturday morning (about 7am) with Kevin Wilson, Stuart Campbell and Chris Money. This adventure was one of several outings in my life where we didn't put a lot of forethought or preparation into the thing. We took no food nor water with us. We didn't even eat any breakfast before we left. I was wearing my K-SWISS tennis shoes. Our hike started at the trailhead near Sundance.

It took us four hours to reach the top and two hours 15 minutes to descend. As I recall we stopped for a rest break where the trail is joined by another path coming from the North trailhead. This is about 2/3rds of the way up the hike? During this rest stop we encountered a small group of young girls (probably a beehive class.) They appeared to be well provisioned and in great spirits and vigor. We were very tired and did our best to look pathetic and beat so we could scam off them part of a sandwich and a can of soda pop. I am certain those provisions "saved" us. From that point on I had no will at all really to finish the hike. Other than the fatigue, lack of water, and lack nutrition, the deleterious effects of the thin air may have also contributed to this absence of drive. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and actually, before long you could see the summit and it was easier to press ahead.

We descended the summit by sliding down the "glacier" into the meadow. I guess this was one of the reasons for performing the hike in the first place. The first 10 feet or so of the slide were straight down and the rest is at a very sharp angle drop. (Pay no attention to the carcasses of ill-fated glacier sliders that you see littering the area.) We must have slid about 300 yards. It was very bumpy and my hands (which I used as stabilizers during this wild ride) were numb and tingly for about three days afterwards. Eager to end our ordeal we nearly trotted the rest of the way down the hill which caused some blisters and bruised toenails from crashing into the front of my shoes. Otherwise, I suffered no ill effects. But, I never did it again. That may be my sub-conscious protecting me.