Mt. Belknap Hike

Saturday, September 6th, 2008. Hiked with David Johnson and Allison to the summit of Mt. Belknap (12,173 ft). Round trip took approximately 4hrs (2.25 to the top; .75 on top; 1hr to descend) to cover 3.3 miles. Started at approximately 10:30 AM (10,973 ft) on a gorgeous day. According to Robert S. Waite's 1974 Ph.D. dissertation, it was in 1881 that the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey began work in the Great Basin on its transcontinental triangulation and reconnaissance survey work west of the 100th Meridian and along the 39th Parallel. High mountains such as Ibapah Peak, Mt. Nebo and Mt. Belknap in Utah and Arc Dome, Troy Peak and Wheeler Peak in Nevada, were selected as working field stations. Part of the program was to set up and experiment with a mirrored signaling device called a heliograph.

Aerial view of our Mt. Belknap hike