Our friend, Tom, suggested Circleville Mountain to us several weeks ago. He said it was a relatively easy hike that followed an old logging road for the first mile and a half. One would then leave the road and make their way up through the forest on a steep but relatively short ascent to open country. From there he said it would be a nice stroll to the summit and some great views.
We didn't need much convincing that we should give this hike a try as it looked to afford us relief from the blistering hot temperatures around southern Utah. When we asked Dan and Lorene if they'd like to come along, they were quick to respond with a "What time and where do we meet?" I guess they were ready to get out of the heat, as well.
Tom's directions were spot on and can be found on his Peakbagger.com entry if you click
here. For our hike the distance was six miles round-trip.
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It's a beautiful morning . . .
temperature in the low 60's . . . and we have a trail! |
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| After about a mile and a half, we left the trail and headed for the ridge |
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| Once out of the trees we worked our way up this rocky outcropping |
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| Our reward for scaling the volcanic boulders . . . great views! |
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| We came across this triangulation post with wires up on the grassy flats |
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| We were keeping an eye to the sky . . . the clouds were amazing! |
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Benchmark on the Circleville Mountain marks the high point or summit (11,331 ft)
We have arrived! |
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| The benchmark is in the middle of the wooden triangle |
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| There is also a reference mark on the summit |
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| These survey marks were used in mapping |
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| The town of Circleville lies in the valley below |
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Dan & Lorene enjoying a lunch break on top next to an old triangulation tripod
(According to Tom, it is pretty rare to come across a still intact one) |
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| We added our names to the summit register |
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| Even Chipper enjoyed taking a snack break at the top |
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| I spotted these Columbine growing along the summit |
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At times, the clouds looked threatening . . . so we decided to head back down the mountain
In the distance (L/R) you can see Mt. Baldy, Mt. Belknap, and Delano Peak . . .
They are the three highest peaks of the Tushar's |
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It's Dan's lucky day . . . he found a horseshoe! (Unlucky horse)
A few minutes later he found a quarter! |
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| Heading north back through the rocky section |
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| The forest smelled so fresh and clean |
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| Wild strawberries in bloom |
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We came across this weather station . . .
Kent was pointing out our recent hike into Rock Lake |
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Fireweed always gets Allison's attention . . . it's so colorful . . .
Hiking up Circleville Mountain provided lots of color . . .
great views and good company |
