After returning to camp, from hiking Heliotrope Mountain, we were able to get a good lunch and make plans for our afternoon hike. First up was a short jaunt to the top of Peak 11,071. While records don’t show that there was ever a benchmark placed on top, there was plenty of evidence to suggest there had been one at some point in time.
We still had time to get Flagstaff Peak, so off we went. Tom had tried this peak a few weeks ago, but was unable to make the last 30 feet due to loose rock, and strong winds that threatened to blow him off the cliff face. The National Geodetiic website showed a benchmark from 1890 and he really wanted to bag and update their database. It took several tries and a different route for him to get to the top, but unfortunately the benchmark was long gone.
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| A short but steep hike . . . but unlike our Heliotrope Mountain hike, earlier in the day, no wind! |
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Island Lake . . . yes, we are in Utah!
Tom suggested we wade to the island so he could make a provisional peak post for Peakbagger.com . . .
Then he could call it Island Lake Island Highpoint! Who knows? He just might do it! |
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| Kent & Tom check the summit register |
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| On the way back, we took a slightly different path so we could check out this notch |
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After dinner, we had planned to go fish a nearby lake . . .
but we also knew Tom was itching to bag Flagstaff Peak . . . so off we went! |
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Having grown up and lived in Flagstaff, AZ, for thirty years this peak's name intrigued us . . .
It wasn't too hard to convince us to get our third peak of the day! |
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| Not a long hike . . . but definitely uphill all the way . . . what a strange pyramid shaped peak! |
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| Layers of loose rocks, with dirt, and a death defying cliff, is a good way to describe this peak |
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Tom inching his way to the top, but then panic set in . . . we thought he might spend the night! Ha!
Allison was following behind, she wanted to keep going, but turned back, too
(If you look closely you can see the surveyor "X" at the top of the peak . . . oh, so close!)
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Retreating back downhill a bit, and then trying a different route from the north side,
we were able to find a chute that looked doable . . .
Success! Tom made it to the top!
No benchmark, but this triangulation station is proof enough! |
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| Tom makes his way down off the top through the chute . . . a happy man! |
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| Wasatch Beardtongue or Penstemon have cute little faces! |
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| As we we headed back down we could see storms brewing off to our west where we were camped |
As always, Tom has logged our hikes together on Peakbagger.com. His posts come with a topo map and GPS tracks. Click
Peak 11071 &
Flagstaff Peak if you would like to see our route of some short but interesting hikes.
