After my time in Vegas and enjoying precious moments with my new grandson, Gus, I joined Matt and his family for a hike to the top of Mount Timpanogos. I've wanted to summit Timp again ever since my first climb as a teenager—it was a life-changing experience. So, when Matt suggested we hike it during my visit to Utah, I jumped at the chance. This time, however, we had to be more strategic, given the crowds on the trail. Even early in the morning, it can get busy, so Matt proposed a late afternoon start. We left at 4:00pm, aiming to reach the saddle by sunset for the breathtaking views. The final stretch to the summit would be in the dark, but we figured the valley lights would make the summit even more spectacular. Though I was a bit concerned about the descent in complete darkness, I had my headlamp so I just focused on the trail right in front of me.
We chose to hike the Timpooneke Trail since it was the easiest, but the total distance up and back was still about 14 miles. We left a little after 4:00 from Timpooneke Campground trailhead up American Fork Canyon. Everything fell beautifully into place—minimal crowds, no parking issues, and perfect weather since we were hiking on the shady side of the mountain. The Aspens, Pines, water falls, mountain meadows, and majestic views were just as stunning as I remembered. The other great part was our awesome group of hikers: Sasha and her son Darek, my brother-in-law Blake, Matt and his wife Brei, their kids Tage, Tyson, and Brock, as well as their daughter Morgan and her husband Sterling. Morgan and Sterling started after us, but passed us when we took a short detour to the falls. Everyone had a good time and it truly couldn’t have been a better hike!
Taking pics before the hike with Sasha & DarekTraversing the wet slippery rocksTaking a little detour to the fallsOur little hiking groupTaking a little breather and getting our first view of the topDarek, Brei, and Sasha on one of the switchbacks below us
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The breathtaking view behind us...and the beautiful mountain aheadTaking another little rest, I was so impressed with Brock...what a great little hiker!A rocky section of the trail with the summit in the distanceAnother amazing view of the trail and summit on the leftThe sun illuminating the summitEntering the meadow, one of my fav parts of the hike!
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Matt and boysMountain sheep on the opposite cliffsThe breathtaking views of the wildflowers and foliage
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Pushing onward to make it to the saddle before sundownThe summit still beautifully illuminatedMe with the wildflowers and summitBrei a little further up on the trailMe hiking the last rocky trail to the saddleBrei and boys taking pics of the top with the moonFinal push to the saddleMe and Blake (representing the Manwaring men since Brad was still in Kentucky working) on the saddle.Everyone re-groupingMatt & Brei reuniting with Morgan & Sterling on the saddleViews of the trail belowTage, with views of the valley (Utah Lake and county) on the other sideEveryone getting ready for the final climb, I took off as fast as I could after taking this picture, before my fear of heights got the bette of me!I'm so glad we made it to the saddle by sunset, not only for the views, but because it got dark super fast when the sun went down! The last mile (roughly) to the summit was a steep rocky ridge-line that turned into large rocky switchbacks, it is not for the faint of heart!Mountain sheep that Matt and Brei spotted while hiking to the summitThe trail (far left) with views of the moonI finally made it to the summit behind Matt & Brei's boys. It took a few prayers, some trail guidance from other hikers, and little pushes from strangers behind me when my legs just couldn't propel me up anymore. Once on top I jumped into the little shack to get out of the biting wind! The lights in the valley were amazing!Matt and Brei's boys Tage, Tyson and Brock, they were my motivation to the top!I was able to catch Matt & Brei in their final climb to the top!Another picture of Tage, this time on the summit with the valley lights below, moon, and mountain ridge.Views of the mountains below, Deercreek Resivour, and Heber valleyViews of Utah Lake, Orem, Provo, and all the way to Payson!Lights from Pleasant Grove, Lehi, and Saratoga Springs, to around the point of the mountain to the Salt Lake valley, with views of the Great Salt Lake!Picture showing the narrowness of the mountain at the top. It truly felt like being on top of the world!
Resting in the meadow (where Morgan & Sterling would be camping overnight) before making our way back down (passing numerous hikers just staring out) to our vehicles in the wee hours of the morning. I'm so grateful to Sasha & Darek and Matt & fam for making this hike possible, it was truly a blessing! The only negative effects from the hike was my ragweed (in the meadow) allergies getting the better of me for a couple of days. I'll just have to remember to load up on my allergy medications next time!🤧
