Day From Hell
Just woke up following one of the hardest days of my life. Yesterday, Mike, Bill, Gold, Hobbes, and I attempted to complete the Bald Mountain Loop. We started from my house, headed up the trail, through the new development, and up Switchback Trail. After blazing a trail through the woods, we connected with the forest road leading up the Microwave Towers at the top of Parley’s Summit. We eventually reached the towers just an hour and a half from when we started, having gained 1,000 feet of vertical over 3 miles.
The next part of the ride took us along the Great Western Trail, the trail stretching from Canada to Mexico used by both the Mormons and the Donner Party (one can only wonder what the U.S. would look like today if the Donner Party made it, while the Mormons ate themselves…).
View of Parley’s and Immigration Canyons.
We accidentally followed the wrong path for a bit, resulting in an additional half-mile of riding, but also some good pictures from the mountains dividing Park City and Salt Lake.
We then followed the Great Western Trail over Bald Mountain and some other hills on our way to Big Mountain Pass. This part of the ride was 7.6 miles, with over 2,000 feet of climbing. We reached Big Mountain Pass around 6:45, five hours and 10+ miles from when we started. Bill was experiencing cramping, Gold was tired (mainly due to four hours of non-stop bitching), Mike and I were exhausted, and Hobbes, the only one of us with water, was done for the day.
Gold at the top of Bald Mtn. A long way from Jeremy Ranch
After unsuccessfully attempting to arrange a ride back to the house, Mike and I decided to ride home and get the car. Little Immigration Trail was too muddy to ride, so we wound up riding down U-65 for 5.3 miles of downhill on paved roads, followed by 6 more miles of East Canyon Road. Just two miles from home Bill (who had hitched a ride back to the house) showed up with the car.
In all I rode 22 miles and Mike 24. 6 1/2 hours total. I’m never doing it again.
Update: I created a new album with pics from Bald Mountain Loop. Check them out on my Photobucket page.
