Hiking: Deseret Peak a challenge, but well worth it

Today I went hiking to the top of Deseret Peak with my brother, Mike Roe, and his son Lawson. It was a great day to keep putting one foot in front of the other until that objective was reached.
We knew starting out that our vistas weren't going to be all that great, due to the vast amount of smoke in the air caused by all the wildfires in the west. Wasatch and Uinta Ranges in the north, and  the red rock areas of the south.

Smoky views obscured the vistas

Still you can tell how Beautiful it is on a clear day.

Still, the forest around us is beautiful, really in many ways, an untapped resource for Utahns and others who remain focused mostly on the
Along the way we saw several deer. And there were tons of butterflies and colorful moths flitting around. That was really the extent of the wildlife. Some flowers remained in bloom though it was obvious that we were past the prime season. Dry, hot summers shorten the season for Beautiful blossoms. Still, the plentiful butterflies found the remaining blooms and though the flowers were fewer, the missing color was made up for by the colorful wings of the insects.

The butterflies and moths were finding plenty of blossoms.

Winding down the season with spectacular shows.

Due to some health issues we assume were related to altitude, we were fairly slow getting to the top. We made it though, and that's the important thing.  We hung around for a while and signed a log book that is tucked inside an ammo can up on top. There were three women who had played leapfrog with us along the way and when I started looking for a good rock to use as a tripod so I could take a picture of the three of us, one of the women was gracious enough to snap the shot. The way she handled the camera, she seemed like a pro. I thought the shots she took were all good.

Stunning flowers still remain, but not for much longer.

Mike (L) and Lawson (R) taking a breather.

This huge meadow extends along much of the trail.

Fabulous vistas to the north.

The saddle. From here it's about a mile to the top.

She did a great job of capturing the shot, don't you think?

We made it down in about half the time it took us to get up. We got a little worn out by the time we were done, but all in all it was an excellent adventure.

Lupines as we neared the top

For a full report on what the trail is like, visit my earlier post on Deseret Peak here: clickety-click