Still Still Still

Still Still Still.

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Fall Meets Winter

We got our first snowfall here in the Utah mountains last week.  Just enough to sprinkle a bit of white, but the snow line came down to just above the benches.  I went up to Squaw peak in Provo canyon and got a few pictures.   It was a good thing I did because it has already melted where these pictures were taken.

 

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Mt. Nebo

Mt. Nebo

Utah Lake Overlook from about 8500 feet

We hiked Mt. Nebo today.  Jeff, Chance, Justin, Quinn and myself. Oh, and JK.  The last time we were up Nebo was about ten years ago when Jeff and I decided to drive up to the summit in the early part of May.  It was snowy, icy, slippery and with the narrow roads and steep dropoffs I was sure we were going to die. 

Thankfully, today’s trip was much more enjoyable.

Mt. Nebo is the highest peak in the Wasatch Mountain Range. Residents and visitors alike often erroneously assume that Mt. Timpanogos is the highest. Mt. Nebo is proud to surpass Timp by 179 ft. Mt. Nebo was likely named after the biblical Mount Nebo in the Old Testament. Three major peaks comprise the summit of Nebo, the highest of which is the north summit. It is visible for miles in all directions.

This is the first time I’ve been on the actual trail.   The trail itself is fine dirt particulates and very little stone or stump.  We were all covered in dry dust after the hike.  We also encountered these random wind gusts that would blow in every direction for about 30-45 seconds and then die down.  It was very odd.

Nebo Bench Trailhead

This is also the first time I have ever had to compete with [you’d never guess it] COWS for a good 1/2 mile on the trail.  JK was in happy heaven.  We wound through what felt like a cow meadow for the first part.  It included a water trough and about 20 cows.  JK thinks every animal is worthy of loving.  Sometimes they return his love, sometimes they don’t.  He found a black cow friend, though.  It’s just a little something to see a cow and a dog licking each other’s face down.

Best Friends Forever.......almost

Traipsing through the meadow

JK got a little too close after about three minutes and the cow started butting him with its head.  The friendship was short-lived as I made JK return so he didn’t get stomped on.

JK, by the way, must be the healthiest pug in all of Utah.  He averages about 25 miles a week hiking/walking/running with us.

Jeff

It is a very good thing Jeff has such a cute backside because I have spent the better part of two decades with this very view. 

Mt Nebo trail

Signs of human alongside the trail, a rock formation

The meadow right before the pines

Mt Nebo Trail, first creek

The boys on the trail

Justin, batting practice

 Justin found a good batting stick on the trail and commenced to lop off the tops of the round thistles, flinging them everywhere including the general direction of our heads.

Justin with stick on the trail

Quinn, Justin and Chance, posing under protest under a really cool tree

Big, downed tree

Serpentine Tree

Aspens in black and white

Looking towards the summit of Mt Nebo

pretty purple flower

Yellow Mountain Daisies

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