Deseret Peak Loop

Sunrise on Deseret Peak.

Wish I would have remembered my gaiters.

This past week I got to go camping with the scouts in my ward to the Jamboral. I knew we were staying in the Tooele valley so I packed all my running gear just in case I could sneak away and hit Deseret Peak. When we arrived and were setting up camp I was trying to talk some of the older boys into going with me. No takers this time, which was probably a good thing due to the snow.

It was cold down in the valley when I rolled out of my tent around 5:00 a.m. I drove to the trailhead and got out to use the facilities. There's nothing like a nice cold toilet seat. I guess it's better than squatting. It was probably about 30 degrees. Perfect for running. I've missed the cold. As I started out, the trail was not covered in snow but about 1/2 mile up I was running in at least 3" the rest of the time. Good thing I remembered my long wool socks.

After 1.5 miles the sun had come up enough that I didn't need my headlamp and I started to recognize my surroundings. Unfortunately, I was not where I had planned to be. About a year ago, the OTM's ran this trail from South Willow Lake and bushwhacked it over to the main trail. I found myself in the same place, somehow I had missed the turnoff. Fortunately, I had done it before and knew where I needed to go, if not I probably would not have ventured to the summit. However, I wouldn't recommend it to the faint of heart when it's covered in snow. It was extremely steep. Luckily, I was able to follow a game trail with fresh deer tracks and only slipped a few times. I never fell though.

Summit selfie.

After returning to the main trail I only had a few switchbacks to the ridgeline and a mile to the top. The sun was out in full morning glory and warmed me up enough to take off my jacket. The snow got deeper and deeper. Most of it was only 4-5", but some of the drifts were as much as 2'. Needless to say, there was more than a little post-holing. The last mile to the top took me a lot longer than I expected, but do to the circumstances I didn't feel bad for the slow down.

Just as I reached the summit the wind picked up and chilled me to the bone. I took in the enormous panoramic views and headed down. The miles passed much quicker on the way down. Running downhill in the snow can actually be quite fun. I'd never taken the main trail all the way and I wasn't excited to bushwhack the steep slippery game trails I came up. So, I decided to take the trail down and follow it wherever it went, even if it added extra miles. But it didn't add extra miles. I passed a few surprised hikers starting up the trail. I could see what they were thinking. "Why in the world would someone be running down this trail so early in the morning and in the snow. I thought I got an early start. That guy be cray cray." I smiled at their astonished faces. Near the end, it started to turn north and I saw the trail marker that I missed. It was only about a 1/2 mile from the trailhead. That's what I get for starting in the dark on an unfamiliar trail.

Summit looking north at the Willow Canyons. That's my definition of serenity.

Map and stats of the Deseret Peak Loop trail.

New BST on Mt. Olympus

Mt. Olympus has been the iconic trail for the OTM's since the beginning. Our mantra has always been: "If you can do Olympus, you can do anything." It is one of the most strenuous hikes around with most of the trail climbing straight up offering no respite. The first time I ever climbed Olympus was about 4 1/2 years ago and since then I have lost count how many times I summitted. Last Saturday I set a new record on my summit time, 1:37:14, breaking my last time by four minutes. And my round trip time, 2:41:57, breaking it by more than 20 minutes. I hope to be able to break 90 mins. to the summit one day. That mountain is brutal on the quads. I long for the day it won't leave me crying the next day as I attempt to climb the stairs at my house.

Map of the new Bonneville Shoreline Trail under Mt. Olympus.

As I ran the trail I noticed two new trails. I had heard that a new Bonneville Shoreline Trail was being constructed in the area, but had no real knowledge on the matter. So this morning I set out to explore the new trails. The only downside was that I had to do it alone in the dark. Not that I mind being alone or in the dark, it just would have been nice to see a bit more than my headlamp's toilet bowl vision. I started at 4:30 a.m. and on my time limits I was able to run from the Olympus trailhead to the Z trail connector on Thousand Oaks Drive. It was about three miles one way. I followed another offshoot that went up from the Z trailhead, but my time ran out. I hope it gets well tracked out in the winter, but there are some parts that could be extremely dangerous in the snow if one were to fall off the trail. It is extremely steep on some sides. I can't wait until more of the trail is finished connecting all the way to Draper because the Mt. Olympus trailhead is, so far, the closest to my house.

Access point #1 at the 3rd switchback on the Olympus trail. 

Access point #2 at the 5th switchback.