Night Wire

by Sam

In case you didn't know, I am a musician. I play trombone with the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds. We rehearse on Tuesday nights at Highland High. I've been playing with them about five years now. The past month it occurred to me that Highland is only about seven minutes away from some major trailheads. So, the past three weeks in a row I have climbed Mt. Wire after rehearsal, alone, with friends, in the snow, hail and rain and of course, the dark.

Map and Stats of Mt. Wire.

The most common starting point for Wire is right across from Hogle Zoo. The climb is extreme, going straight up the mountain, gaining about 1,000' per mile. It's just under two miles to summit. I've only ever done it in the dark. Last weekend when I was up on TED, a few ridges north, I saw that the ridgeline behind Wire's summit was runnable. So last night Jeff, DJ, Cosmo (apparently, we have a mascot now) and I climbed to the summit and took the ridgeline another mile before turning around. We would have gone another mile on the ridgeline if DJ didn't all-of-a-sudden say, "I gotta order a pizza." DJ has a late dinner, what more can I say?

Cosmo, Jeff, me.

Jeff, DJ.

Wire (on the left) from the ridgeline, SL Valley behind it.

The ridgeline has decent single track that probably doesn't see a whole lot of use, something I'd like to change. I'm sure there's at least another three miles to traverse before the ridge ends. I'll be back.