It was Saturday afternoon and I was getting restless. I had no plans for the day. I had plenty that I probably should be doing but lately I feel the need to get out of the house. And with fall fast approaching I want to spend my time out and about while the weather is nice. So around 3:30 pm I thought I would go on a little hike and take my camera.
A few weeks ago I had explored a bit up Rock Canyon and wanted to go back. I thought this time I might just go up to the Rock Canyon Campground which I think is about 5.6 miles round trip. I knew that there are a few drinking fountains along he trail so I opted to just carry my camera. Plus the weather was overcast and a little cooler than it has been lately.
I started hiking and when I got to the Squaw Peak trail I decided to explore it a bit not really knowing how long the trail was or how far up it I would go. But the further I got up the trail the more I was determined to summit. Despite the weather being pretty nice, I was sweating like crazy and had no water to replenish. (Not a smart idea, I know.) But I was determined. About one mile from he summit I finally ran into some other hikers. That was a little comforting. They said I was about 30 minutes from the top and they were right.
As I was right before the summit, I ran into a several guys from the Utah County Search and Rescue. One of them asked where my backpack was. Oops! :( I told him I didn't need the extra weight to haul up the hill. He said he hoped that they didn't need to come looking for me.
Once I hit the summit, I had the place to myself. I can't believe that I had never done this hike. Okay, really I can believe that I never did the hike. I just can't believe that I had never really heard of it until a few weeks ago. And I didn't understand that Squaw Peak is not the same as Squaw Peak Overlook.
After enjoying the view and taking several selfies, I could hear the search and rescue guys coming up behind me yelling, "Bailey!" It was the same guy that chastised me for not having a backpack. Soon he was getting a response from several girls yelling. He asked me to help try and spot them. I was able to zero in on them with my camera. Then I showed him my photo to help him see where the girls were. You can see the girls in the last photo. I zoomed in a little more for the inset to show you them. The girls had gotten off trail and into an area that they no longer felt safe. They called one of their dads and search and rescue was sent out after them. Last I had heard, the search and rescue guys had gotten to the girls and next was just helping them get down. Anyway, it was nice that I got to be a little help.
The round trip took me 3:40 round trip. The total hike was 7.4 miles with an elevation gain of 2,700 feet. Click here to see the route and other data on Nike+.
