White Pines Trail - 2011-08-05

It was hard to leave the trailhead. How often can you say that? It would have made for a great day just tooling across Tony Grove Lake and taking in the inspiring views. At an elevation of approximately 8,000 feet, it was a refreshingly cool morning following the brief rain showers that had occurred prior to our arrival. As difficult as it was to leave the shimmering lake, we plodded on our way up the trail.

This was the third time hiking this trail but it impressed us as it always does. The wild flowers were thick and tall, the trail well defined, and an outdoor experience that seemed to be plucked from a Pulitzer Prize winning novel. The trees, the terrain, the temperature (a six word alliteration) were all magnificent.

The climb is not too steep, but it goes on forever - kind of like that uncle at Thanksgiving. From the trailhead you will climb about 800 feet in elevation over 2.4 miles - hardly a challenge for anyone in at least average condition. Along the way, you will enjoy imposing mountain views to the west, wild flowers of almost every color surrounding you, and undulating hills to the north and east.

When the climb ends, you begin to descend about five hundred feet into a basin where White Pines Lake is hidden away. Three hundred foot high cliffs surround much of the lake and there was still a surprising amount of snow stashed for safe keeping. The water was beautiful and this is a favorite camping spot for numerous backpackers. We passed a number of Boy and Girl Scout groups heading up for a weekend camp.

Perhaps the most challenging portion of this hike is the return from lake back up the trail above the basin. Climbing about 500 feet in less than a mile made a number of our fellow hikers breathe a bit heavy, but you can always maintain a slower pace with numerous rests. You might find it somewhat inspiring to know that there was a 71 year old woman that we met and she was keeping a good pace. She reflected on the time earlier this year when she tried to make the trek through waist-high snow without snowshoes. Simply amazing.

This was one of the prettiest hikes that we have done during our time in Utah. Arches, Natural Bridges, and Lower Calf Creek Falls stand out in our memories, but this one offers so much. But if you try this hike prior to June you might want to bring your snowshoes - and a parka.

Map to this hike:

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Total Distance: 13.36 km (8.3 mi)
Total Time: 3:31:49
Moving Time: 2:27:19
Average Speed: 3.78 km/h (2.4 mi/h)
Average Moving Speed: 5.44 km/h (3.4 mi/h)
Max Speed: 17.19 km/h (10.7 mi/h)
Min Elevation: 2438 m (8000 ft)
Max Elevation: 2694 m (8838 ft)
Elevation Gain: 1000 m (3282 ft)
Max Grade: 0 %
Min Grade: 0 %
Recorded: Fri Aug 05 08:59:46 MDT 2011

Link to the photo album:

White Pines - 08-2011