Scott Wesemann - Jul 27, 2005 4:56 pm Date Climbed: Jan 1, 2009
Route Climbed: Church Fork Date Climbed: Many
Have done this peak several times, but my favorite was a New Years day hike in 2009. With Matt Van Horn and my friend Jackson. We went via the west ridge, and got pounded with wind up high, but once on top it wasn't as bad, although it was cold. The sunset from the top was impressive.
1/1/09- New Years Day at sunset.
5/15/10- Grandeur Peak Fun Run. I made it to the top in 1:06 (PR) and then ran down Church Fork to Pipeline, to Rattlesnake Gulch and back to the trailhead. What a fun race.
7/23/10- With Jun32 on a very hot day. Sweat-fest.
12/2/10- With Matt Van Horn before work.
1/15/11- With Matt Van Horn via West Ridge.
1/29/11- With Seth, Bill and Matt V. Up the West ridge. Ran down Church Fork, down the Pipeline and back to the trailhead. 11.2 miles. Awesome!
3/5/11- Did the West Ridge, down Church Fork, ran the Pipeline back to the cars. 11 miles. Awesome!
3/18/11- West Ridge down to Church Fork, to the Pipeline and back. conditions were not great . A lot of ice and deep snow.
5/6/11- West ridge with Matt V before work.
10/15/11- West ridge up. Down Church Fork to the Pipeline and out the canyon and back to the cars. 11 miles total.
11/3/11- With Dan Varga and Matt V. Up the West Ridge and down Church Fork/Pipeline.
12/7/11- With Matt Van Horn- Started with Olympus then did Grandeur via West Ridge, down Church Fork/Pipeline and then we bagged Mount Wire. 3 summits, 11K elevation and 23 miles.
2/1/12- West ridge and down Church Fork. 11 miles.
2/15/12- With Jun32. Up West ridge. Deep snow up top. Ran down and then hit Mt Wire. Double up!
Route Climbed: Church Fork Trail Date Climbed: June 24, 2005
I went with a group of 11-12 year old scouts to fill the "5 mile hike" requirement. The scout leader and I dropped off the three boys and his wife at the trailhead and then parked on the road, as we were starting at 8:00 p.m. We tried to catch the lead group unsuccessfully until the saddle. The leader and the boys went ahead, and his wife and I followed more slowly. We reached the summit about 10:00 p.m. with a great view of the Salt Lake valley all lit up. After cell phone calls to tell the families we had reached the summit and were all right, and after posing for a few photos, we hiked back down using flashlights and lightsticks for visibility. We reached the canyon road about 11:45.
This is an enjoyable hike, although somewhat strenuous for a novice hiker like me. At a more relaxed pace, this would have been fine. The upside to starting at 8:00 p.m. is that we didn't see that many other people on the trail.
My son Richard and I really enjoyed the hike and reaching the summit.
Route Climbed: Church Fork Date Climbed: June 26, 2005
Decided at the last minute to climb. Made it along with all the other million people. Nice peak, but if you're looking for solitude, this is the wrong place.
Route Climbed: West Slopes Date Climbed: June 11, 2005
As long as we're going for an informal speed record on the west slopes, I did it in 1:04:29 from edge of asphalt in the Wasatch Boulevard parking lot to the highest rock on top. Some running, blood taste in mouth, and 40mph headwinds for about 10 minutes after the start were interesting.
I saw a woman excited about seeing a Leopard Lily near the top, a flower she "had never seen around here, ever". It was definitely a fantastic flower. A moose could be seen trotting around the Church Fork saddle below the summit (and scaring dogs), and a few ultra-loud-mouthed hikers (also scaring dogs and hikers) at the top. They were drinking from 2-liter bottles of Coke (with special fabric harnesses to hike with). Almost unbelievable.
Bignick - Jun 4, 2005 7:04 pm Date Climbed: Feb 3, 2007
Route Climbed: Church Fork Trail Date Climbed: July 27 01
I have climbed this peak several times, twice going thru snow, one of which I was post-holeing to the summit in crotch deep snow with shorts on. This can be very hot in the summer when done mid day from the west. My latest climb was Feb. 03, 07 started late in the day and got down at dark. It was snowy all the way with ice covering most of the trail. Crampons were not necessary but ski poles would have made it faster and safer.
Route Climbed: Dragon's Tail Ridge Date Climbed: 5-31-05
Decided for something different. I failed to read what BW2 means (bushwack rating), but did afterward. I would consider the brush above the dragon's tail to be BW3 to BW4 in most places. My legs have finally stopped bleeding! =) 2:06 up. It was dismal because of the backtracking and "now where the hell do we go" states that we constantly kept getting into. West slopes down. Beautiful cliffs and a decent trail at first though.
Route Climbed: Church Fork Date Climbed: May 19, 2002
Hiked on a very hot day. The trail is short and follows switchbacks up to the ridge. There were tons of people out hiking because the trail is very popular. Grandeur Peak can be climbed all year.
Hiked many times. I have watched the sunset, fireworks in the valley on the 4th of July, and opened my mission call on this peak. Views of Mt. Olympus or mighty fine.
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: January 2nd, 2005
Ascended Grandeur Pk w/ Joe Bullough before heading on to Church Fork Pk and the Mt Aire saddle. We experienced some very deep snow drifts that made the hiking hard on Millcreek Ridge
Route Climbed: West ridge up, Church Fork down Date Climbed: February 13, 2005
I felt bummed out that I missed the previous day because of weather. I put on some running shoes, gaiters, and ascended the West ridge in about 1:35. Some windblown snow probably within 300 vertical feet of the summit, and more on the East ridge heading to Church fork trail. Very slushy almost all the way down to Churchfork TH from the saddle. Ran down the canyon and back to the original TH for the West side. Very fun! 3:55 for complete traverse, with about 35 minutes of breaks.
Route Climbed: West Slopes Date Climbed: December 30, 2004
In order to sneak in a little more vertical for the year, I hiked up this with Joe after work. The high winds made it interesting (some mountain gusts were reported as high as 80 mph, but ours probably didn't exceed 70?), especially at one point when a rear gust carried me up the hill and I had to run with my legs for a few yards in order to keep from toppling over!
Route Climbed: From Church Fork Date Climbed: February 2003
Snowshoed this in mid-morning. Chilly views of mountain mist across canyon. SLC only slightly visible from top because of cloud cover. Could see eastern ranges all snow covered. Peaceful. Followed the ridge back down to the trailhead in knee-deep fresh powder. Sweet!
Route Climbed: many routes Date Climbed: Many times, all seasons
This is a nice peak to climb, although for some reason flies love to hang around the summit in the summer. I'd say my two favorite ascents were from the northwest ridge and snowshoeing up Church Fork in the winter.
I'm kicking myself yet again since this is another peak that I'd been thinking of doing a page on for a while.
Scott Wesemann - Jul 27, 2005 4:56 pm Date Climbed: Jan 1, 2009
Route Climbed: Church Fork Date Climbed: ManyHave done this peak several times, but my favorite was a New Years day hike in 2009. With Matt Van Horn and my friend Jackson. We went via the west ridge, and got pounded with wind up high, but once on top it wasn't as bad, although it was cold. The sunset from the top was impressive.
1/1/09- New Years Day at sunset.
5/15/10- Grandeur Peak Fun Run. I made it to the top in 1:06 (PR) and then ran down Church Fork to Pipeline, to Rattlesnake Gulch and back to the trailhead. What a fun race.
7/23/10- With Jun32 on a very hot day. Sweat-fest.
12/2/10- With Matt Van Horn before work.
1/15/11- With Matt Van Horn via West Ridge.
1/29/11- With Seth, Bill and Matt V. Up the West ridge. Ran down Church Fork, down the Pipeline and back to the trailhead. 11.2 miles. Awesome!
3/5/11- Did the West Ridge, down Church Fork, ran the Pipeline back to the cars. 11 miles. Awesome!
3/18/11- West Ridge down to Church Fork, to the Pipeline and back. conditions were not great . A lot of ice and deep snow.
5/6/11- West ridge with Matt V before work.
10/15/11- West ridge up. Down Church Fork to the Pipeline and out the canyon and back to the cars. 11 miles total.
11/3/11- With Dan Varga and Matt V. Up the West Ridge and down Church Fork/Pipeline.
12/7/11- With Matt Van Horn- Started with Olympus then did Grandeur via West Ridge, down Church Fork/Pipeline and then we bagged Mount Wire. 3 summits, 11K elevation and 23 miles.
2/1/12- West ridge and down Church Fork. 11 miles.
2/15/12- With Jun32. Up West ridge. Deep snow up top. Ran down and then hit Mt Wire. Double up!
Parkatola - Jun 27, 2005 3:18 pm
Route Climbed: Church Fork Trail Date Climbed: June 24, 2005I went with a group of 11-12 year old scouts to fill the "5 mile hike" requirement. The scout leader and I dropped off the three boys and his wife at the trailhead and then parked on the road, as we were starting at 8:00 p.m. We tried to catch the lead group unsuccessfully until the saddle. The leader and the boys went ahead, and his wife and I followed more slowly. We reached the summit about 10:00 p.m. with a great view of the Salt Lake valley all lit up. After cell phone calls to tell the families we had reached the summit and were all right, and after posing for a few photos, we hiked back down using flashlights and lightsticks for visibility. We reached the canyon road about 11:45.
This is an enjoyable hike, although somewhat strenuous for a novice hiker like me. At a more relaxed pace, this would have been fine. The upside to starting at 8:00 p.m. is that we didn't see that many other people on the trail.
My son Richard and I really enjoyed the hike and reaching the summit.
imontop - Jun 26, 2005 7:44 pm
Route Climbed: Church Fork Date Climbed: June 26, 2005Decided at the last minute to climb. Made it along with all the other million people. Nice peak, but if you're looking for solitude, this is the wrong place.
nebben - Jun 12, 2005 10:25 am
Route Climbed: West Slopes Date Climbed: June 11, 2005As long as we're going for an informal speed record on the west slopes, I did it in 1:04:29 from edge of asphalt in the Wasatch Boulevard parking lot to the highest rock on top. Some running, blood taste in mouth, and 40mph headwinds for about 10 minutes after the start were interesting.
I saw a woman excited about seeing a Leopard Lily near the top, a flower she "had never seen around here, ever". It was definitely a fantastic flower. A moose could be seen trotting around the Church Fork saddle below the summit (and scaring dogs), and a few ultra-loud-mouthed hikers (also scaring dogs and hikers) at the top. They were drinking from 2-liter bottles of Coke (with special fabric harnesses to hike with). Almost unbelievable.
Bignick - Jun 4, 2005 7:04 pm Date Climbed: Feb 3, 2007
Route Climbed: Church Fork Trail Date Climbed: July 27 01I have climbed this peak several times, twice going thru snow, one of which I was post-holeing to the summit in crotch deep snow with shorts on. This can be very hot in the summer when done mid day from the west. My latest climb was Feb. 03, 07 started late in the day and got down at dark. It was snowy all the way with ice covering most of the trail. Crampons were not necessary but ski poles would have made it faster and safer.
nebben - Jun 1, 2005 6:08 pm
Route Climbed: Dragon's Tail Ridge Date Climbed: 5-31-05Decided for something different. I failed to read what BW2 means (bushwack rating), but did afterward. I would consider the brush above the dragon's tail to be BW3 to BW4 in most places. My legs have finally stopped bleeding! =) 2:06 up. It was dismal because of the backtracking and "now where the hell do we go" states that we constantly kept getting into. West slopes down. Beautiful cliffs and a decent trail at first though.
PellucidWombat - May 16, 2005 10:48 am
Route Climbed: West Slopes Date Climbed: May 14th, 2005Made it to the West Slopes variation junction in 35 min, Pharoahs Glen junction in 55 minutes.
Made it to the top in 1:09:30. Round trip in ca. 2 hrs.
Let's see if I can do it faster next time!
mountaingazelle - Apr 30, 2005 8:50 pm
Route Climbed: Church Fork Date Climbed: May 19, 2002Hiked on a very hot day. The trail is short and follows switchbacks up to the ridge. There were tons of people out hiking because the trail is very popular. Grandeur Peak can be climbed all year.
Nate D - Mar 4, 2005 4:32 pm
Route Climbed: Church Fork Date Climbed: 1985-88Hiked many times. I have watched the sunset, fireworks in the valley on the 4th of July, and opened my mission call on this peak. Views of Mt. Olympus or mighty fine.
PellucidWombat - Feb 14, 2005 5:13 pm
Route Climbed: West Ridge Date Climbed: January 2nd, 2005Ascended Grandeur Pk w/ Joe Bullough before heading on to Church Fork Pk and the Mt Aire saddle. We experienced some very deep snow drifts that made the hiking hard on Millcreek Ridge
nebben - Feb 14, 2005 11:38 am
Route Climbed: West ridge up, Church Fork down Date Climbed: February 13, 2005I felt bummed out that I missed the previous day because of weather. I put on some running shoes, gaiters, and ascended the West ridge in about 1:35. Some windblown snow probably within 300 vertical feet of the summit, and more on the East ridge heading to Church fork trail. Very slushy almost all the way down to Churchfork TH from the saddle. Ran down the canyon and back to the original TH for the West side. Very fun! 3:55 for complete traverse, with about 35 minutes of breaks.
PellucidWombat - Dec 30, 2004 1:27 pm
Route Climbed: West Slopes Date Climbed: December 30, 2004In order to sneak in a little more vertical for the year, I hiked up this with Joe after work. The high winds made it interesting (some mountain gusts were reported as high as 80 mph, but ours probably didn't exceed 70?), especially at one point when a rear gust carried me up the hill and I had to run with my legs for a few yards in order to keep from toppling over!
Time up: 1:20
boojem - Dec 21, 2004 1:32 pm
Route Climbed: Church Fork, West slopes Date Climbed: numerousHiked, run and even skiied for 30 years...A great place, especially in order to get away from SLC's inversions.
craghag - Dec 12, 2004 11:36 am
Route Climbed: west slopes Date Climbed: December 11,04Also other routes and occasions!
ecallahan - Oct 5, 2004 6:42 pm
Route Climbed: From Church Fork Date Climbed: February 2003Snowshoed this in mid-morning. Chilly views of mountain mist across canyon. SLC only slightly visible from top because of cloud cover. Could see eastern ranges all snow covered. Peaceful. Followed the ridge back down to the trailhead in knee-deep fresh powder. Sweet!
MrWasatch - Sep 27, 2004 7:09 pm
Route Climbed: Church Fork and West Slopes Date Climbed: manyGreat spring hike if it's not too crowded. Church Fork route is much nicer, west side is brutally steep in some spots.
mtn runr - May 21, 2004 10:17 pm
Route Climbed: NW Butress, SW Butress, Church Fork Date Climbed: many timesRattlers plentiful on SW Butress
hardy301 - Apr 28, 2004 4:58 pm
Date Climbed: 200, 2001A very fun hike that the whole family can enjoy.
PellucidWombat - Oct 15, 2003 7:57 pm
Route Climbed: many routes Date Climbed: Many times, all seasonsThis is a nice peak to climb, although for some reason flies love to hang around the summit in the summer. I'd say my two favorite ascents were from the northwest ridge and snowshoeing up Church Fork in the winter.
I'm kicking myself yet again since this is another peak that I'd been thinking of doing a page on for a while.
John Styrnol - Aug 26, 2003 11:06 am
Route Climbed: Church Fork Date Climbed: December 7, 2002I've done this peak about 4 times, very nice dayhike. Awesome views.