South Slopes via Dry Creek

Approach

Dry Creek
From I-15 heading south take the UT-92 exit, EXIT 287 - toward Cedar Hills/Highland/Alpine. Turn left (east) onto W 11000N/UT-92 and drive for 5.6 miles. Turn left onto N Alpine Hwy/UT-74 and follow for another approx. 2 miles. Turn right onto 200 N and drive until 200 E. From here turn north onto Grove Drive. This road winds through suburban neighborhoods and eventually becomes a dirt road. Continue northeast along the main gravel road to a turnaround 2.6 miles from the end of the state highway. There is a parking lot and a maintained trailhead here.

Stats

Distance: TBA
Elevation Gain: TBA
Slope: TBA

TH Elevation:TBA

Route Description

The Dry Creek trail is a nice shaded trail that climbs out of the Alpine foothill suburbs, staying on the south side of Dry Creek. A nice creek and a beautiful waterfall are nice sites along the way. The higher one goes, the more rugged the trail gets.

At one point the trail forks, with the right route being less well maintained (?? mi, 8,300ft). Go right. This trail heads towards the north cirque of Box Elder Pk, and at 9,800ft the trail turns south and circumvents the peak. Stay on the trail until after it crosses over a very broad, flat ridge.

Beyond the ridge one can really ascend anywhere along the open grassy south slopes of the peak. These slopes are covered with huge stepped grades carved into the hillside. These were built to control erosion and allow plant life to grow back after the devastating effects of overgrazing allowed by early settlers. Until mid-summer there are usually some tongues of avalanche debris in the drainages that can provide good snow climbs and the possibility of a glissade while the rest of the hillside is bare. The route up to the summit is straightforward, and if you're lucky, you'll encounters hordes of ladybugs or mountain goats.

Essential Gear

Summer
10 Essentials. A stream provides a good source to refill water on the first half of the route.

Winter
Snowshoes or skis. Ice axe. Avalanche probe, beacon, shovel, and training.

Miscellaneous Info

If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.

Images

View South Slopes via Dry Creek Image Gallery - 8 Images