| Start 'Em Out Young - Matthew's Hikes Trip Report |
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| Start 'Em Out Young - Matthew's Hikes   | 
| Page Type: Trip Report Location: Utah, United States, North America Date Climbed/Hiked: Jul 26, 2008 Activities: Hiking Season: Summer | Page By: Rocky Alps Created/Edited: Mar 6, 2009 / Sep 18, 2009 Object ID: 495700 Hits: 652 Loading... Page Score: 88.53% - 14 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Beginning HikesOur son Matthew was almost a year old, and after several hikes in the Wasatch and a few down south in Zion National Park, I was looking for a way for him to experience his first summit. To be honest, it’s more likely that Liz and I were getting more out of our hikes than he was, but we wanted to instill in him a love of the outdoors at an early age, and as long as we were careful and mindful of his comfort and well-being then why not start him out hiking as early as possible? We bought a Kelty child carrier in early spring, and by mid-summer we’d already taken him on a dozen hikes, most of which involved just a few miles and about a thousand feet of elevation gain. Here are some places we visited in the Wasatch:
Alpine Loop - Wasatch Range, UT(9/30/07)
Ensign Peak - Wasatch Range, UT (4/10/08)
Centerville Canyon - Wasatch Range, UT (4/26/08)
Mill B North Fork - Wasatch Range, UT (5/10/08)
Stewart Falls - Wasatch Range, UT (5/17/08)
Adams Canyon - Wasatch Range, UT (5/31/08)
Silver Flat Reservoir - Wasatch Range, UT (6/14/08)
Lake Mary - Wasatch Range, UT (7/5/08)
And these are the places we went to during our trip to Zion and Bryce:
Weeping Rock - Zion National Park, UT (5/21/08)
Temple of Sinawava - Zion National Park, UT (5/21/08)
Angels Landing - Zion National Park, UT (5/22/08)
Emerald Pools - Zion National Park, UT (5/22/08)
Towers of the Virgin - Zion National Park, UT (5/23/08)
East Canyon Overlook - Zion National Park, UT (5/23/08)
Inspiration Point - Bryce National Park, UT (5/24/08)
 Angels Landing summit view
Angels Landing was one of our favorite hikes, and looking back on it now, I should have taken Matthew and Liz all the way to the summit. The exposure was over-hyped and really wasn’t all that bad as long as I stayed in the middle of the trail near the chains, but not knowing this beforehand we decided to play it safe and Liz and Matthew waited for me at the start of the chains. Liz didn’t really care whether she made the summit or not, so in picking that and other hikes I was selective in picking the ones that had the best views. We soon learned that Matthew’s favorite hikes were the ones involving streams, lakes, or waterfalls. Upon seeing them, he’d immediately smile and say “wa wa” over and over again. It was obvious that he’d taken to being in the outdoors like a fish to water, so I was looking forward to our next opportunity for him to bag his first summit.
Matthew's First Summit
Using Kip Yost’s hike listing, I decided that Bald Mountain would be perfect for Matthew’s first summit. We’d never been to the Uintas before, so this would also give us the chance to see another part of Utah. We made the drive up through Park City first thing in the morning, and after a slight detour due to some road construction in the small town of Kamas, we turned onto the road that would eventually take us straight there. Unknown to me at the time, the toll on Mirror Lake Highway had gone up from $3 to $6 that summer, but fortunately they let us through despite being a couple dollars short (FYI, they only take cash at the booth). The road steadily climbed, and I hoped that Matthew’s ears would be okay at the higher elevation. With Liz feeding him fruit snacks and a banana on the way, he seemed to be fine, so we decided to go for it. As we unloaded our stuff from the car, Matthew caught sight of the child carrier backpack and let out a little giggle, giving us his stamp of approval for the day’s hike.
 Bald Mountain's eastern cliffs
Starting out, we immediately felt the effects of the elevation. Despite several hikes in the last few weeks, it had been over a year since I’d been above 11,000 feet, so we took our time on the way up. There was one lingering patch of snow on the south side of the main trail leading up Bald Mountain which took a few minutes to get around (I was extra careful, since Matthew’s extra weight on my shoulders made it a bit more difficult to maintain my balance on the steeper parts), but for the most part the trail was well-marked and easy to follow. One big difference I noticed on this hike compared with others we’d done in the Wasatch was how soon we were above the tree line, and how much more remote the area felt in general. The extensive boulder fields on the way up reminded me of the 14ers I’d hiked in Colorado, and the views were great. It was amazing how many lakes there were in every direction, and Matthew also liked the various colors of wildflowers we encountered on our way up.
 Stormclouds over Hayden Peak
About 2/3 of the way up we were able see Mirror Lake and Moose Lake beneath Bald Mountain to the east. Despite the small chance of thunderstorms in the day’s forecast, big thunderclouds were building to the east, so we decided to continue to the summit without any more breaks on the way. A large cairn marked the top, and after finding our own spot away from the crowds we sat down for lunch. Matthew downed his bag of Teddy Grahams quite quickly, and after guzzling some water he motioned to my Gatorade. We always made sure to give him as much water as he’d take, and we were especially mindful to keep him hydrated this time since we were at almost 12,000 feet. After giving him a few sips he decided he was done, so we took a few pictures just in time to notice some lightning off in the distance behind Hayden Peak, indicating it was time for us to head back down.
We made it! |
 Bald Mountain from near Mirror Lake
 Bald Mountain from near Moose Lake
Unlike the Angels landing hike, where most of the tourists thought we were crazy for bringing our baby along, this time we came across several other experienced hikers who agreed that it was good to introduce children to the outdoors at an early age. We saw a few other toddlers on the way down, and just like on most of his other hikes, Matthew fell asleep about half way down the mountain. When we got to the car, we decided to drive a bit farther east along the road to Moose Lake and Mirror Lake. There were campgrounds surrounding the entire perimeter of Mirror Lake, and I was envious of all of the people who were staying there for longer than just the day. It would definitely be a nice place to come back and use as a home base for exploring the Uintas again in the future.
While Bald Mountain was Matthew’s only summit that summer, it was a great mountain to start him out on and a very enjoyable family hike. I'd agree with most people that it takes more effort (carrying Matthew in the Kelty packback for just a few miles always makes my shoulders a little sore) and patience to involve the entire family, but the reward of seeing their little eyes light up when they experience nature for the first time makes the extra effort completely worth it. We're already planning where to take Matthew next, and living in Utah we have an almost endless source of hikes to choose from.Bald Mountain StatsDISTANCE: 2.8 miles roundtrip
STANDARD TRAILHEAD: 10,763 feet
SUMMIT ELEVATION: 11,943 feet
ELEVATION GAIN: 1,180 feet
DIFFICULTY: Class 1
TIME: 3 hours
Bald Mountain viewed from a later hike near Mount Watson to the west |
Later HikesSince our trip to Bald Mountain, these are some other places that Matthew has been:
Cecret Lake - Wasatch Range, UT (8/30/08)
Alpine Loop - Wasatch Range, UT (9/28/08)
Maybird Gulch - Wasatch Range, UT (11/1/08)
California Coast - San Francisco, CA (1/24/09)
Yosemite National Park, CA (1/31/09)
Yosemite Falls - Yosemite National Park, CA (2/1/09)
Avenues Twin Peaks - Wasatch Range, UT (5/16/09)
Donut Falls - Wasatch Range, UT (5/23/09)
Squaw Peak Overlook - Wasatch Range, UT (5/24/09)
Mule Hollow - Wasatch Range, UT (5/25/09)
Alpine Loop - Wasatch Range, UT (6/28/09)
Mount Baldy - Wasatch Range, UT (7/03/09)
Mount Watson lakes - Uinta Range, UT (7/11/09)
Sunset Pass - Wasatch Range, UT (7/25/09)
Park Avenue - Arches National Park, UT (8/17/09)
Delicate Arch - Arches National Park, UT (8/17/09)
Double Arch - Arches National Park, UT (8/18/09)
Bachelor-Syracuse Mine - Ouray, CO (8/19/09)
Box Canyon Falls - Ouray, CO (8/20/09)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO (8/20/09)
Independence Pass - Sawatch Range, CO (8/21/09)
Maroon Lake - Aspen, CO(8/22/09)
Silver Lake - Wasatch Range, UT (9/12/09)
Bridal Veil Falls - Wasatch Range, UT (9/17/09) Images
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Western Uinta / Lakes Roadless Area > Bald Mountain > Start 'Em Out Young - Matthew's Hikes
