I'm getting back into hiking after close to 20 years without doing much of it, and I'm looking for peaks around the Salt Lake valley that have little to no snow this time of year and which can be done as day hikes. (I've never snowshoed before, and I'm not ready to learn just yet.)

West Mountain Peak, which I hiked up over the Thanksgiving weekend, was just about perfect for me: there was packed snow on the road, but I did fine in my normal trail shoes.

From the reading I've done so far, most peaks in the Wasatch range look like gambles snow-wise, but some peaks in the Oquirrh range -- Porphyry Hill, for example -- look like they might be relatively snow-free. I'm trying to avoid losing a nice day driving someplace that I can't actually do much hiking, and I'd like to get up another peak or two this month if at all possible.

Any recommendations?

I'm not too experienced with winter conditions in that area, but I think the peaks on Antelope Island might suit your interests very well.

Bob Sihler wrote:I'm not too experienced with winter conditions in that area, but I think the peaks on Antelope Island might suit your interests very well.

The forecast calls for below freezing temps on Antelope, which I'm worried about for some reason. I tried to do Frary Peak with my daughter on my shoulders a couple of weeks ago and couldn't make it to the top, but I'd love another crack at it if I can stay warm enough.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Things change, sometimes on a daily basis, but some of the usual places that have the best chance of having little snow are:

Antelope Island
Stansbury Island
Big Beacon
Ensign Peak
Avenues Twin Peaks
Mount Van Cott
Mt Olympus Trail to the stream crossing
The lower slopes of Grandeur Peak from the west
Pencil Point

Scott wrote:Things change, sometimes on a daily basis, but some of the usual places that have the best chance of having little snow are:

Fantastic list! Thank you very much.

I'm off to research the ones I hadn't heard of.

I will echo Scott's recommendation for Big Beacon/Mt Wire, Grandeur, and Olympus. These 3 peaks can be done all winter long without snowshoes as long as it hasn't just snowed. So many people do them that they get packed down very fast.

There are a few different meetup groups in the SLC area that go out hiking and snowshoeing.

Olympus is likely one of the most accessible peaks year round, and you shouldn't need snowshoes on it. Even if it's snowed recently there is usually enough foot traffic on the trail to pack things down. That being said, freeze/thaw cycles, especially above Blister Hill, can make the trail slick. I recommend Microspikes, good warm winter boots. And gaiters if it's snowed recently.

Here's some pics from a trip up to the summit this morning to give an idea of current conditions up there: (It was super cold but very little wind)







Great workout peak that generally takes less than 3-4 hours round trip.

Phenom wrote:Olympus is likely one of the most accessible peaks year round, and you shouldn't need snowshoes on it. Even if it's snowed recently there is usually enough foot traffic on the trail to pack things down. That being said, freeze/thaw cycles, especially above Blister Hill, can make the trail slick. I recommend Microspikes, good warm winter boots. And gaiters if it's snowed recently.

I picked up some trail spikes, and it sounds like both Olympus and Grandeur get enough traffic to be doable. I was planning to go tomorrow, but this storm is supposed to continue through the weekend. We shall see!

Great pictures, and thank you for the tips.

I picked Grandeur and made it to about 7,700 feet, which was where the already-broken trail ended. Trying to push the last 3/4 mile through 12" of fresh snow without poles made me nervous, and as I'd read a sign wrong (dumb mistake) and added 3 unplanned miles to my hike I was tired and wanted to be cautious.

Still a great hike with great views of the canyon and neighboring peaks, and a good learning experience. I'll go up it again after buying poles, or just after waiting a couple extra days after a snowfall -- I saw 9 other people on the trail, so I'd bet even a couple more hours would have seen the trail broken all the way to the summit.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

It's cool you braved the really cold temps out there, on the past two ascents on Olympus this week I've only seen two people on the trail combined, which is really rare. This morning there was a well packed in trail all the way to the saddle vs only to the top of Blister Hill last Friday.

If you do end up hitting up Olympus when there is snow, I should mention the last scramble from the saddle. (Forgot to mention it in the other post) The scramble is fairly straight forward class 3 at the crux in dry snowless conditions, most people blast right up and down it. However when there is snow and ice accumulated on it, things can get a bit dicey. I usually will bypass the main rock slabs of the crux slightly to the right.

This photo was taken this morning, about 300 vertical feet up from the saddle looking up at the crux section.



This photo shows a little more detail, with the main crux on the center left with snow and ice accumulation. To the center right is the bypass I use up a fissure with a large chockstone somewhat blocking it. (Looks like a cave opening below it in the photo.) It requires a couple low class 5 moves to bypass the chockstone, but the exposure is very minimal, a fall would only be about 10 to 15 feet at the top of the bypass. Versus slipping off the slabs and bouncing down 50 feet or so on the main crux. The rest of the route is steep but not really exposed at all. This last scramble from the saddle to the summit is what makes Olympus worth while, at least to me.



Photos of conditions as of this morning from the summit: Gorgeous sunny day, and warmer up there, about 20 degrees, slight wind. If the weather stays true to the forecast for the next week, there will be a snow packed route to the summit.

Phenom wrote:It's cool you braved the really cold temps out there, on the past two ascents on Olympus this week I've only seen two people on the trail combined, which is really rare. This morning there was a well packed in trail all the way to the saddle vs only to the top of Blister Hill last Friday.

I'm considering hiking up Olympus tomorrow, but I've never done anything like the Class 3 scramble at the top. Is that more than a novice should attempt with snow/ice up there? I've got spikes and poles, but this would be new ground for me.

I went up again this morning, and a lot of the snow/ice has melted off the slab portion on the class 3 section, there are small pockets of it here and there. There are other portions of freeze/thaw ice accumulation on the scramble a bit lower with little to no exposure, though if you're wearing spikes it should really help on that stuff. The bypass I mentioned is clear though. With a bit of care and caution you should be good to go. Beyond that there is a nice boot track all the way to the top.

On the descent I saw several people heading up, and with this nice weather, there should be other people up there throughout the day tomorrow. It was likely the most clear day up there this year, and the inversion hopefully will stay at bay if you get a chance to get up there tomorrow. If you decide to bail on the main summit scramble, the views from the saddle are pretty cool too.

This shot was taken from the summit at sunrise this morning, zoomed clear in on Deseret Peak out west:



Looking S.W.



Another very pink morning:

Phenom wrote:I went up again this morning, and a lot of the snow/ice has melted off the slab portion on the class 3 section, there are small pockets of it here and there. There are other portions of freeze/thaw ice accumulation on the scramble a bit lower with little to no exposure, though if you're wearing spikes it should really help on that stuff. The bypass I mentioned is clear though. With a bit of care and caution you should be good to go. Beyond that there is a nice boot track all the way to the top.

I wound up just going for it yesterday, and made it to the summit. I started at 11:00, a late start indeed, so I doubt we bumped into each other on the mountain (I suspect you were down by then!).

There were a couple of spots on the scramble that I found hairy, but after pausing and collecting myself I realized that I wasn't actually in danger, just scared and psyching myself out. So I kept going, made it, and then found that going down the scramble -- which I'd been a bit worried about -- was actually easier.

This is a pretty grueling hike for someone at my fitness level, but totally worth it. Making it to the top was one of the coolest things I've ever done. Thanks for your advice and encouragement!

Phenom, I think your pic of Deseret Peak is actually N. and S. Willow peak just to the south of Deseret. Gorgeous winter pics. Martin, nice job. I think I'll have to try and make it over to SLC and do Olympus while it's still winter.

I hiked Craner Peak and Stansbury Island High Point a few weeks ago at the end of the really dry high pressure system we had and there was very little snow on both of those hikes. If we get another long dry spell I'd suggest both of those. There are some really stellar views and both make for brutal summer hikes with the heat.