Photos: Bountiful Peak at sunrise

Photos: Bountiful Peak at sunrise

(Keaton Reed)


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FARMINGTON — Any month is a good one to go on an outing in the mountains, but October has to be one of my favorites for hiking. While the threat of snow and cold winds are always a possibility this time of year, the beautiful clear skies and 60-degree days of fall offer unparalleled hiking experiences.

Family-packed compact sedans frequent the area around Farmington Canyon during the summer because of its fantastic compromise between accessibility and stunning beauty. But hikers willing to brave the colder temperatures can have Bountiful Peak and Francis Peak all to themselves.

Skyline Drive is actually one of the best dirt roads I have ever been on. It’s a 22-mile scenic loop that begins in Bountiful, works its way up into the Wasatch Mountains, traverses a high ridge line, and descends into Farmington Canyon.

After driving up Farmington Canyon for 7.5 miles, I came to a fork in the road. Skyline Drive continued to Bountiful Peak on the right, and the road that led to Francis Peak lay straight ahead. I wanted to go to Francis Peak.

Francis Peak is most famous perhaps for the giant white radar domes on top, which are clearly visible from the valley below. I planned on camping near the top of the peak and heading over to Thurston Peak in the morning (a 4-mile trek).

I decided to investigate the radar domes on the top of the peak which involved negotiating some unpacked snow. After less than .25 miles of kicking through the dry powder, I realized that Thurston Peak no longer seemed desirable to me. Bountiful Peak, just a few miles south, sounded much more inviting.

Bountiful Peak is a short 500-foot dash from Skyline Drive which makes it a very popular destination for view-hungry folks like me. However, I noticed on my way back to the fork in the road that I didn’t have much gas left, so hiking was back on the menu. I parked back at the fork in the road, and followed Skyline Drive to the peak which was a little over four miles away.

Along the way, I found a much nicer campground where I could have stayed (Bountiful Peak Campground.) It encompasses a little picnic area and is close to Farmington Lake.

The hike went by pretty quickly since the road is fairly gradual, gaining only 1,800 feet over four miles. I reached the road’s crest directly under Bountiful Peak just before sunrise, and rapidly scrambled up the rocky slope to get to the peak. The view gave me some amazing pictures to share.

Keaton Reed is a recent USU Alumnus who loves hiking, running, snowshoeing, and skiing when he isn't working as a editorial assistant in Salt Lake City.

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