A moose and her baby
Pia and Zita, on the trail to the summit of Ben Lomond Peak: 16 miles (roundtrip), 4000 ft elevation difference between the trail head and the summit. It took us 8 hours, including 1 hour for lunch - we hiked pretty fast :)
Flowers are blooming everywhere along the trail.
There are so many mountain flowers .... it is so beautiful!
At about 8000 foot we reach snow fields.
The flowers pop up right when the snow melts - at the end of June here.
We have to cross some steep snow fields, the trail is deep under the snow, and there are no tracks from other hikers . We met nobody on this trail. We saw only one person at a distance, one or two miles away, walking with snow shoes along a ridge.
Apparently nobody has crossed this steep snow field for quit some time - therefore we have to create our own steps.
It is a bit scary to cross these steep, icy snow fields.
We reach the saddle below the summit of Ben Lomond Peak.
At the summit of Ben Lomond Peak
Lunch at the summit.
At the summit of Ben Lomond Peak. In the background is the snow covered Mount Ogden. In front of Mount Ogden, is the dark Lewis Peak (much lower, no snow, near the center of the image). Next day, we will hike along the ridge starting at the center of the left edge of the image to Lewis Peak.
On the way down, we a sliding down steep snow fields on the summit. In the background is the lake where we plan to go tubing :)
Back at the saddle.
Wow, this slide was really fast!
I just barely missed this rock, sliding down fast - wow!
The next day - on the way to Lewis Peak (10 miles round trip): A VERY steep trail leads to a ridge (3000ft elevation difference between trail head and the start of the ridge). The trail is so exhausting, that we can not really enjoy its beauty - and its much longer than we thought.
After a very streneous climb we reach the ridge: Zita and Snoopy, Ben Lomond Peak in the background.
Now the trail follows the ridge and is almost level. There is only one steep climb left, leading up to the summit of Lewis Peak. There is a gentle brize - this is great - and the views are spectacular. In the background is Mount Ogden.
Flowers on the way to Lewis Peak
We hike from peak to peak along the ridge - the flowers are spectacular - this is a nice trail for mountain biking: next time we'll bring our bikes.
Resting on some small peak along the ridge - the Great Salt Lake is in the background
At the summit of Lewis Peak
The next day: Tubing with friends on a lake at the foot of Ben Lomond Peak (Kali, Pia, and a boy).
Ben Lomond Peak is tallest peak in the background.
Zita, Amrei, and Alfred
Pia, a boy, and Zita
