There are many mountains that we have climbed – some are physical places and some are emotional places. I have climbed many and do not have what it takes to physically reach the top of some mountains. Knowing my limits does not stop my love of challenges and places. When I need a rest I think of mountains – that I have seen, that I love, and that I have yet to see.
This morning I give you a mountain from my childhood – come walk with me or sit with me and enjoy the sunrise.
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Mount Timpanogos is the second largest mountain in the Wasatch Range of Utah. The mountain has an elevation of 12,008 ft (3,662 meters). I will do a separate diary on the Wasatch Range – this one is dedicated to a unique mountain. I have chosen this as my first diary on the mountains of the west that I love based on my family roots.
Mt. Timpanogos is seen towering over Utah Valley, including the cities of Provo and Orem, and others. Named after the early name of the Provo River, Timpanogotzis, so named for the group of Ute Indians living along its banks. The river was later renamed for the French-Canadian trapper Etienne Provost, and the original name was transferred to the mountain. Timpanogos is a derivative of a Ute word that refers a canyon from which water flows.
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From a distance Mount Timpanogos has the profile of a sleeping woman. There are 2 legends from my childhood regarding the mountain. No story of the mountain would be complete without the legends.
** One legend says the young Indian Princess Utahna, who was given as a sacrifice to the Great God Timpanogos. As such her sleeping repose on top of the mountain is recognition for her sacrifice.
**The second legend follows with the mountain god Timpanogos demanding the sacrifice of the young maiden Utahna. But Red Eagle, a brave from a neighboring tribe, follows the beautiful maiden to the summit of the mountain and saves her by posing as Timpanogos. Red Eagle and Utahna live happily together in Timpanogos Cave until Utahna discovers that her benefactor is mortal. She then scales the mountain once again and throws herself to her death.
Devastated, Red Eagle carries her body into the cave where he dies. The mountain god joins their hearts and raises them to the cave’s ceiling, creating the rock formation known as the Great Heart of Timpanogos Cave.
Both are interesting – but a word of caution it is believed that both were written and told by settlers in the area, not by local tribes.
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Mt. Timpanogos is one of Utah’s most popular hiking destinations, and has been so for many years. There are two main trails to the top. One starts at Aspen Grove with a trailhead elevation of 6,910 feet, and the other starts at Timpooneke campground in American Fork Canyon at 7,170 feet. They are about 8 and 9 miles to the summit respectively. Hikers see a general alpine environment marked by waterfalls, pine trees, rocky slopes and ridges, mountain goats, and a small lake called Emerald Lake (10,380 feet).
There are also wonderful and less strenuous hikes near the base of the mountain and just wonderful places to sit and be at one with nature. Within the mountain are multiple cave formations. There is a small cave that is open to the public and gives many people an up close encounter with stalactites and stalagmites. The mountains are alive in the spring with columbines and sego lilies and mountain lupines. On a clear day the air is so pure your lungs almost don’t know how to work. My favorite time of year is autumn. The hills are ablaze with the gold of Aspen trees.
Sometimes we just need to take hike in the mountains, literally or virtually to get away from whatever is emotionally draining us. Today I give you this mountain to sit and observe, the pathways to walk, or just to sit and absorb the strength of the hills.
This diary is dedicated to the following people:
**My mother for being independent before her time, and teaching me that independent spirit. My mother hiked the mountain with a youth group in the early 1940’s.
**My great-great grandparents who were the first to settle the town of Orem
**My uncle that taught me the love of the mountains and Utah lake
**My cousin that lost his life on the mountain during a hiking accident before he turned 18
Thank you for visiting this mountain of my youth.
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I have seen and walked many mountains and will periodically post a diary on a mountain from western North America.
Please feel free to let me know if you have been to the mountain and share any mountains you love.
I grew up in Colorado, so I know the appeal mountains have. Thank you for this diary.
Mountains are beautiful, and this mountain is spectacular.
Time to de-lurk: I’m an occasional dKos commenter, here I’ve been toe-testing the water in the pond so far…
I grew up in Romania, and hiked quite a lot when I was young and foolish. I no longer do that when at home, alas, because my friends have all grown up and settled down, and, unfortunately, it is not quite OK for a single woman to hike on her own there… (Since I now
work in Stuttgart, Germany, I occasionally visit the Black Forest: http://www.schwarzwald.de )
The Carpathians are quite varied: I’ve been to places where you could only get on if you clung to a chain fastened into the rock, and the top would be like an uninviting rooftop. Then there are friendlier ranges, with wide plateaux and mineral springs, berries and mushrooms. (And plenty of lakes and streams to bathe in.) A peculiar trait is that sheep and cattle from the lower villages spend their summers up in the mountains, which means plenty of encounters with shepherds and cowherds, who usually treat you to fresh milk and cheese.
Sorry, have to stop here, I have to go back to work before I get too nostalgic…
A last word: my home page has some links to sites featuring the Carpathians. Go to http://www.ims.uni-stuttgart.de/~agnes/links.html
I recommend the Carpathians Webring.
Best wishes to all,
Agnes
The Carpathians are beautiful mountains – it would be wonderful to see them in person.
I understand the nostalgia – in times of stress I always turn mentally to mountains since I live near the ocean. More importantly, in times of happiness I remember the fun and peace that came from being near nature.
Agnes, thank you for sharing your mountains and de-lurking here today.
Dear Sally(Cat),
thank you for the kind welcome. Mountains can be missed very much — though the ocean can be an interesting neighbour too…
There are two things I remember fondly from the Carpathians: the silence, peace and majesty of the mountains, and the kindness of the people who live up there (shepherds, cowherds, inn-keepers). The unconditional kindness and hospitality of people living in such harsh conditions always humbles me, especially if I compare it to the naked ambitions of, well, others.
Hiking in the Carpathians should not be difficult, especially for someone who’s scaled the mountains of Utah… What is complicated is getting there, and navigating the maps, as I don’t know of detailed English maps. The best way, once in Romania, Slovakia or Poland, would be to have local people to hike with. This should be easy, since most ranges and hikers’ associations have their web pages, with e-mail addresses and phone numbers; the climbers are companionable, and usually speak quite good English.
My own plans right now are a bit hazy, I don’t think I’ll be going home this summer :-((((
Greetings, Agnes
Beautiful photo and story, Sally. 🙂
I haven’t done much mountain climbing; most of them are not exactly designed for “women of substance”. I enjoy looking at them though, whether from a distance or closer up, and admire those who actually venture on the journey to the top.
My mountains have been more metaphorical; the everyday mountains of housework and finding time to write…the taller mountains of looking for meaningful work (paid or otherwise)…and the steep, dark mountains of grief and depression (which are starting to fade in the background, finally). Unfortunately, these mountains don’t provide the same exercise that actually climbing does (except possibly the housework), but there’s the same sense of accomplishment when the summit is reached and I see the future laid in front of me.
Sorry for getting philosophical at 6:30 in the morning…
I am glad your grief and depression are fading and those are tough mountains to climb. If you need a hand up the side of the mountain – hold out a hand and we will help you with the climb.
I have never made it to the top of the mountains because I am terrified of heights. I can only go to the tree lines…when there is stark mountain or rocky ledges ahead of me I can go no further. We each face our limits physically and emotionally.
So we shall sit in morning sun together and watch others reach the physical summits. Thank you for joining me this morning.
Don’t see yourself short — I have met up with a lot of ‘women of substance’ when I have been hiking. As one woman told me while we were both resting after a particularly grueling part of a hike, she just goes at whatever pace she needs to, doesn’t worry about how long it takes her or how many are passing her — she knows where she is going and that she will get there eventually.
that’s “dont sell yourself short”
Oddly enough, my husband and I have found we prefer passes to peaks. There’s something wonderful about the moment of cresting the pass and finally seeing what has been withheld. It’s like opening a beautifully wrapped package to find an even more beautiful gift inside.
For another wonderful ‘summit’ in Utah that offers spectacular views, fascinating geology, and complete solitude, we would like to suggest hiking Comb Ridge.
Thank you for the recommendation AndiF.
You are right about the fascinating geology of the Southwest areas. It was one of my favorite things about growing up in Utah. I googled the location and it is spectacular. It has been 40 years or so since I have been to that area, I actually went to school briefly in Mexican Hat, UT. This will definitely go on my list of places to see.
Sunrise or sunset on the desert plateaus – a mental image instantly comes to mind. Thank you for sharing your gift today.
That’s one of the most beautiful photograhs of a mountain that I have ever seen. Thanks so much. I don’t think anything ever gives me as much feeling of perspective on life as being in mountains does.
finally getting back to the Mountains this summer – taking the boys to spend a few days hiking around Rocky Mountain National Park (bookended by weekends in Denver).
Lot of my life tied up in the area – that was my parents (well my Dad’s) favorite vacation spots. When I was 14, I carried my youngest brother up to Eagle Lake – he’s 23 and in the Air Force now
lot of my spirituality is tied to these places too – but that’s a story for another time and place. Going to be interesting to have the old memories stirred up, awaken some ghosts, maybe I can find a better peace with some of them.
And make some new memories too.
Harsh in the summer sun.
The sound of goat-bells in the distance.
Waking in Hania and walking through the dark and silent streets to catch the bus to the head of the Samarian Gorge in order to be there at opening time 7:30 AM.
As the bus travelled into the mountains on its 70km trip being woken by my friend to see the sun come up, gradually flooding the mountains with light.
Eventually reaching our destination, buying the tickets for the park and commencing the walk into the Gorge via the switchback path.
When we reached the bottom we walked alongside the stream that formed the gorge. Almost dry in mid-summer, but there was this constant sound of water that at sometimes was drowned out by the noise of the cicadas.
The stream bed was full of boulders that move in the winter rain, ranging in size from pebbles to vast shapes the size of a small house.
Then the bottom of the gorge
At this point the cliffs rise straight up for 300′ and the gorge is 1500′ below the level of the surrounding mountains.
About two-thirds of the way down is the deserted villag of Samaria, which was cleared when the national park was formed. A place to stop and eat our lunch.
By 5PM we had reached the southern end of the Gorge and the beach. There we had a drink and then caught the boat that took us along the coast to catch the bus back to Hania.
Memories are precious.
My walk down the gorge was in 1972 when I was student at uni. These days you can’t hear the cicadas, too many tourists.
What a wonderful walk down the gorge and pictures are wonderful. The river between the walls of the gorge is perhaps my favorite.
I googled the White Mountains and ashamed to say that I knew nothing about mountains in Crete. My limited knowledge of Crete is from Art History. It was startling to find such spectacular mountains on the island. It will remind to look further than the cities and preconceived ideas of places in the future.
Thank you for letting us walk with you down to the gorge.
I love the Sierras and have spent a lot of time there. Some years ago I did a 2-week solo backpack entering the West Side of the Sierras and coming out on the East Side after crossing Mount Whitney. I got altitude sickness on the way up, nausea and vertigo while crossing an ice field that covered the trail at about 13,000 feet. There was a 4000 foot drop if you slipped. Fortunately I met two women on the way up who looked after me and we set up camp together at the base camp below the final haul (first picture, the other lady is not in it as she took the pictures). By morning I fortunately had recovered, thanks to a hot water bottle, my good down sleeping bag, and some hot tea my lady friends made me. Another camper at base camp got so sick he had to be flown out via helicopter
Almost at base camp. I’m the one with the reddish shirt.
On top of Mount Whitney
Here we are on our way down to Lone Pine afterwards.
The two week trip, covering 87 miles, was one of the highlights of my life. I would see noone for days, sometimes imagining hearing voices in the distance (usually a distant source of running water), worried about blackbears getting my food at night at a campsite with fresh bear poop but no people and no tall trees to hang it from. I slept fitfully under the dangling food bag, which was only head-high. I bathed naked in mountain springs and under waterfalls, ran around in the meadows with deer (“dances with deer”), spent two days in hot springs in the Kern river valley, and kept a diary the whole time. I carried all my food and supplies, some 49 pounds, and even had some food left at the end (was sick of it by then)of the journey.
Wow – what a wonderful trip! The views in the photos are just breathtaking.
I am so amazed and awed by those who can do the high pass hiking. I can relate to the camping in isolation and bathing naked in mountain springs and lakes. What a wonderful thing to do and remember…and the diary is a great way to go back and appreciate the thoughts of the moments.
Do you still hike in the Sierras?
Sometimes I get up to the Tioga Pass or Sonora Pass area for limited day hikes.
Those darn French-Canadians just keep showing up everywhere, don’t they?? 🙂
(Yes, I am French-Canadian).
Thanks, SallyCat!
3 weeks camping in patagonia on a school research trip, one day we climb the to the iconic peaks.
after 10 kilometers, and about 1k of elevation gain, we climb this talus slope
Me at the top
A final photo
For bigger images, click the thumbnails.