The Beatout

From the trail head just before the Snowbird ski area up Little Cottonwood canyon, we hiked up the Red Pine trail and began by tackling the highest of the peaks on our route, the little Matterhorn (11,326 ft), in cloudy weather.


Joe Bullough blazed the trail up the steep east side of the little Matterhorn by kicking steps for the rest of us to use.


From the summit of the Little Matterhorn, we head along the ridge to an unnamed peak.





Heading up to Chipman peak (10,954 ft) as the clouds finally begin to break up.



Looking back at Chipman peak (that's Utah Lake behind it) as we continue along the Thunder cirque.



Mt. Timpanogos in all its glory

Atop South Thunder peak (11,154 ft), the last major summit before our descent down Bells Canyon.

Three or four days earlier Michael Hannan (leader of the Cold Fusion Couloir hike) hiked the same route with a couple of other folks and left a cache of candy on a few of the peaks to help energize and encourage our group. How kind and thoughtful of him!



Heading northwest towards Antelope Island and down Bells canyon.

Taking a last look at that monarch of the Wasatch, Lone Peak (11,253 ft), before we get down into the forest.

The fastest and funnest way down: glissading!

You can see our glissade tracks down the side of the mountain.

Upper Bells reservoir