Date: July 30 and 31, 2017
Location: Mount Naomi Wilderness Area, Utah
Distance: Planned for 26, ended up being 29 miles
Elevation Change: Approximately 8,000 feet of cumulative up and down.
Weather: Warm days (80s) and nights (50s)
Group: Brother-in-law, Mark, hiked along to Naomi Peak, then solo trip after that
I wasn’t aware of the Mount Naomi Wilderness Area until I did a little research to see where I could backpack near a Bear Lake (family reunion). This area is known for its wildflowers, and I have to agree whole-heartedly with that reputation as I’ve never seen more flowers anywhere in my life. Mark, my brother-in-law, kindly drove up with me and hiked along with me to Naomi Peak, which is the highest peak in this area. We started at the Tony Grove Trail Head.
Headed up the trail towards Naomi Peak
After passing Naomi Peak, the trail heads downhill for several miles. It passes High Creek Lake (and the columbine shown below) and then eventually follows the South Fork of High Creek until it reaches the High Creek Trail Head.
The wildflowers along the South Fork of High Creek are great – some were 5 to 6 feet tall. Unfortunately, my photos of these don’t really do them justice. The lower portion of South Fork of High Creek isn’t as scenic. The valley widens out, it gets dusty, and some cows graze there. The trail does cross the creek at least 5 times with some rough bridges consisting of a few logs to some nicer bridges that obviously took more care to make.
Flowers weren't the only vegetation in the area, though.
Double Top Trail was my favorite part of this entire hike. The trail s very faint to non-existent, I didn’t see a soul, and the scenery is fantastic as it follows the ridgeline for miles.
My camping spot for the night. The Mountain Laurel Designs Grace Solo tarp was just for the wind. It was a clear, rain-free night.
Sunrise
Climbing up Double Top
After some extra meandering I swung by White Pine Lake, stopped for some lunch and then returned to the Tony Grove Trailhead to catch my ride out.
