If you need a good calf workout, this trail may be a good one for you. With over 2000sf elevation gain in just two miles distance, you are walking an almost 20% slope.
Distance: 4.0 (I only made it 3.5)
Time: 3 hours
Start: The North end of 970 E. Springville.
Difficulty: Hard
Elevation Gain: 2158 ft (I only made it 1890)
Fee: Free
If you want a shorter hike, you can simply go to Round Peak for a good view of the valley and a possible place to camp. Three Sisters Peak is just North of this hike and you will have many great views at these magnificent peaks.
The official trailhead starts at the north end of a residential neighborhood (970 E. Springville). The dirt parking lot could probably hold 8-10 cars. As you are traveling there, see if you can spot the white spot on the mountain. These are remnants of the old Three Sisters Lime Quarry & Kiln. On another trip or as a side extension it is worth a visit. The hike is the width of a road, it gradually climbs to the South. The Bonneville shoreline trail connects to this trail before it levels off and enters the canyon. As you cross the bend in the canyon, you’ll see a small trail head up the side of the canyon.
Most of the trail is facing West so the snow melts faster and there is less shade (especially in the Winter when there aren’t leaves on the scrub oak). As you reach your first summit, you can turn right to head to Round Peak. To continue to three ponds, turn left. The scrub oak gets more dense at this point, but there are still many great views down into the valley. Due to the time of year I hiked this trail, the scrub oak didn’t have any leaves, so the views were pretty consistent. At this point I was walking in 2-3 inches of snow.
At about 1.5 miles, the snow started to became an issue for the first time. I didn’t bring snowshoes so each step I would sink about 1 foot into the snow. This isn’t a very popular trail, so I went beyond where the last person had decided to turn around. I tried to follow the tracks of Elk (or maybe Moose), but these tracks were over two feet deep. I think I ran across a few different places where the Elk had slept as the snow was packed down. I think I need to get some snowshoes for occasions like this. Niko, my dog, had a hard time as well because his feet would sink until his belly hit the snow so it must have been a huge effort for him.
I stopped following the official trail to head to another overlook and get out of the deep snow. The view of the valley and the view of Three Sisters Peak was very beautiful.
On the way back down, I did slip and slide a lot more with the mud and loose rocks, but fortunately was able to keep upright. Snow had gotten into my boots and so both my shoes and socks were completely soaked. Time to shop for some Gaiters – I just ordered these from Amazon for $13.99, I’ll let you know how they hold up.
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