Daddy-Daughter Backpacking: Rock Canyon & Squaw Peak

For Willow's daddy-daughter trip, we spent a night up in nearby Rock Canyon where we took the opportunity to hike up to Squaw Peak, Willow's first significant peak-bagging experience.

- Day 1 -
Thursday - June 22, 2017

We got started on the trail later in the evening and in an effort to get up to a site we'd camp at before it got too dark, we did not stop to take any pictures, only shooting some video here and there along the way. We were successful in beating the dark of night just in time to set up camp and get to bed early so we could ensure we were well rested for our bid to summit Squaw Peak in the morning. Like Raylee, Willow chose hammocks.

- Day 2 -
Friday - June 23, 2017

We woke up early enough and ate up some breakfast before setting off for Squaw Peak.

Willow waiting for breakfast to be served

Our hammocks

As we were gearing up for our side trip up to Squaw Peak, we stumbled into a fuzzy caterpillar in our camp.

Fuzzy caterpillar

All geared up for the peak, we left our overnight gear packed and hidden away for retrieval on our way back down. Up to Squaw Peak we went. Along the way, we'd pass along some cascades in the creek, an old mining tunnel, and plentiful wildflowers, butterflies, lizards, and other interesting animals of the small kind. We even found another fuzzy caterpillar along side the trail.

Cascade along Rock Canyon Creek

Old Mining Tunnel

Onward to Squaw Peak

White Admiral Butterfly

Black and Yellow Ornate Checkered Beetle

Flowers

Fuzzy Caterpillar

Sego Lilly

Lizard

Squaw Peak is one I've done a good number of times now because it is so close and "convenient" to our home, but it was exciting to lead Willow up it for her first time. It's a steep hike, climbing almost 3000 feet in almost 3 miles from where we camped within Rock Canyon. While exhausting for her, Willow handled it like a champ.

Summit Selfie

Standing tall on Squaw Peak

Standing with our backs to the east on Squaw Peak

Looking down upper Rock Canyon from Squaw Peak

Mount Timpanogos as seen from Squaw Peak

Flag on Squaw Peak with Utah Valley beyond

I called home to Jessica and the rest of the kids and even had them run around the yard of our home as Willow and I looked down upon them with binoculars and my camera. After a good long rest on the peak, we made our way back down, observing the sights, big and small, along the way.

Moth on flower

Red and black Ornate Checkered Beetle

Through the meadow along Squaw Peak Trail

Rather than returning straight the camp, we took a short detour off along a social trail that lead to a shelter someone constructed years ago that has been added onto sense. Or at least I don't remember it being as dense as it was the first time I discovered it a number of years ago.

At the shelter

Inside the shelter

From the shelter, we found our way back out to the main trail to lead us back down Rock Canyon and to our campsite to pick up our packs.

Flag on Squaw Peak from below in Rock Canyon

Willow sizing up the mountain we just came down from

With packs in tow, we finished out the remainder of the trail back out to the trailhead. From there, as with Raylee, it was on to lunch and ice cream again.