the usual

Hiking Broads Fork, Robinson Variation (2025)

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 21:28:27 -0600

the usual https://solitum.net/posts/hike-broads-fork-robinson-variation-2025/ -

Overview

This is the long awaited summitting of the unnamed knob where Ferguson Canyon, North Fork Deaf Smith Canyon, and Broads Fork meet. We made a feeble attempt last year and another attempt from Ferguson Canyon this spring.

The trailhead is at the base of the “S” curve in Big Cottonwood Canyon. There are two trailheads that the parking lot services: Mill B South and Broads Fork. Broads Fork is at the west end. We had cool weather, probably in the mid-to-high 40’s (°F), with an occasional light breeze. Cloud cover kept us cool most of the way up. If we stopped for more than a few minutes, the breeze chilled us off pretty good. No complaints about the weather—it was a perfect day for us. We noticed a few patches of snow trapped in some of the high elevation (and sheltered) plants from yesterday’s storm that passed through.

This trail services Twin Peaks and is a good alternative to the Broads Fork in-and-out, allowing you to descend down the Broads Fork trail. Some hikers take this route on their triple traverse (Salt Lake Twins, O’Sullivan/Sunrise, and Dromedary) and then go down Mill B South past Lake Blanche.

Our ambition was lower than when we were half our ages, and this doesn’t bother us. Our objective was (merely) the 4400 foot elevation gain from the trailhead to the high point on the ridgeline west of the Twin Peaks, which is prominent from the valley floor:

Our destination

Maybe sometime (probably not) we’ll try Twin Peaks from this route as well (I’ve hiked it before already many years ago and have checked that one off the list).

Photos

A little rock for climbing

Fresh trail after the rain

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A little deer family

Broads Fork creek

The bridge (a little more than a mile up the trail)

North side of Big Cottonwood Canyon: very rugged

Looking up Broads Fork, elderberries for scale

Red-tailed hawk landing

Still some lovely color

West side of Broads Fork

West side of Broads Fork, elderberries for scale

Aspens

Peaks above Broads Fork (l-r): Dromedary, O’Sullivan (Sunrise), East Twin; our route is up a draw to the right

Robinson Variation is just right of the large pine, up the draw to the ridge

Looking north; Mount Raymond and a bit of Gobbler’s Knob in background

Ponds in upper Broads Fork

Upper Broads Fork

Yes, this is the Robinson Variation. The route up is (too) well-marked with cairns; down: YOYO

Ooo-tee-dee!

A clean view of the Robinson Variation draw to the ridge

Steepitude

Life signs

A little lichens

A view of Mount Raymond and Gobbler’s Knob on left and Kessler Peak on right

Peaks

The geology of the canyon is beautiful

The upper part of the draw

Looking north; Broads Fork ponds below

Panorama: Monte Cristo is visible on the far right

The ‘M’-shaped peak is Monte Cristo; Sundial to its left in upper Mill B South Fork

There’s a marmot in this photo

Even the rocks get into the fall colors

Just a few more steps to the top of the draw (but not the top of the ridge)

From the top of the draw, look south: this is our destination

Mount Raymond; my brother for scale

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A piece of shale

Storm Mountain

A little snow from yesterday’s storm

Looking east, Kessler Peak on the left

Getting closer, but man, there are a lot of rocks up here.

Every autumn one can observe the beautiful colors of the rocks in upper Broads Fork

On the summit, looking east to Salt Lake Twin Peaks

Looking west down North Fork Deaf Smith Canyon

Looking south toward Lone Peak and Thunder Mountain

The ridge from here to the twins is another thousand feet of elevation

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Looking down into North Fork Deaf Smith Canyon

Looking north down Broads Fork and Big Cottonwood Canyon

A horn-shaped rock; about 5 feet long

Marmot poop. I first thought it was pika poop and got excited because “pika poop”

A little life in the rocks

Across Broads Fork toward Dromedary Peak

Elderberries

A tree with cancer

GPX & Map

My GPX track (view on Footpath ).

- https://solitum.net/posts/hike-broads-fork-robinson-variation-2025/ - Scott Wiersdorf

Hiking Roberts Horn (2025)

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 21:29:41 -0600

the usual https://solitum.net/posts/hike-roberts-horn-2025/ -

Let me begin by saying that this was not my best hike, and it could have been better. Et, ut solitum est, mea culpa erat. Which is Latin for “I did not carefully check my ridge route before ascending.”

What that meant practically I’ll tell you later. First, the good part of the hike, which was like 95% of it. I started around 7:40 a.m., the sun still below the ridge to the east (Roberts Ridge). The trail was covered with a few inches of fine, dry dust.

There was still water running late in this dry summer:

A little water

Given how dry this summer has been, I was surprised to see these lower springs still running

Western Monkshood: do not eat

The trail through the lower Giant Staircase was shady most of the morning. The sun came up on the trail around mile 3.

At mile 4 I was back in the shade again, before the last “step” of the Giant Staircase that leads into Timpanogos Basin.

I love the views of Timpanogos Ridge in the lower section of Timpanogos Basin.

Looking north/northwest toward North Timpanogos Ridge and the limestone hoodoos

The upper part of the basin has its charms.

Upper Timpanogos Basin

Up the scree slope to the divide

Timp Divide aka Roberts Ridge

A bit of snow in August

I am happy to say I found some snow in August and made a (wee) snowball. Hey Mark.

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At this point I’m standing on Timp Divide, between Timpanogos Basin and Aspen Grove Basin. This is the southern end of Roberts Ridge.

On Timp Divide looking north: Timpanogos Basin on the left, Aspen Grove on the right, Roberts Ridge down the middle, with Roberts Horn at the high point.

Roberts Ridge on the Timpanogos Basin side is a bit steep

Here is where things went a little pear-shaped. Before I left, I sort of sketched my route (which you can see in the map at the bottom of this post) along what I thought was a nice smooth contour line, and then a final steep push of a few hundred feet near the peak. I should have done more research because there is an actual route that many people take which is perfectly good and easy to navigate. I think I panicked a little when I looked up the ridge and saw some of the alpine fir bramble… I have bad memories of scratching and clawing my way through this sort of thicket such that I will always opt for an open route, even when it’s worse. Which is what happened here.

A scree slope. I did not check my route carefully and incorrectly believed this way would be better than the actual ridgeline

A rare sighting of Terrence the Alligator.

Terrence is an albino alligator and native to the area

I did finally make it up. If you’ve ever tried to climb up scree, you’ll know it’s a lot of one step up, 3/4 of a step back (or more). It was a lot of effort for so little—and it could have been completely avoided had I stayed as close to the ridgeline as possible.

The view from Roberts Horn:

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I feel that the views from Roberts Horn allow you to take in the heart of Timpanogos more than any other location.

Roberts Ridge looks rough and forbidding from the bottom, but the ridge itself, while rocky, has eroded enough to leave plenty of room for a trail.

View from Roberts Horn: Hidden Lakes on the left, Emerald Lake center

Roberts Ridge: it looks worse than it is. The trail is not bad

A survey marker and Timpanogos Basin

Survey Marker, 1940

Looking back up at Roberts Ridge

A couloir

A few more photos on the way down.

Here is a 5 minute summary of the hike:

Lesson learned: trust the route dozens of other people before you have taken (and left GPS record of).

My GPX track (view on Footpath ).

- https://solitum.net/posts/hike-roberts-horn-2025/ - Scott Wiersdorf

Hiking Ferguson Canyon (2025)

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 15:57:57 -0600

the usual https://solitum.net/posts/hike-ferguson-canyon-2025/ -

My brother texted me on the 4th of July in the evening wondering if I wanted to hike the next day. We had no plan or destination in mind, so I looked around my maps a little and thought maybe we could try Ferguson Canyon. I hadn’t been up this canyon for many years and couldn’t remember what it was like.

As always, Girl on a Hike offered good advice for parking and what to expect on the trail to the switchbacks.

There isn’t much parking, maybe a dozen spots (there are a few extra spots just north of the first lot by the trailhead).

Trailhead parking

The first quarter mile or so is mostly level or downhill. You’ll pass a water tank with views of the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

BCC mouth

And turning toward the valley a view of the lovely gravel pit (I mean this… this is nostalgic for me) at the mouth of the canyon.

Nostalgic gravel pit ❤️

The trail is shady and cool along the stream for the first mile and a quarter until the switchbacks. Even as you leave the switchbacks, the trail stays shady through mid-morning even in July.

There is plenty of water on the trail until the switchbacks start:

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Mossy cove

Mossy pool

You’ll cross the creek a few times. I would imagine that in spring these crossings would mean wet feet, but with the water this low there were enough rocks or logs to stay dry.

Creek crossing

The switchbacks start about a mile and a quarter up the trail:

A fine switchback

And another fine switchback

At the last switchback you can stay left to an overlook with some hoodoos. I took these shots on the way down (in case you had some sunlight continuity question):

The lower trail has your typical maple, Gambel oak, chokecherry, etc. and as you leave the canyon bottom you get your typical mountain mahogany.

Mountain Mahogany in bloom

I cannot recommend enough getting an early start. We had good shade for nearly 4 hours.

Shady side of the trail

Still mostly shady

This is another shot near the previous taken in the afternoon on the way down.

Sunny switchbacks

A panorama of the canyon including Hounds Tooth:

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The trail after the switchbacks is less maintained, but is never hard to find.

A clear but narrow trail

In some places erosion has made the trail into what looks like a stream bed.

Stony trail

Here is a view of Upper Meadow:

Upper meadow

As the sun came up, all the bugs came out: flies, mosquitos, bees, dragonflies, butterflies, etc.

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What is this? Bacon grease? Something else?

An aspen with an issue

I don’t know what these are, but they kind of stink. Bees seemed to love them.

Stinky flowers and bumblebee

As we got a little higher and nestled back into the canyon bottom, it got shadier with some aspens and firs.

Lovely fir shade

A big white fir

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Ferguson Canyon might be the best route up to Storm Mountain.

A view below Storm Mountain

Here is another meadow above Upper Meadow, we’ll call Uppier Meadow:

Uppier Meadow looking east

Uppier Meadow looking west

The trail officially peters out at a rock field, but cairns guide those who want to continue up toward the ridge that some take toward the Salt Lake Twins.

After last month’s way-too-steep hike up Mahogany Mountain, this wasn’t too bad, though 1000 feet of gain per mile is a pretty good grade.

My GPX track (view on Footpath ).

- https://solitum.net/posts/hike-ferguson-canyon-2025/ - Scott Wiersdorf

Hiking Mahogany Mountain North (2025)

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 14:00:04 -0600

the usual https://solitum.net/posts/hike-mahogany-mountain-north-2025/ -

Remembering previous attempts

I thought I’ve sworn off this mountain after my first disaster and second disaster, but Girl on a Hike documented a better route that’s been bothering me that I hadn’t tried it.

Notes about the trailhead

The trailhead that you might see on maps is no longer there. The county installed some concrete barriers a number of years ago and the small service road is no longer accessible from the road, though you might be able to park on the shoulder if you knew where the service road was.

Maybe?

Alas, the gravel parking area that Girl on a Hike described is now gated by Cedar Hills City. I just parked on the shoulder near the gate and it was fine.

No parking for you

Once inside the gate (walking), head north but stay left to pick up the old golf cart trail (no longer used). Follow this until you reach the 14th hole putting green and then go around the bend. The trail is on your left and is pretty obvious (you can see it in satellite images).

I didn’t know where I was going until I came back this way. Lots of stickers in the socks from this patch.

Unmaintained golf cart trail

The old trail merges with the new here; continue in the same direction around the 14th hole

The old trailhead which you can still see in some maps is blocked from road access by concrete barriers. There may be enough shoulder for a car or two.

No parking for you (still)

A view of the green at the 14th hole, the parking area, and Canyon Road

About the trail

This trail is best done earlier in the morning. The bottom 3/4 of a mile is pretty exposed to the sun later morning through sunset. Above 7000’ elevation so you get into a lot of juniper, mahogany and Gambel oak on the trail, then again around 7700’ elevation you get into conifers almost until about 8700’ elevation, and then you’re near the top.

The trail is clear, easy to follow (with one or two minor exceptions), and has a lot of beautiful views on the way up as well as at the top.

That said, this trail is steep, as Girl on a Hike mentions. 3770’ of elevation gain in 2 and a half miles (1.9 miles as the crow flies). Mean grade is around 36%, with some sections approaching 60%.

This trail is a toe-jammer and knee-buster on the downhill. I recommend the route Girl on a Hike mentions , going out on the Timpooneke trail and then down one of Grove or Battle Creek canyons rather than the in-and-out that I took—I was short on time and this is what I had to deal with.

I felt pretty good on the way up, just a bit winded sometimes in the steep sections. I felt pretty good on the way down too for about half a mile, and then the IT bands started to complain about it. I had to walk backward probably a total of a quarter mile off and on just to keep moving.

In the end, I was hoping for a hang glider to get down. I’ve never been in a hang glider but was ready to learn given the amount of ache I was having.

Now, please enjoy some photos.

Photos

Oddly, there’s a lot of Mountain Mahogany

Primrose

Mahogany Mountain (peak) far right

A little more on the nose

Sumac

This big limestone fin was kind of interesting.

Limestone cliffs

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If I were a tree, I would grow at the top of this fin too

Just to the right of this dead tree is a big cavity in the limestone, visible from SR-92

Bending rocks at 70° angles

A row of tombstones

Indian Paintbrush

A li’l danger doodle. It might not be dangerous, but I avoid touching fuzzy things like this with bare hands:

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Pano looking down into American Fork Canyon:

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A rare section of slightly flat trail

Nothing remarkable, but the trail began to be nice and shady.

Check out these tree roots:

Desperate for water

Looking north toward Little Cottonwood Canyon ridgeline.

Lone Peak, Bighorn, maybe one of the Thunder mountains in snow

Even better shade. This section of the trail, while still steep, afforded a deeper shade than the mahoganies below.

Conifers!

You could hide in this

View of Mahogany Mountain (south peak)

Coming out of the conifers, you’re near the top of the north peak. North Timpanogos to the left.

I’m not sure what this cairn and flag represent. I felt honored to be there. It’s on the ridgeline some several hundred feet away from the peak.

A memorial?

North Timpanogos and North Mahogany Mountain

I found a little snow.

Still a bit of snow

This one’s for you, Mark:

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The drop north into American Fork Canyon is somewhat dramatic.

The peak

A view of American Fork Canyon and nearby peaks:

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A cairn at the top

Pano:

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View of Timpanogos and Chris Flat area behind Mahogany Mountain:

Mount Timpanogos in June

Looking north to Little Cottonwood Canyon ridge

The aspen stand in the middle of the picture is the top part of Heisett’s Hollow.

A final view of Mahogany Mountain (south peak).

Firecracker penstemon

A little hard to see, but there were some switchbacks. They’re just very short and very steep.

Switchbacks!

Some of the wildlife:

A lizard. The place was literally crawling with ’em

A view of that limestone fin from above

Open questions

Q. What’s with the little off-trail excursion at the 0.88 mile mark?

A. There was a tree I simply had to examine more closely. I left no trace.

Route and map

My GPX track (view on Footpath ).

- https://solitum.net/posts/hike-mahogany-mountain-north-2025/ - Scott Wiersdorf

Hiking Mount Battie (2025)

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 20:28:07 -0400

the usual https://solitum.net/posts/hike-mount-battie-2025/ -

We took a little trip to Maine to be with family for a few days, then out to the coast for some R&R in Camden, Maine. The parking at the trailhead seemed ample, probably big enough for 4 or 5 vehicles.

Mount Battie trailhead parking

The trail starts out innocent enough.

But quickly gets kind of bouldery. I also had some trouble getting a good grip on these rocks for some reason. The shoes I brought are really grippy under normal circumstances, but they didn’t grip these rocks at all and I had to catch myself from faceplanting at least twice.

This is early spring for Maine and things are still just waking up.

I startled this hawk who left his perch as I came up, then quickly went back to it as I walked under.

It turns out he was trying to have some breakfast.

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The trail was marked in blue tree tags and blue paint on the rocks and trees.

Stairway as seen from side

The grade in some places is over 40%, but only lasts a few hundred vertical feet.

Stairway as seen from front

Just finishing up the steepest grade

Steepest part is behind me

I’m assuming this is a cairn that just got out of control.

A pile of rocks

About half the trail had running water, I assume mostly runoff from a storm that came through a couple of days before.

Trail with water

Big cairns, little cairns.

A clear path

First view of the WWI tower

Tower under renovation

WWI memorial plaque

Looking south

The summit is also accessible via a car, but the road was closed while we visited Camden.

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The views of Camden Harbor were great.

I’m sure this had an interesting use once.

I love the earnest cairn piles.

Some Labrador tea (maybe).

Last view of the harbor.

My GPX track (view on Footpath ).

- https://solitum.net/posts/hike-mount-battie-2025/ - Scott Wiersdorf

Hiking Horsetail Falls (2024)

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 08:18:58 -0600

the usual https://solitum.net/posts/hike-horsetail-falls-2024/ -

Lone Peak and Big Horn

View of the falls

Above the falls

View of the falls

Hi!

The colors were lovely:

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Below Chipman Peak

A flock of turkeys:

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My GPX track (view on Footpath ).

- https://solitum.net/posts/hike-horsetail-falls-2024/ - Scott Wiersdorf

Hiking Broads Fork, Robinson Variation (2024)

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 09:17:15 -0600

the usual https://solitum.net/posts/hike-broads-fork-robinson-variation-2024/ -

My brother has this peak he wants to summit that’s visible from his office, on the ridge southeast of Storm Mountain and northwest of Twin Peaks. Unfortunately the route options include: Stairs Gulch, Ferguson Canyon, and Broads Fork, none of which go to this ridge (easily). I read about the Robinson Variation in a book that looks like it could work, so we gave it a half-hearted try.

My brother

Some elderberries

Looking south up Broads Fork

Still a little snow under Sunrise Peak

Some light bouldering in upper Broads Fork

No discernible trail from here

Looking east-northeast down Broads Fork

The hike turns into a scramble here and we turned around

Loose rock, but open terrain

We’ll try this again this summer after a litle more research.

My GPX track (view on Footpath ).

- https://solitum.net/posts/hike-broads-fork-robinson-variation-2024/ - Scott Wiersdorf

Flaneuring Vienna (2024) Day 3

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 20:35:24 -0400

the usual https://solitum.net/posts/flaneuring-vienna-day-3-2024/ -

For our last day in Vienna we tried to go places we hadn’t seen yet, as well as revisit places we had and enjoyed.

Our hotel dryer: 3 hours and 15 minutes for a small load. Efficiency: you keep using that word.

A proper dönerkebab

Almdudler: have you tried it?

The Vienna opera house

St. Stephan’s Church

Kirche am Hof

Rathauspark (Town hall park)

Wiener Rathaus (Vienna town hall)

We spent considerable time in the Votive Church—I really loved this church.

Votive Church

Votive Church lamp

Votive Church

Smoking

Even McDonald’s gets in on the vibe

Inside McDonald’s

Art history museum

Flaneuring Vienna (2024) Day 2

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 20:35:24 -0400

the usual https://solitum.net/posts/flaneuring-vienna-day-2-2024/ -

Day 2 took me to the Innere Stadt area of Vienna and the surrounding neighborhoods.

This courtyard was lined mainly with shops and businesses:

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There were dozens of these carriages for hire:

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Just wandering:

I walked through the Stadtpark. These carp…

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Along Löwelstraße inside the People’s Garden (Volksgarten):

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Vienna State Opera House

Flaneuring Vienna (2024) Day 1

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 20:35:24 -0400

the usual https://solitum.net/posts/flaneuring-vienna-day-1-2024/ -

My son was presenting a paper at a conference in Vienna and wondered if I wanted to go with him.

I had never been to Vienna before but had been brushing up on my Duolingo German for a few hundred days, so I felt fully prepared to ask where the toilets are and how much the dress costs.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Ramen:

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The city of Vienna feels like a 1:1 scale model of itself, a full-scale replica of Vienna of old. It’s beautiful and fun to walk around in.

Views of Schwarzenbergplatz:

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See also Day 2 and Day 3 of this trip for better photos.

Flaneuring Vienna day 1 (view on Footpath ).

- https://solitum.net/posts/flaneuring-vienna-day-1-2024/ - Scott Wiersdorf