Brush Mountain 2022

I caught a break in the weather and decided to try something new (but that looked easy) for the first hike of the season. I remember seeing a Forest Service sign for “Curly Springs #051” on the way down Battle Creek canyon a few times and decided try it out.

The trailhead is accessed from Battle Creek (#050) about 1.25 miles up the trail.

Make a sharp U-turn to the right and cross the creek. The trail then makes a gentle ascent (about 500 feet over the remaining mile of trail) to a saddle and then to a high point named Brush Mountain that overlooks Utah Valley.

Young ground cover on the Curly Springs (#051) trail

This is a dimly lit forest, with small trees all around.

A small clearing with a view of the final cliff-top destination

I would have loved to see this a week or two later.

Views of Timpanogos are excellent from this perspective.

View of Mount Timpanogos (left) and Big Baldy (right) from the saddle.

The views of the valley to the west and south are almost as good as Big Baldy (which is just around the corner to the south; read about summiting in 2020 or 2021), but Mahogany Mountain (read the disasterous summit of 2020 or the less disasterous summit of 2021) blocks the view of Little Cottonwood Canyon ridge.

Looking north from the saddle to the high point

Some mountain mahogany trees overlooking the valley

Looking north/northwest. Utah Lake left, Kennecott in the distance center, Mahogany Mountain on the right. The canyon through the middle of the image is Grove Creek.

This is a hike I would take a friend on, or anyone who hasn’t done a lot of hiking but is in good shape. My ascent was about 1h 15m for 2.31 miles.

You could probably pitch a tent up here.

I found a large ant mound on the way down.

A slightly secluded camping spot just after the Curly Springs turnoff from Battle Creek trail

My GPX track (view on Footpath).

Last modified on 2022-05-19