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Gog Meadow Backpack, 13-15 July, 2024
Six went on the backpack: Dave W, Brent L, Susan, Teresa, Deanna, and Dave P (leader); and two hiked out part way with them and returned for a day hike: Kathy and Jane E. The parking lot at Tony Grove Lake was full but we were able to park at the overflow lot near the campground. The weather was warm and sunny. The trail to White Pine Lake still had lots of flowers even though it has been hot and dry for weeks. We had lunch just past the bridge over White Pine Creek. Then we hiked a short way along the trail to the White Pine camping area and stopped at the turnoff for the route to Gog meadow. At this point the day-hikers returned to Tony Grove and arrived at the parking lot at 2:30.
The Gog meadow route appears to be occasionally used by horses but vegetation has obscured it in many places. Dave P and Brent hiked it last year but still they had to stop frequently to confirm the route. The group arrived at the meadow in the early afternoon. It is a large open area covered by short vegetation, with occasional clusters of conifers, and bordered on two sides by streams. Last year’s cow pies were there but there was no fresh evidence of cows. There were biting flies and a few mosquitoes but DEET kept them from being bothersome. A nice area for a group “kitchen” was located and tents were set up.
On Sunday Dave P wanted to go to Doubletop Mountain, and Deanna and Brent joined him. The others opted for a shorter hike to what is locally called Pika Peak (9736 on topo maps). Both groups used the Double-Top trail to climb out of the meadow to the ridge northwest of camp. This official trail appears on maps and was reasonably easy to follow until near the ridge. After the ridge the route to Pika Peak is completely off-trail and the group found they could not get to the peak directly but had to traverse around the west side to reach the top from the south side. They didn’t hear any pikas, possibly because the best rocky habitat is on the north side of the peak. The Double-Top hikers found the trail hard to follow even when their GPS maps showed they were directly on it. As a result they spent a lot of time searching for the best route around trees and boulders. Still it was a nice hike with great views, snow patches, and two grouse. Deanna was able to keep a cool head by putting snow under her hat. By afternoon they were searching for the best way over the last rocky hill before the peak. They all had walkie-talkies, and Deanna found a way ahead and was able to reach the south peak. Dave and Brent decided to stop for a leisurely lunch rather than push for the summit. They met up and got back to camp in the late afternoon. The campers were awakened in the middle of the night by thunder and a sprinkle of rain.
On Monday morning Brent went for water and in the willows encountered a bull moose. Neither party panicked, and the moose casually walked through camp as if he owned the place. The route back to the White Pine trail was easier than coming in because we could follow the trampled grass, and several hikers recorded the route on their GPS programs. We observed a large raptor soaring on the updrafts from the sunlit side of Mt. Gog.
Trip Summary:
- Two hikers, Jane and Kathy, and six backpackers, Dave W, Brent L, Deanna, Susan, Teresa, and Dave P (leader).
- Drove 29 miles to the White Pine Lake trailhead at Tony Grove
- July 13: On the trail 9:15, lunch near White Pine Creek 11:45 - 12:15, the hikers returned to Tony Grove and the six backpackers arrived at the camp area 1:55
- July
14: Three people hiked to "Pika Peak" and back
about 9:15 - 1:30, and three others hiked toward
Doubletop Mountain, about 9:00 with a late afternoon
return
- July 15: Six backpackers returned to Tony Grove (the campground parking area), 9:15 - 1:00
- Pleasant temperatures, sunny skies and calm winds every day
Thanks
to Dave P for the narrative and photos, Deanna, Susan,
Brent, Kathy and Teresa for photos, and Dave W for
photos and for GPS data.
| JULY 13,
BACKPACKING/HIKING FROM TONY GROVE (Scroll down for more) |
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| Leaving Tony
Grove Lake |
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| Eight Cache Hikers, on the White Pine Lake Trail | |||
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| We met other hikers on this busy trail section |
Lunch near White Pine Creek |
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| Dave P led the way | |||
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| We set up camp
near the edge of a meadow |
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| Relaxing at our camp "kitchen" | |||
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Our GPS track from July
13 shows about 4.8 miles and over
1000 feet
of ascent.
You can look at our route using Google
Earth or download our GPS
file.
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| JULY 14,
DAY-HIKING TO "PIKA PEAK" (Scroll down for more) |
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| Looking back at our campsite as we
hiked up to the ridge |
We were lucky to find the old trail |
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| Enjoying the view toward Naomi Peak from the main ridge of the Bear River Range | |||
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| We could see Cherry Peak to the south and Doubletop Mountain to the north | |||
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| Dave W wisely
decided not to continue up the west side of "Pika
Peak" |
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| It was a gentle walk up Pika
Peak
from the east, with views of Steam Mill Canyon
and Doubletop Mountain |
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Our GPS track to "Pika Peak" (July
14)
shows about 3 miles round trip
and about 1000 feet of ascent.
You can look at our route using Google
Earth or download our GPS
file.
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| JULY 14,
DAY-HIKING TO DOUBLETOP MOUNTAIN (Scroll down for more) |
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| We passed
wildflowers and a stream as we headed west to the
ridge |
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| It's a steep
climb from camp to the ridge |
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| Pleasant
conditions on the ridge |
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| Snow in summer |
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| Trail
conditions on the ridge became more difficult
(left) but Deanna forged ahead toward Doubletop
Mountain (right) |
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| Wildflowers
along the ridge were spectacular - and worth a
closer look |
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| Our estimated (not gps) track to Doubletop Mountain (July 14) shows about 6.5 miles round trip and about 1700 feet of ascent. | |||
| JULY 15,
RETURN TO TONY GROVE (Scroll down for more) |
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| Everyone paid
attention when a moose strolled through camp |
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| Resting along
the trail on the way back to Tony Grove |
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| Our GPS track from July 15 shows about 5 miles and 600 feet of ascent on our return to our vehicles at Tony Grove campground parking area. You can look at our route using Google Earth or download our GPS file. | |||
| JULY
13-15 WILDFLOWERS (Some identifications are tentative) |
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| Rocky Mountain
clematis |
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| Kittentails |
Phlox? |
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| Colorado
columbine |
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| Starwort |
Fleabane |
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| Jacob's ladder |
Wasatch penstemon? |
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| Bigleaf balsamroot |
Twinberry |
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| Whipple's penstemon |
Arnica |
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| Lupine |
Bluebells |
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| Paintbrush |
Elephanthead |
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| Yellow monkeyflower |
King's flax |
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| Phlox? |
Mountain deathcamas |
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| Blue flax |
Nuttall's biscuitroot |
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| Tolmie's owlsclover |
Scarlet gilia |
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| Sticky geranium |
Unknown composite |
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| Penstemon species |
Unknown composite | ||
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| Nuttall's Linanthus? |
Penstemon and paintbrush |
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| Common juniper |
Tufted rockmat |
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