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Leatham Hollow, 9 July, 2023
Fourteen people were on this hike: Mira, Laurel, Jane E, Jane P, Susan, Kathy, Brent L, Brent J, Kamren, David, Alex, Deanna (with dogs Jasper and Kuni), Joan, and Dave P (leader). It was already quite warm at the trailhead. We soon entered the shaded forest, but the humidity and stillness in the hollow made for sweaty hiking. After about a mile we crossed the end of the spring run and about a half mile farther saw the large spring coming out of the hillside to the NE.
The vegetation was exuberant and the hillsides green from the wet winter which meant lots of flowers, but also lots of weeds. The flowers included hillsides of enchanter's nightshade in shaded areas and mule-ears in the sun, patches of little sunflower and columbine, the occasional larkspur, clarkia, and fluffy seed-heads of heart-leaf arnica. The main weeds were burdock, hound’s tongue, and one patch of white bryony(!). Insects included butterflies like swallowtails, painted ladies, fritillaries, mourning cloaks, and little blues. Some hikers applied DEET to repel mosquitos.
Dave P attempted to find the black sandstone of the geological Leatham Formation, which marks the end of the Devonian Period and a major extinction event. Unfortunately, the formation was covered with valley fill where the trail crossed it. When we took a short side trail at the second switchback to an overlook Alex spotted a thin band across the valley between the Lodgepole limestone and the Beirdneau formation that is likely it.
After reaching the Millville Hollow Road we headed for the ridge to the west for lunch, which involved bushwhacking for about 200 yards. We were rewarded with a clear view of Cache Valley and the Wellsville Mountains. It was about noon and everyone chose to eat in the shade of Douglas firs at the edge of a field of mule-ears.
On the way back we still couldn’t find a good route from the ridge to the trail. At this point we hadn’t encountered any other hikers. But after cooling off at the spring we encountered a lone hiker and then two groups lower down.
Trip Summary:
- Fourteen participants: Mira, Laurel, Jane E, Jane P, Susan, Kathy, Brent L, Brent J, Kamren, David, Alex, Deanna (with dogs Jasper and Kuni), Joan, and Dave P (leader).
- Drove 16
miles to the Leatham Hollow trailhead in the Left Hand
Fork of Blacksmith Fork Canyon
- Sunny and
hot
- Hiked about
8.5 miles with about 2200 feet of elevation
Thanks
to Dave P for the narrative and photos, David and Jane
for photos
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| The trail
begins a long switchback after passing the Leatham
Hollow Spring, 1.4 miles from the trailhead |
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| Much of the
trail along the switchbacks is through a shady
carpet of enchanter's nightshade |
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| We took a short side-trip to visit a
scenic overlook |
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| Looking out
over Blacksmith Fork Canyon |
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| The saddle at
the top of Leatham Hollow |
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| Our lunch spot
had a little shade, a view of the Wellsville
Mountains to the west, and lots of flowers |
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| Colorado columbine, Aquilegia
coerulea (it's white in Utah) |
Thimbleberry, Rubus
parviflorus |
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| Little
sunflower, Helianthella uniflora, and blue
flax, Linum lewisii |
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| Paintbrush, Castelleja ssp. |
Wood's rose, rosa woodsii |
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| False solomonseal, Maianthenum racemosum, and enchanter's nightshade, Circeae alpina (Circe, an enchantress of Greek mythology, could turn her enemies into animals) | |||
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| Diamond Clarkia , Clarkia
rohmboidea |
Tufted rockmat, Petrophytum
caespitosum |
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Our GPS estimate (from a previous hike)
is about 8.5 miles and 2200
feet
of ascent.
You can look at our estimated route
using Google
Earth or download our GPS file.
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