Decided to try a new and little-used hike today in the Timpanogos Wilderness -- Box Elder Peak (There is also a Box Elder Peak in the Wellsville Range near Logan, Utah). The most popular way up the peak (and the path I took) is by hiking up the Deer Creek trail (American Fork Canyon) to a saddle between Deer Creek and Dry Creek. From Deer Creek, it is about three miles and 2,750 feet to the saddle; the hike to the saddle is fairly steep and there was pretty much direct sunlight (and little shade, unfortunately) all afternoon. Still, the scenery is amazing, and as I climbed higher and higher Mount Timpanogos and it's famous "glacier" became visible, brooding in the distance like a reluctant sentinel. The trail meandered through a large boulderfield just before reaching the ridge -- a VERY rough portion of the hike, with all the loose talus (but gorgeous wildflowers!). As I topped the saddle I was presented with this amazing meadow filled with purple wildflowers. It made me want to dance through the meadow and sing "the Sound of Music" (ok, so maybe I really did do this a little, but since I didn't see another single soul all day, who cares?).
From the saddle there really is no trail to the peak, so it was pretty much cross country to get there; the summit looked like it was a long way off but I ended up getting there pretty quickly. Being by itself, the view from the summit is excellent. To the northwest you look right down that cirque out to Lone Peak and the valley far below. Numerous peaks from the Cottonwood Canyon area are visible. To the south is the obvious Mount Timpanogos. Box Elder peak is actually a high point in the rim of a large "C" shaped basin which is full of mountain goats (they were too far away to get pictures). You can see some of the intense crumpling of the rocks on the other side. There is a hiker-built cairn at the top, although it's in pretty rough shape.
The trip down was beautiful, and at one point I passed the remains of (what I later learned was) an old shepherd's log cabin. The whole hike is roughly 10 miles round trip, with an elevation loss/gain of 4300 feet. A beautiful and very secluded hike that is way underrated. Let's go!
Educational Moment: The Box Elder Maple tree, Acer negundo, is also commonly known as ashleaf maple, Manitoba maple, box-elder maple, and western box-elder. This deciduous maple tree is a small-to-medium-sized tree, reaching heights of 50 to 75 feet, with a trunk diameter up to 4 feet. The trunk is relatively short and tapering, and the crown is spreading and bushy. It has a thick trunk and upright branching habit, but is more often seen as a smaller tree with cane-like, bright green branches. Box Elder trees are fast growing and tolerate poor conditions. These shade trees have brittle wood with no commercial value. Although it grows best on moist soils, box-elder is drought and cold resistant. It can also tolerate flooding for extended periods (up to a month). The seeds are a source of food for birds and mammals, and are important because they stay on the tree through winter, when other food resources are scarce.
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