Saturday, August 20, 2011

Kenney Creek Trail

 

I am a little mad that I have not gone out hiking as much as I wanted to this year. Particularly since we have had the most amazing mild summer, since I can ever remember. After a few weeks of angsty I need nature, and having no one to hike with I decided I would do the Kenney Creek Trail within Mueller Park in Bountiful. I have passed this trail head a few times while doing the trail in Mueller Park, so I decided it was time to explore it.

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I really wish they would post this sign on all trails. Sadly people just don't seem to grasp hiking etiquette.

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I honestly thought this trail would follow the creek the whole way. However, shortly after this crossing, the trail veered to the east away from it.

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Here you can see the scar from the new pipeline they are building. Which by the way, there was a sign informing me the trail would be cut short due to this. Sigh. This pipeline is something I hate. It scars the entire mountain side visibly from the valley floor. The company claims they will restore it when the pipe is in, but how far off is that?

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Not too much higher the trail gets really thin.

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I wonder what caused this.

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Okay, starting to get REALLY thin.

About this point this trail was really starting to kick my butt. I was almost ready to turn back, but rested a moment and decided to push on.

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Better view of the scar.

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And then I came up above the trees, and got this amazing view. I love that feeling after almost giving up, deciding to keep going, and being rewarded for it.

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Not much further up I arrived at this small meadow.

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After crossing the stream, the trail disappeared completely. I was not sure how much more stream, or swamp was under there so I turned around. I later learned that I just had to “bushwhack” another 50 feet or so and I would find the trail again that would ultimately lead to the old miners cabin. Again, on third thought, after learning how far I had hiked, the trail would have ultimately been closed not much further after this, due to the construction of the pipeline.

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On the way down I found a more interesting view of the valley below.

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Is this a dandelion? It is huge!

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Do you remember that scene from Jurassic Park, where the raptors chase them into that field of grass? Yea, that is what this section of trail felt like!

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Decided to play with the the creek a little.

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Pretty lone wild flower.

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Slightly off trail, but fun.

All in all I would say this was a fun hike. Nothing spectacular, very overgrown, but nice. I think I would enjoy it more when they finish the stupid pipe line. Lots of bugs, and I think I was continually harassed by the same asshole bee for the majority of the hike, but I didn’t see a single soul, even though the parking lot was packed. They all went to the more popular Mueller Park Trail.

Not 100% where I want to rate this. Going to finalize on 7 Squirrels I think. Not particularly pretty,the end prize is not too spectacular, the bugs were just wow, in your face (and that is with a HUGE layer of deet, however, not a single soul so it was a nice quiet in the woods hike. So a good 7 out of 10.

squirrels 7

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