Three Falls Loop Alpine Side - Incomplete

Three Falls is a set of 3 waterfalls that can be reached from Alpine, or from Draper as I understand it. After going back and forth a bit I decided we would try it from the Alpine side. This trail features a nice array of wildflowers and an overabundance of balsamroot!

A large portion of the trail is on an open slope. I am afraid of heights and I struggle with trails like that. I managed to power through some of it, but in the end I couldn’t do it and had to turn back. So this is incomplete.

Todays adventure inspired me to create a new tag: ‘Fear of Heights Trigger’. I hope that it is clear that completed trails would mean I managed to power through, and incomplete trails mean that I could not power through. Removing the need for 2 separate tags. I might go back and tag some older posts, but honestly, probably not so it will be a going forward tag. I hope this is something that can help people like me that love hiking, but have an irrational fear of heights.

Quick Details:

Length: The full loop is about 3.7 miles. We did 2.78 out and back.
Trail Type: Loop, out and back.
Difficulty: DR4. This is a long constant climb.
Elevation Gain: 685 feet. We did about 500.
Restroom: Yes, with plumbing even!
Dogs? Yes, leashed.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

From i15 take exit 284 for Timpanogos Highway and head east. Scooch over to the right and take the Timpanogos Highway Commuter Lane. About 5.4 miles late you will turn left on 5300 West. 1.2 miles later you will take the 2nd exit on the traffic circle to stay on Main St. About 1.1 miles later turn left onto Fort Canyon Road. About a mile later turn right onto Fort Canyon Rd, (if you pass a guard shack, you went too far) then immediately left into the trailhead parking.

The trail is at the NW corner on the lot, next to the restrooms.

Nice view of Mount Timpanogos and American Fork Canyon (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).

Mount Jordan (PSP).

The large parking lot. Seems pretty new to me.

The Trail:

Trailhead.

Flax.

Peaks above.

Interesting cliffs.

Arrow leaf balsamroot.

Little closer.

Pretty purple flowers.

A nice little forested section.

Peaks again.

Lots of balsamroot.

Some lupine too.

More pretty forest.

A hillside full of balsamroot.

So much!

Starting to get a decent view of Utah Lake.

More covered hillside.

The mountain peaks again.

Taper-tip onion.

More balsamroot.

Lupine.

A closer look at some balsamroot.

The hillside again. It is starting to remind me of the Albion Meadows.

Hey, one of the butterflies actually sat still for me.

More lupine.

Peaks. I think I might be looking at Pfefferhorn and White Baldy, but not 100%

Little patch of phlox.

More arrow leaf balsamroot. Can you see why it is called that?

Panoramic view.

Another patch of forest.

More balsamroot. This trail is just lousy with them.

Peaks above again.

Death camas.

Cropped a little closer in to the flowers, which are extremely poisonous by the way.

Looks like the trail will take us up to that ridge. Oh boy.

Bigger patch of phlox.

More forest.

A couple times a random, pretty sure it is a bumble bee, would just hover in place over us. It was kind of weird.

One of the many switchbacks. So far it has been a pretty gentle climb, but that is about to change.

Starting the climb.

Some paintbrush a little ways off the trail.

Utah Lake again.

I imagine that the trail from Draper comes through there, but I don’t know for sure.

First trail split. Unfortunately it is not labeled at all. You want to go left. 

It looks like the trail to that right leads to those little sub peaks.

At least this sign confirmed we are still on the right trail.

The trail itself is pretty gradual, but I am struggling with the steep slope it is against.

The trail ahead.

The trail below.

View of Utah Lake again.

Looks like a raven with that curved tail.

Another trail split. Again, I think you need to keep left here.

Utah Lake again.

Panoramic.

Looks like snapdragon, but not sure what it is.

Trail above.

View down again.

Turkey vulture.

Well, this is as far as I could muster. I tried several times to sit down and catch my breath, which sometimes helps when I am struggling. But it just kept creeping back. And I am pretty sure I was making it worse by seeing upcoming switchbacks and freaking out about them. Honestly, it wasn’t even that bad, but, there is no reasoning with the lizard brain. It decides this is not safe and of course the body responds by shaking and being dizzy. Stupid reaction to my brain deciding it is unsafe, make it even more unsafe. o.O but I was tired of fighting it and even though it seemed like we were more than 3/4 of the way there I decided to turn back. Maybe I could try again, but I don’t know.

Landis insists on sticking his nose into wildflowers to see if they smell nice. My friends and I have expressed our concerns for this behavior, but he insists. LOL. Luckily I can recognize the most caustic plant (myrtle spurge) and prevent that, but it still worries me sometimes. My friends are more worried about getting a nasty surprise like a bee.

Lupine and balsamroot.

Like I said, the trail isn’t even that bad! I just really struggle with it being on a wide open slope that had some steeper sides.

Turkey vulture again. So here we have a silhouette which is hard to identify, but the shape of the wings and the tiny head are a good indicator. With better lighting you will see darker forewings with lighter back wings which will really identify it.

Some kind of vetch.

Trail below.

Utah Lake again.

Another panoramic.

Green rolling hills.

More balsamroot.

Utah Lake again.

Back to the balsamroots.

Then forest.

This maple has red seed pods, and it was the only one we observed like that today (and the first time I have noticed it). I googled “maple with red seed pods” and found a couple species that do that, including red maple, so not a fluke but it is pretty striking!

The whole tree.

This is what I am used to seeing. Actually I am used to seeing the dried out brown ones floating around haha.

Kind of creepy tree surrounded by balsamroot.

Switchback.

No idea what these are but they are so tiny and cute.

Back to the balsamroot hills.

Loads and loads of it.

I like this one.

Hillside.

With some lupine.

The hill again.

More forest.

No idea what these are but they are pretty.

Ladybug. This made me think of my recently passed sister in law. She loved ladybugs. I miss her. Sorry for the downer.

Lots of balsamroot today.

There is a farm by the trailhead that has some chickens.

Back at the trailhead, we could hear water so we went to investigate.

Woo, the creek is roaring! Since this is Fort Canyon, I imagine this is Fort Creek. Since that is USUALLY how it goes. The only exception I have seen is Ricks Creek in Ford Canyon.

Moody clouds.

Well, this was a pretty trail and I do not regret trying it out. I am sad that the lizard brain won today and I did not complete the trail, but I enjoyed what we did. Plus the balsamroot hills were stunning! Considering it was a holiday weekend, it was not very busy either. 8 out of 10 squirrels.

As for difficulty, I am going with a DR4. It was quite the climb!

Dogs are allowed, but should remain leashed.