One of the things we appreciate about our friend Tom is that he's always "pushing" us to try new things. So, when he suggested we snowshoe into Cedar Breaks and do the Alpine Pond Loop Trail our options were to immediately say "No, that's not something we really want to do" or "What time do we want to meet at the rental shop?" Thankfully, for us we chose the latter and didn't miss out on an opportunity to do something most people never dreamed of trying!
It ended up being a really fun day! The weather was quite enjoyable (calm and 41°) and the monument was very quiet (only saw a handful of cross-country skiers and snowmobilers). It was fun to experience Cedar Breaks in a more serene and peaceful setting. Surprisingly, we managed the five mile loop in about three hours . . . not too bad!
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| Starting out . . . this should be fun! |
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| Our first glimpse of Cedar Breaks |
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| We left the road and headed off into the trees |
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| It was quiet, peaceful and beautiful |
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| From here on we are blazing our own trail |
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| We 'think' we are working our way along the Upper Alpine Pond Trail |
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Back on the road and heading for Chessmen Overlook
You must obey the speed limit within the park boundaries . . . even in winter . . . not that 35 was ever an option!
(Tom says this sign always annoys him . . . speed is controlled by the driver, not radar!) |
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| Kent & Allison . . . it goes to show that you're never too old to try new things! |
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Very few people get to see Cedar Breaks with snow . . .
In winter, it can only be accessed by hiking, snowshoes, XC Skis or snowmobiles |
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| Tom, our friend and guide . . . thanks for another great adventure! |
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| The parking area sure looks different with snow |
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| The shaded north side of the Cedar Breaks Amphitheater had a bit more snow |
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| Time to head back . . . what a great day . . . perfect temps and blue sky |
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Allison kicked it into high gear on the return portion . . .
When she stopped Kent & Tom were way back there!
(They are much older, don't you know!) |
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Back to where we started . . . it's not everyday you can park UT-148
(The road is closed directly behind Tom's truck . . . the state plowed this short section for parking spots) |
If this looks like something you might want to try, you can rent snowshoes at
Georg's Ski Shop in Brian Head . . . they had a very friendly and helpful staff. To get a topo map and GPS track of our route you can click
here for Tom's post . . . yes, we managed to fit in Alpine Pond Peak and that allowed Tom a summit that he could record on Peakbaggers.com.
