Park City ...... My Top 3 Hikes

Spring Time Edition ....Calling all outdoor hiking enthusiasts !

Park City holds a special place in our life. Since we are outdoor enthusiasts, we enjoy Park City in all seasons, from the world renowned skiing to the spring, summer and fall when one can hike and bike all over the mountains.  

Spring Time in Park City

We typically visit PC a couple of times per year, skiing in the winter season (and will get to that in another post), to hiking in the spring and fall season. This year we decided to visit PC in mid May for some hiking and much needed relaxation. May time, a time that most likely will still have some snow that you will have to hike on to some muddy areas created by the snow melts, to nature coming to life, to not having lots of people here yet to enjoy all the activities at the PC mountain base, to being lucky enough to see a moose or deer or other wondering creatures. Temperatures can range from mid 50-70 for highs to 30-40 lows and there are chances for rain and even snow (but fear not it will not stick and its mostly flurries).

It is great to see that businesses are prepping to open for Memorial day and to watching the PC team assembling a number of activities like the alpine slide, the climbing wall for all to be enjoyed.

What is open?

At PC Mountain base, in early May not too many businesses are open yet. We have watched the bike shop assembling bikes and getting their store ready to open, to one or two restaurants being open. Things will get considerably more busy as we approach Memorial day. Downtown PC all the stores are open and inviting to all.

Where to hike?

Anywhere you want. There are no restrictions on the mountains. Off course there are curtesy rules if hiking on shared trails with mt bikes so feel follow them such that we can all have a great time. We recommend looking at a map and simply pick a route up a mountain that you feel comfortable with and enjoy the views as you climb up. Remember that there are service roads, ski slopes etc and really you can decide on where to go and which route to take. Rember that if there is snow on your route to check that the stability and hardness of the snow and make a decision of whether to proceed or not on that particular route or detour via a new route. When its still cold outside the snow/ice is harder than when its warmer outside. One day we had no real issues hiking on the snow and only sinking very little due to hardness, to a different warmer day when it felt that every step in snow my foot sank more than 1 foot deep, sometimes as deep as my over my knees, which makes it much harder to move at your desired pace. Please be cognisant of these factors and I am sure you will find routes that will take you where you want to be in a safe way.

My top 3 hike routes are:

• PC Mountain Base --> Kings Crown --> Drift --> Home Run --> Summit House --> Pioneer Ridge --> top of the world at 10k feet up with views that will forever be engrained in your memory. The return can be the same as the assent or you alter it and from Summit House --> Cresent Lift --> Cresent Ridge --> Top of King Kong lift --> to Ridge Terrain Park --> Gotcha. Yes this will make it for a long day as this is over 11miles of hiking, a day full of new experiences.
• PC Mountain Base --> Kings Crown --> Drift --> Home Run --> Shoreline --> Woodside --> Gorgeanna to the top of McKonkeys lift. Another fantastic hike up to almost 10k altitude and do take in the views from the top of McKonkeys lift over the ridge as you will be able to see Blood Lake which can be hiked as well by accessing it from a parking lot on the Guardsmann's Pass or for those crazy enough folks that are fit would add Bloods lake from McKonleys lift, descend to the pass road and hike to bloods lake and return back. I must caution you, even if very fit to do this, make sure to have an early start to the hike.
• PC Mountain Base --> Armstrong --> At the base of King Kong lift go left onto Tempetation slope, hike up to the top of Eagle Lift and then descent via Gotcha. This is a fantastic mix of hiking from easy to hard asent on Tempetation to a relaxing way to descent. Take in the view from the top of Eagle lift.