The Best Honeymoon Ever!! Part 2

Mount Timpanogos, one of the tallest mountains and most popular hiking destinations in Utah, is in Stacy’s backyard.  To end the honeymoon with a bang we decided to hike the mountain throughout the night so we could get to the top and watch the sunrise--it would be so romantic and really wrap up our honeymoon so well.

We started off the night by watching a romantic comedy together on the love seat (no couch yet in the living room, but its ok we all fit on the love seat, and shared a blanket).  Then around midnight we left for the trail head in Provo Canyon near Sundance.  We started our climb around 1230 am.  We were trucking up the mountain eating our PB&Js and drinking our gatorades happily until about 245-3 am when we were 3/4 of the way up the mountain and encountered our first serious snow patch.  We safely crossed it, but the next big snow patch, which covers a giant rock face on the side of the mountain near the top, proved to be much more difficult.

 Nearly straight down and solid ice, this patch didn't have much of a path across it, but seeing the giant groups of climbers in front of us, we assumed they must have safely navigated this part of the trail.  I went first with Stacy and then Henry behind me.  I made it about halfway before I realized it wasn't going to end well; Stacy got a few feet before she froze up on the ice ledge and couldn't go any further.  After several traumatizing minutes, and a butt load of prayers, Stacy safely made it back to the side of the ice; however, making it back to the trail was a bit of a hardship for me.  I lost all grip on the slippery slope and started sliding down the rock face on the snow patch, I eventually stopped myself and got back to the dry rocks.  After a good sob, we calmed down and made the long detour on the gravel and rocks around the snow patch eventually reconnecting to the trail.  Unfortunately we met another snow patch with no alternate route around.  Stacy and I being terrified of heights and still in shock over the previous efforts to cross the snow were unable to muster the courage to cross.  The conclusion was made to turn around and go back down the mountain.  We truly wanted to continue and make it to the top to watch the sunrise--it was going to be the most romantic moment of the honeymoon yet--but we got scared and frightened by the mountain and its snow.

Going down the mountain was much scarier than going up, and I was READY to get down.  I rushed down the mountain in a craze and found a few signs at the trailhead that we had blown past at the beginning of the hike.

Note:  read the warning signs before starting the hike.  If only I had grabbed my ice axe out of the car we would have been fine.

After finally making it down the mountain, Henry drove us frightened kids home.  I walked in the door of the apartment at 630 am sweaty, muddy, tired--I laid down on the floor and went to sleep.

Though we didn't ever see the sunrise, we did bask in the light of the brightest full moon I have ever seen and we saw lots of shooting stars throughout the night.