Mount Timpanogos

Over the weekend I went with our wards scouts to hike the back side of Mount Timpanogos trial. It sounded like a lot of fun (and it was) but I found out quick its not an easy hike. We started on Friday around 3:30 pm at the trail head. We planned on staying over the night up on the flat area by Emery Lake. We had 4 boys and two adults, each of us carrying a 45 to 50 pound pack. We moved really slow at times and didn't make it to the lake, like we had planned. We where just a good 10 minutes from the lake when we stopped to camp in a meadow area. We had run out of light and it was getting dark. We where tired, sweaty and hungry! We set up camp behind some trees and started dinner.
As for food we told the boys to pack light. Everyone brought either Cup of noodles or Ramon noodles to eat. However come to find out, we could not have fires up there right now. So most of the boys and I ended up eating our noodles cold. They are not too bad cold, just crunchy. Then it was just bed time. The scouts were so tired they went right into there tent and went to sleep. Chris (scout leader) and I stayed out to look at the stars. It way cool to see so many stars, that you just don't see in the city. It was awesome! As for sleeping, I was so tired but I had to sleep on the hard ground. I have not done that for like ever!! It was hard and I moved around a lot. My shoulder and hips would hurt, so I would lay on my back, then it would hurt, so I would move to the other side. All night long this went on. I think I might have got an hour of sleep at the best.
On Saturday morning, we hiked to the lake. The lake is really pretty, for a somewhat glacier in Utah. Nothing like Alaska, but who is counting. The water was so cold, it tasted so good (after filtering of course). We then hiked up to the saddle part of Timpanogos that looks over the Utah county. It was really high and a lot of fun. There were a lot of people resting at the saddle when we got there. It was really fun. Another hour or so hike was the observation view which one leader and two scouts did but I stayed back with two other boys there were tired and ready to go back to the lake. So we headed back, I wanted to go up to the top but a leader has to be with boys at all times. So we headed back, got fresh water and skipped rocks into the lake and watched some BYU kids jump into the close to freezing water. It was really funny to watch. About an hour and a half the rest of the troop showed up with no water and tired.
After that we head back to camp where we left our big packs and eat lunch, rested, and got ready to hike down the hill. We made OK time down, although we where slow. I took off ahead because I don't like to hike slow. On my way down, I went to step on a rock that rotated under my foot and causing me to twist my ankle. Needless to say I slowed way down and stayed in the back of the pack the rest of the way down the hill. I have twisted my ankle like this before but doing it hiking down a trail with a 50 pound pack on did not make it easy. Around 5pm we got off the mountain and on our way home. It was a long two days of hiking. But at least now I can say I have hiked Timpanogos mountain.
Just a note: after getting home, I was sunburned on my arms and neck, my ankle hurt and my leg muscles could barely move the next day. Sunday was a slow and relaxing day of recovery. I was hurting, as of Monday still hurting. What a hike!