Mount Timpanogos is the second highest
mountainA mountain is a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill. The adjective montane is used to describe mountainous areas and things associated with them...
in
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
's
Wasatch RangeThe Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches about from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
(second to
Mount NeboMount Nebo is the southernmost and highest mountain in the Wasatch Range of Utah, in the United States. Named after the biblical Mount Nebo overlooking Israel, which is said to be the place of Moses' death, it is the centerpiece of the Mount Nebo Wilderness, inside the Uinta National Forest.Mount...
). Timpanogos rises to an elevation of 11,749 feet (3,582 m) above sea level in the
Uinta National ForestUinta National Forest is a national forest located in north central Utah, USA. It was originally part of the Uinta Forest Reserve, created by Grover Cleveland on February 2, 1897. The name is derived from the Ute word Yoov-we-teuh which means pine forest...
(now part of the
Wasatch-Cache National ForestWasatch-Cache National Forest is a United States National Forest located primarily in northern Utah , with smaller parts extending into southeastern Idaho and southwestern Wyoming . The name is from the Ute word Wasatch for a low place in high mountains, and the French word Cache meaning to hide...
). With 5,269 feet of
topographic prominenceIn topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , is a concept used in the categorization of hills and mountains, also known as peaks...
, Timpanogos is the 47th-most prominent mountain in the
contiguous United StatesThe term contiguous United States refers to the 48 U.S. states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada, plus the District of Columbia....
.
The mountain towers over
Utah ValleyUtah Valley is a valley in North Central Utah located in Utah County, and is considered part of the Wasatch Front. It contains Provo, Orem, and their suburbs, including Spanish Fork and American Fork. Utah Lake is a natural shallow fresh water lake in its center. All rivers in the valley flow into...
, including the cities of Lehi,
ProvoProvo is a city located within the US state of Utah. Currently estimated at 117,592 people, it is the third largest city in Utah and is located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and...
,
OremOrem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the north-central part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and...
,
Pleasant GrovePleasant Grove is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 29,376 at the 2005 census.-History:On July 19, 1850, William H. Adams, John Mercer and Philo T...
,
American ForkAmerican Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 21,941 at the 2000 census...
,
LindonLindon is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,363 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lindon is located at ....
and others. The exposed portion of the mountain is made up entirely of
limestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite . The deposition of limestone strata is often a by-product and indicator of biological activity in the geologic record...
and
dolomiteDolomite is the name of a sedimentary carbonate rock and a mineral, both composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg
2 found in crystals....
from the Pennsylvanian period, and is about 300 million years old.
Mount Timpanogos is the second highest
mountainA mountain is a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill. The adjective montane is used to describe mountainous areas and things associated with them...
in
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
's
Wasatch RangeThe Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches about from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
(second to
Mount NeboMount Nebo is the southernmost and highest mountain in the Wasatch Range of Utah, in the United States. Named after the biblical Mount Nebo overlooking Israel, which is said to be the place of Moses' death, it is the centerpiece of the Mount Nebo Wilderness, inside the Uinta National Forest.Mount...
). Timpanogos rises to an elevation of 11,749 feet (3,582 m) above sea level in the
Uinta National ForestUinta National Forest is a national forest located in north central Utah, USA. It was originally part of the Uinta Forest Reserve, created by Grover Cleveland on February 2, 1897. The name is derived from the Ute word Yoov-we-teuh which means pine forest...
(now part of the
Wasatch-Cache National ForestWasatch-Cache National Forest is a United States National Forest located primarily in northern Utah , with smaller parts extending into southeastern Idaho and southwestern Wyoming . The name is from the Ute word Wasatch for a low place in high mountains, and the French word Cache meaning to hide...
). With 5,269 feet of
topographic prominenceIn topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , is a concept used in the categorization of hills and mountains, also known as peaks...
, Timpanogos is the 47th-most prominent mountain in the
contiguous United StatesThe term contiguous United States refers to the 48 U.S. states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada, plus the District of Columbia....
.
The mountain towers over
Utah ValleyUtah Valley is a valley in North Central Utah located in Utah County, and is considered part of the Wasatch Front. It contains Provo, Orem, and their suburbs, including Spanish Fork and American Fork. Utah Lake is a natural shallow fresh water lake in its center. All rivers in the valley flow into...
, including the cities of Lehi,
ProvoProvo is a city located within the US state of Utah. Currently estimated at 117,592 people, it is the third largest city in Utah and is located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and...
,
OremOrem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the north-central part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and...
,
Pleasant GrovePleasant Grove is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 29,376 at the 2005 census.-History:On July 19, 1850, William H. Adams, John Mercer and Philo T...
,
American ForkAmerican Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 21,941 at the 2000 census...
,
LindonLindon is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,363 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lindon is located at ....
and others. The exposed portion of the mountain is made up entirely of
limestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite . The deposition of limestone strata is often a by-product and indicator of biological activity in the geologic record...
and
dolomiteDolomite is the name of a sedimentary carbonate rock and a mineral, both composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg
2 found in crystals....
from the Pennsylvanian period, and is about 300 million years old. Heavy winter snowfall is characteristic of this portion of the Wasatch Range, and avalanche activity is common in winter and spring.
The word Timpanogos comes from the Timpanogots Ute tribe who lived in the surrounding valleys from A.D. 1400. The name translates as rock (tumpi-), and water mouth or canyon (panogos).
An icy mystery
Mount Timpanogos displays many examples of textbook glacial processes and provides stark evidence of the sculpting power of moving ice. Ice Age glaciers mantled the peak until relatively recently, and dramatically shaped the mountain into an Alpine tableau of knife-edge ridges and yawning, U-shaped amphitheaters. A remnant of these glaciers persists in the deeply recessed valley below the main summit. "Timp Glacier" is a rock-covered mass found on a long, north-facing slope, and is snow-covered for much of the year. It exhibits morphological characteristics found in both true glaciers and rock glaciers. Periodically-visible crevasses and sporadically audible flowing water below the rock-strewn surface hint at deeply-buried glacial ice, while other elements of the "glacier", such as an apparent lack of movement, suggest to some the jumbled assemblage may in fact be a
rock glacierRock glaciers are distinctive geomorphological landforms of blocky detritus which may extend outward and downslope from talus cones or from glaciers or the terminal moraines of glaciers...
, composed of unsorted lithic aggregate cemented together in an icy matrix, flowing downhill. Furthermore, it is also possible that Timp Glacier may indeed be a small glacier completely obscured by talus and other debris: thus, a "rock covered glacier". The locally-unique ice is a relic of the region's formerly colder climate and has long been a major attraction to hikers and climbers on the mountain. Its precise classification remains the subject of spirited ongoing debate, whether "real" or not.
Hiking Timpanogos
There are two main trails leading to the summit. One starts by Aspen Grove, deep in Provo Canyon, on the south-east side of the mountain, and the other is the Timpanookee trail starting in American Fork canyon, on the north side of the mountain. The Aspen Grove trail is shorter, being only about 7 miles to the summit. After about a mile and a half of paved trail, it starts up several switchbacks leading to the Timpanogos Basin. Beyond the basin the trail leads to Emerald Lake, and the summit is in view. Past the lake, the trail continues over several rocks and snow fields, and reaches a very large hill, which slowly gets more steep for about 1/6 of a mile, and eventually is almost straight up and down for about 10 feet. At the top of this hill, it the trail combines with the Timpanookee trail, and leads to the "saddle". This area is close to the summit, and has clear view of the Utah Valley. A narrow trail from here leads around the front of the mountain, and steadily makes its way to the summit. The Timpanookee trail goes up the north-east side of the mountain, and is more gradual, and is a little over 10 miles long, but is a little easier other than the length. There are several other routes that lead to the summit of Mount Timpanogos, such as the Scout Falls Couloir and the Everest Ridge. The Everest Ridge route gained its name in the 1990s as it was used as a training route for an Everest expedition from Utah. These routes are more technically demanding than the two hiking trails and require specialized gear such as an ice ax, crampons, snow shoes, avalanche beacons, and in some cases climbing ropes and other climbing-related gear. The terrain is extremely avalanche prone, so climbers pay close attention to snow conditions and the avalanche forecast. Typically only experienced mountaineers attempt to summit this peak by these routes.
Hazards
Since 1982 the Timpanogos Emergency Response Team ("TERT") has been established on the mountain on weekends to provide first aid, rescue and communication. Their team website is www.tert.org
http://www.tert.org.
The Timp Glacier is one of the major sources of injury or death to hikers on Timp, particularly when some attempt to "glissade" (or slide rapidly) down the snowfield's surface with the assistance of a shovel or other device to save time descending. There has been many cases of injuries from buried rocks under the snow as well. There have been numerous life flight rescues on the mountain, often caused by this activity. The frequency of these rescues, however, greatly diminished once TERT was established.
Legends and folklore
Viewed from the Heber Valley to the east and looking westward, Mount Timpanogos resembles the profile of a sleeping woman. Various legends are told of an Indian maiden who died of grief after her lover was killed, with one version the basis for a ballet, but there is no evidence that any of these are actual Native American myths. It is most likely the romantic story was created in the early 1900s by Eugene Lusk Roberts, a Mormon resident who initiated an annual hike and pageant intended to "sell Timpanogos to the world."
See also
- Mountain peaks of North America
This article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of North America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface. Topographic prominence is the elevation...
- Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains
This article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains of North America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Mountain peaks of the United States
This article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of the United States of America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Timpanogos Cave National Monument
Timpanogos Cave National Monument is a cave system in the Wasatch mountains in American Fork Canyon near American Fork, Utah, in the United States. The 1.5 mile trail to the cave is steep at several points, but paved and wide, so the cave opening is accessible to most...
- Mount Timpanogos Wilderness
Mount Timpanogos Wilderness is a wilderness area protecting Mount Timpanogos and the surrounding area. It is located n the front range of the Wasatch Mountain Range, between American Fork Canyon on the north and Provo Canyon on the south, within the Uinta National Forest in the U.S. state of Utah...
External links