Ascent of Salt Benchmark on 2021-05-25| Other People: | Solo Ascent
Only Party on Mountain | | Date: | Tuesday, May 25, 2021 | | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | | Peak: | Salt Benchmark | | Location: | USA-Utah | | Elevation: | 9997 ft / 3047 m |
Ascent Trip ReportI used Trail 146 shown on the Forest Service 2016 Topo as the framework for my hike. The route isn't shown on the current visitor's map, and on the ground it's pretty much just a ghost of a trail—beyond the switchbacks even less than that. It was useful as a way of letting me know I was still on the right line, though. For a day with so much off trail travel everything was surprisingly hikeable. There's minimal underbrush, and I never felt like I was having to bust through it. There were sections of downed aspen trees where the 2007 Salt Creek fire had gotten up onto the top of the ridge, but I was able to navigate over them without having to think or work too hard.
The views of the Red Cliffs and the south aspect of Nebo I had throughout the day were spectacularly beautiful, and it felt like I was in a place very few people move through. The most recent aspen carving I saw crossing along the forested part of the ridge was made in 1980. I saw others from the 60s and 70s and, in one aspen grove, three carvings from the 20s and 30s. This route was an awesome way to experience the mountain.
I opted to tack an extra 2.5 or so RT miles on to avoid having to drive through the stream crossing at the reservoir's spillway. I had planned on hiking this last June, but after driving down into deeper than expected water in the dark I noped straight back out in reverse. Today the water was midcalf deep when I crossed (13 cfs versus something like 20cfs last June). Not having the thought of driving back through the water in the back of my mind all day was worth it for me, but driving farther up the road would save some distance. It wouldn't cut off much of the elevation gain though.
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| Summary Total Data | | Total Elevation Gain: | 5168 ft / 1575 m | | Total Elevation Loss: | 5168 ft / 1575 m | | Round-Trip Distance: | 10 mi / 16.1 km | | Route Conditions: | Road Hike, Open Country, Bushwhack, Stream Ford, Snow on Ground | | Gear Used: | Ski Poles | | Weather: | Pleasant, Calm, Partly Cloudy | | Ascent Statistics | | Gain on way in: | 4774 ft / 1455 m | | Gain Breakdown: | Net: 4354 ft / 1328 m; Extra: 420 ft / 128m | | Loss on way in: | 420 ft / 128 m | | Distance: | 5 mi / 8.1 km | | Route: | Rocky Ridge - Red Cliffs | | Start Trailhead: | 5643 ft / 1719 m | | Descent Statistics | | Loss on way out: | 4748 ft / 1447 m | | Loss Breakdown: | Net: 4354 ft / 1328 m; Extra: 394 ft / 120m | | Gain on way out: | 394 ft / 120 m | | Distance: | 5 mi / 8.1 km | | End Trailhead: | 5643 ft / 1719 m | GPS Data for Ascent/Trip
 GPS Waypoints - Hover or click to see name and lat/long
Peaks:  climbed and  unclimbed by Brandon Rasmussen
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Note: GPS Tracks may not be accurate, and may not show the best route. Do not follow this route blindly. Conditions change frequently. Use of a GPS unit in the outdoors, even with a pre-loaded track, is no substitute for experience and good judgment. Peakbagger.com accepts NO responsibility or liability from use of this data.
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