Squaw Peaked

So unbeknown to many a person is the actual location of Squaw Peak. Many people will drive up Provo canyon, see the nice road sign and suddenly decide to venture to a parking lookout about 20 minutes up the paved road. Little do these people actually realize however that they've been conned as have so many countless romantics who go up that same road to woo their dates in the cacophony of chugging car engines and spluttering mufflers - perfumed by the heavenly scent of carbon monoxide.

Here's a tip lover boys: try taking your date to the real Squaw Peak and see if she's all that in your five and a half hour hike up there with her. Our hike today was in the intent to go somewhere new and when we passed by the rock labeled "Squaw Peak Trail" today on our third hike of the summer up Rock Canyon we decided to go for a try. Little did we know that our hike which began at 3:00 pm would last until 8:30 pm before we dragged our broken bodies off the mountain traveling over 10 miles and ascending and descending 2206 feet. Thanks to our friend Google Earth we were able to see exactly where we ended up in our trail of tears.

Our perseverance paid off today though as into the third hour we hit a clearing at the top of the mountain about the size of a baseball field and decided to make a b-line for the west ridge of the mountain where the faint sounds of motorcycles were wafting up in the mountain air.

We trod through a patch of peculiar lettuce-like plants marked "plot 2" and forged our own trail through the brush and growth of the alpine terrain. Not more than fifteen minutes later as we hiked over the last ledge and felt a gust of brisk wind hit our faces, the vast expanse of Utah county revealed itself below the rocky outcropping that we found ourselves on. In the presence of three mountain goats and 2206 feet above humanity this was Squaw Peak --not some paved parking lot drive in.

Google's done a good job trying to simulate the view, but I think I've done a little better.

I didn't realize that our camera could do exposure lock.
We'll make a trip up there next time to get some better pictures for a better panorama