Mount Olympus, Utah-Home of the Gods and a nice place for a Cheeseburger

Last week SirloinofBeef (SLOB) and I were discussing a good training hike for our planned ascent of the Grand Teton in August.  In our discussions, we realized that neither of us had eaten a Cheeseburger atop Mount Olympus.  In Greek mythology, Mount Olympus is commonly known as the home of the gods.  However, much more importantly, in Cheeseburger mythology it is also the name of a 50 pound Cheeseburger at the Clinton Station Diner in Clinton New Jersey. 

So early Saturday morning, we met at SLOBs house and set off for the trailhead.  Probably the easiest way to find the trailhead is to take Wasatch Blvd to  about 5600 South and then look for the small turnoff just below Pete’s Rock.  Pete’s Rock is a popular bouldering and climbing hunk of quartzite that is perched above the parking lot and trailhead for Mount Olympus.  The hike to the
South summit of Olympus is only about three and a quarter miles in length, but rises over four thousand feet and is south facing.  Thus  it behooves any potential summiteers to start early and bring water.  For this journey SLOB was weighted down with his new Digital SLR and cool lenses, while I was weighted down by my not so new or cool beer belly.  The trail to the saddle below the summit is straightforward,  From the saddle to the final summit,  you will need to make sure that you are on the correct trail.  The final piece of trail to the summit does require a bit of 3rd class scrambling, but has almost no exposure.  The summit itself provided us with stunning views of the Salt Lake Valley, the great salt lake and the surrounding Wasatch and Oquirrh Ranges.  In the distance, we were also able to see Deseret Peak and the Stansbury Range.  The summit ridge still had a partial covering of snow which provided a comfortable short walk to the high point (marked by a mail box serving as a summit registry).  SLOB was eager to test out his new camera, so he spent the next few minutes snapping pictures of the incredible views while I chose to eat my delightful Cheeseburger.  The eventual hike down was uneventful except for the amazing number of hikers coming up the trail. 

All around a great hike and some great cheeseburgers

Sirloin of Beef

Wimpy

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