builttospill - Jan 27, 2010 3:44 pm Date Climbed: Jun 15, 2005
Upper Pole Couloir
June 15, 2005: Climbed Upper Pole Couloir. Not a bad jaunt in just over an hour to the top. It's nice to be able to drive to the base of the couloir and just cruise up so quickly.
thigbee - Aug 21, 2009 1:02 am Date Climbed: Jul 12, 2009
Not as bad as I thought it would be...
With all the horror stories of this hike, I was expecting something pretty brutal. I was pleasantly surprised, though. I don't think this hike is any more difficult than Timp. If you're in good enough shape to be climbing the other tall Wasatch peaks, this one won't be any harder.
Left the Dry Fork trailhead at 6 and made it to south summit at 8:40 and the true summit at 9:30. According to my GPS, it's 6.6 miles from the trailhead to true summit.
kteichert - Aug 3, 2009 11:54 am Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2009
Check that off the list!
Cascade is one of the most rewarding, and difficult hikes I have ever done. My friend, Adam and I hit all 4 main summits. I really liked that it was a summit that not many people go to. I like to go where not many people hike. But the bushwhacking, especially since we didn't follow the trail down was where the real stories came.
aprovance - Aug 1, 2009 9:15 pm Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2009
Cascade via Dry Fork Trail
Hit the Dry Fork TH at 6am. Made it to the of top the true summit at 1030am. Had lunch while enjoying the views. My friend Kyle and I then hiked to the northern most peak, while his wife and the other two girls stayed at the true summit, and checked out the weather antennae and the view down Provo Canyon. We bushwhacked down one of the draws. Didn't see another person past the saddle. Great views, great weather! Signed the register on south summit.
byates - Dec 1, 2008 3:31 pm Date Climbed: Sep 11, 1994
Via Bunnels
I've climbed it twice via Bunnel's I believe the 2nd trip was in 97 or 98, alot of nettle. Next time I do it will be with snow cover.
My friend Brett and I made a winter attempt on the middle summit via the northeast ridge. We made it to about 9600 feet before turning around. Although we didn't reach our goal, the day was absolutely beautiful, and it was well worth the effort.
July 2, 2011, I did a solo trip up the Upper Pole Couloir - it only took 2.5 hours to reach the North Peak.
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January 12, 2011 - Skinned up the draw just south of Bunnels Fork, summitted, then skied down Bunnels. Epic day.
June 11, 2008 - As a friend pointed out to me from his experience of climbing to the North Peak of Cascade via the Upper Pole Couloir "it almost felt like cheating". It only took 2 hours to top the mountain, and about 15 more minutes to summit the north peak. I also wandered over to the northmost peak - the one with a weather, or maybe radio, tower on it. Upper Pole is a great way to climb this mountain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ South Peak (10761 ft) via Big Springs On Saturday July 14, 2007 I joined a group of 7 other people who were doing a hike from Big Springs to the Cascade saddle. We began hiking at 8 am, and arrived at the saddle at 11 am. Two of us planned to go on from the saddle to the South Peak, and another asked to join us, and a fourth decided to go part of the way. By noon, we began the push to the South Peak from the saddle. There wasn't a constant trail, but we found that staying on the ridge as much as possible was the easiest and safest route. We arrive at the South Peak (10,761 ft) at 2:45 pm. The views looking west of Utah Lake, Rock Canyon, Squaw peak, and the whole valley were amazing. I think it was the best view of Utah Lake I have seen. To the north east we could see Deer Creek reservoir and to the south we could see Provo Peak and Nebo. Had the energy to do the extra 1.25 miles (each way) to the North Peak, but I ran out of water, so decided to save that one for another day (I plan to do it via Bunnels Fork). Tried to take a short cut on the way down, by cutting down to a visible terrace that we thought would lead to the saddle, but it ended up being 4 terraces down from the saddle which meant a hike up, and without water, in the worst heat of the day, in direct sun. Made it to Big Springs, and much needed water by 7:30 ish pm. One member of our peak bagging group did get heat exhaustion, but we all made it down safely.
Dry Fork Canyon was prettier than I expected and the ridge was covered in wildflowers. We should have stayed on the ridge more instead of going low. Long hot day, but worth it. About 10 hours round trip.
Hyrum and I made it to the top after an unsuccessful attempt the previous June. The snow had melted by September, and we enjoyed beautiful (but warm) weather. We were almost completely alone on the mountain. We found the geocache on the summit and signed the log.
There was lots and lots of bushwhacking, and I filled my boots with burrs more times than I care to count. The traverse across the steep south ridge was hard on the ankles. There was nowhere to get water on the route. It was well worth it, though.
I attempted the south ridge route with Hyrum Wright. We turned around because we didn't bring axes and didn't want to attempt sketchy snowfield crossings.
We started from the Rock Canyon trailhead near the Provo temple. That wasn't such a good idea. Cascade is long enough as it is. Starting from Squaw Peak Road is a much better option.
Rocky Alps - Jun 3, 2006 2:27 am Date Climbed: May 29, 2006
Route Climbed: South Ridge
It had snowed up in the mountains two days before Memorial Day, but I didn't take krampons or an ice axe because I wasn't expecting so much. The hike was long and arduous, mainly because I had to keep doubling back to avoid the nest of thick trees along the higher parts of the south ridge. The views were definitely worth it, though, and I liked the climb more than Mount Timpanogos or Mount Nebo. This was the first major hike I did with my wife, and it is the only time I've experienced complete solitude (no other climbers on the mountain). I turned around at the summit between the main north summit and the south summit. See "Scramble in the Snow" trip report for details.
Tracy - Apr 6, 2006 4:39 am Date Climbed: Oct 1, 1985
Third time's a charm
I had made two previous attempts, both in the spring of 1984 and both unsuccessful even though I had reached the 9,660 foot elevation in substantial snow conditions from the northeast ridge (above Bunnell's Fork) approach on April 11th and I had reached 9,500 foot elevation via the southerly approach from Dry Fork on March 3rd. This successful trip was via the quarry on the west side. Jon and Lynda Tanner drove me up and dropped me off the evening before and I climbed part way and overnighted at about 10,000 feet. I summited fairly early that next morning and then hiked to my apartment in South Provo the next morning via Rock Canyon.
Route Climbed: West Face Coulier Date Climbed: 12-05
This is one steep mother, and one long day. We parked near Provo Canyon hiway because the road was closed. After snowshing for several hours we finally began the climb. The climb is just straight up with no chance to rest your legs. Unfortuntally, we summited in a storm cloud. A 12 hour climb or so.
Route Climbed: Upper Pole Couloir Date Climbed: June 13, 2005
What a great mountain and a great route. The couloir is direct, simple, and has a fun steep section at the end. You can practice a little frontpointing and mixed maneuvers. The views of Utah Valley are great. In fact I would say they are better than Timpanogos and Provo Peak.
There was consisent rockfall down the couloir during the morning ascent, but most of the rock came from a side gully about 2/3 of the way up. Once we passed that point we had no more issues with rocks.
The summit ridge was beautiful. There were 20-30 foot cornices peeling away from the mountain. The sight was pretty dramatic. This is the most enjoyable mountain I've climbed in Utah Valley and the most enjoyable route, maybe except for Everest Ridge on Timp.
We took a slow, fun pace and the round trip was only 5 hours. The glissade down the mountain was a blast, probably the best part!
Route Climbed: West Face - South Couloir Date Climbed: May 14, 1998
Fantastic route. Lots 'o fun. This mountain is basically void of any other hikers, climbers, etc. Plan on a great day of solitude and incredible beauty.
Route Climbed: Trail No. 59 Big Springs Hollow Trail Date Climbed: 7/30/04-7/31/04
Started from the Trail #59 trailhead in South Fork Canyon and climbed approx. 4000 vertical feet on the 30th. Spent the night on Lightning Ridge and summited on the 31st.
Tough Climb--Approx. 5300 vertical foot Climb and about 17 mile out and back.
Route Climbed: Bunnels Fork (not east ridge, north gully Date Climbed: June 1989 and ?
Climbed via Bunnels Fork on one trip and North Gully on one trip. The North Gully route is no longer possible without a difficult and high rock climb since the Bridal Vail Falls Tram closed some years ago.
Difficult route. Didn't summit as I had just gotten over a cold and didn't have full stamina back yet. Did with Wasatch Mtn. Club. I prefer staying on trail all the way to the ridgecrest (about 9,600 feet), but on this outing we bushwhacked straight up slopes to the ridge above. Once on the ridge, much scrambling on loose, steep rocks to summit of South Cascade with some exposure. From here, a few ups and downs, but much easier to true summit a ways further north. Too bad I was out of gas!
builttospill - Jan 27, 2010 3:44 pm Date Climbed: Jun 15, 2005
Upper Pole CouloirJune 15, 2005: Climbed Upper Pole Couloir. Not a bad jaunt in just over an hour to the top. It's nice to be able to drive to the base of the couloir and just cruise up so quickly.
thigbee - Aug 21, 2009 1:02 am Date Climbed: Jul 12, 2009
Not as bad as I thought it would be...With all the horror stories of this hike, I was expecting something pretty brutal. I was pleasantly surprised, though. I don't think this hike is any more difficult than Timp. If you're in good enough shape to be climbing the other tall Wasatch peaks, this one won't be any harder.
Left the Dry Fork trailhead at 6 and made it to south summit at 8:40 and the true summit at 9:30. According to my GPS, it's 6.6 miles from the trailhead to true summit.
kteichert - Aug 3, 2009 11:54 am Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2009
Check that off the list!Cascade is one of the most rewarding, and difficult hikes I have ever done. My friend, Adam and I hit all 4 main summits. I really liked that it was a summit that not many people go to. I like to go where not many people hike. But the bushwhacking, especially since we didn't follow the trail down was where the real stories came.
aprovance - Aug 1, 2009 9:15 pm Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2009
Cascade via Dry Fork TrailHit the Dry Fork TH at 6am. Made it to the of top the true summit at 1030am. Had lunch while enjoying the views. My friend Kyle and I then hiked to the northern most peak, while his wife and the other two girls stayed at the true summit, and checked out the weather antennae and the view down Provo Canyon. We bushwhacked down one of the draws. Didn't see another person past the saddle. Great views, great weather! Signed the register on south summit.
byates - Dec 1, 2008 3:31 pm Date Climbed: Sep 11, 1994
Via BunnelsI've climbed it twice via Bunnel's I believe the 2nd trip was in 97 or 98, alot of nettle. Next time I do it will be with snow cover.
Bruce Christensen - Feb 17, 2008 3:17 pm Date Climbed: Feb 15, 2008
Beautiful!My friend Brett and I made a winter attempt on the middle summit via the northeast ridge. We made it to about 9600 feet before turning around. Although we didn't reach our goal, the day was absolutely beautiful, and it was well worth the effort.
Trip report: http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/381192/winter-ascent-via-northeast-ridge.html
vanman798 - Jul 16, 2007 12:25 pm Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2011
Upper Pole CouliorJuly 2, 2011, I did a solo trip up the Upper Pole Couloir - it only took 2.5 hours to reach the North Peak.
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January 12, 2011 - Skinned up the draw just south of Bunnels Fork, summitted, then skied down Bunnels. Epic day.
June 11, 2008 - As a friend pointed out to me from his experience of climbing to the North Peak of Cascade via the Upper Pole Couloir "it almost felt like cheating". It only took 2 hours to top the mountain, and about 15 more minutes to summit the north peak. I also wandered over to the northmost peak - the one with a weather, or maybe radio, tower on it. Upper Pole is a great way to climb this mountain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South Peak (10761 ft) via Big Springs On Saturday July 14, 2007 I joined a group of 7 other people who were doing a hike from Big Springs to the Cascade saddle. We began hiking at 8 am, and arrived at the saddle at 11 am. Two of us planned to go on from the saddle to the South Peak, and another asked to join us, and a fourth decided to go part of the way. By noon, we began the push to the South Peak from the saddle. There wasn't a constant trail, but we found that staying on the ridge as much as possible was the easiest and safest route. We arrive at the South Peak (10,761 ft) at 2:45 pm. The views looking west of Utah Lake, Rock Canyon, Squaw peak, and the whole valley were amazing. I think it was the best view of Utah Lake I have seen. To the north east we could see Deer Creek reservoir and to the south we could see Provo Peak and Nebo. Had the energy to do the extra 1.25 miles (each way) to the North Peak, but I ran out of water, so decided to save that one for another day (I plan to do it via Bunnels Fork). Tried to take a short cut on the way down, by cutting down to a visible terrace that we thought would lead to the saddle, but it ended up being 4 terraces down from the saddle which meant a hike up, and without water, in the worst heat of the day, in direct sun. Made it to Big Springs, and much needed water by 7:30 ish pm. One member of our peak bagging group did get heat exhaustion, but we all made it down safely.
Read the full trip report.
Carpey - Jul 16, 2007 12:15 pm Date Climbed: Jul 1, 2007
S. Ridge, Gully ApproachLong route, lots of elevation gain. This one is best saved for the fall, in cool temperatures.
Full TR here: http://www.danransom.com/TripReports/?p=109
ridgegirl - Jul 7, 2007 6:24 pm Date Climbed: Jul 6, 2007
South RidgeDry Fork Canyon was prettier than I expected and the ridge was covered in wildflowers. We should have stayed on the ridge more instead of going low. Long hot day, but worth it. About 10 hours round trip.
Bruce Christensen - May 28, 2007 1:50 pm Date Climbed: Sep 5, 2005
South ridge successHyrum and I made it to the top after an unsuccessful attempt the previous June. The snow had melted by September, and we enjoyed beautiful (but warm) weather. We were almost completely alone on the mountain. We found the geocache on the summit and signed the log.
There was lots and lots of bushwhacking, and I filled my boots with burrs more times than I care to count. The traverse across the steep south ridge was hard on the ankles. There was nowhere to get water on the route. It was well worth it, though.
Bruce Christensen - May 28, 2007 1:45 pm Date Climbed: Jun 18, 2005
Unsuccessful attempt from Rock CanyonI attempted the south ridge route with Hyrum Wright. We turned around because we didn't bring axes and didn't want to attempt sketchy snowfield crossings.
We started from the Rock Canyon trailhead near the Provo temple. That wasn't such a good idea. Cascade is long enough as it is. Starting from Squaw Peak Road is a much better option.
Rocky Alps - Jun 3, 2006 2:27 am Date Climbed: May 29, 2006
Route Climbed: South RidgeIt had snowed up in the mountains two days before Memorial Day, but I didn't take krampons or an ice axe because I wasn't expecting so much. The hike was long and arduous, mainly because I had to keep doubling back to avoid the nest of thick trees along the higher parts of the south ridge. The views were definitely worth it, though, and I liked the climb more than Mount Timpanogos or Mount Nebo. This was the first major hike I did with my wife, and it is the only time I've experienced complete solitude (no other climbers on the mountain). I turned around at the summit between the main north summit and the south summit. See "Scramble in the Snow" trip report for details.
Tracy - Apr 6, 2006 4:39 am Date Climbed: Oct 1, 1985
Third time's a charmI had made two previous attempts, both in the spring of 1984 and both unsuccessful even though I had reached the 9,660 foot elevation in substantial snow conditions from the northeast ridge (above Bunnell's Fork) approach on April 11th and I had reached 9,500 foot elevation via the southerly approach from Dry Fork on March 3rd. This successful trip was via the quarry on the west side. Jon and Lynda Tanner drove me up and dropped me off the evening before and I climbed part way and overnighted at about 10,000 feet. I summited fairly early that next morning and then hiked to my apartment in South Provo the next morning via Rock Canyon.
eigerkidd1 - Dec 6, 2005 10:17 pm
Route Climbed: West Face Coulier Date Climbed: 12-05This is one steep mother, and one long day. We parked near Provo Canyon hiway because the road was closed. After snowshing for several hours we finally began the climb. The climb is just straight up with no chance to rest your legs. Unfortuntally, we summited in a storm cloud. A 12 hour climb or so.
marauders - Jun 17, 2005 12:18 am
Route Climbed: Upper Pole Couloir Date Climbed: June 13, 2005What a great mountain and a great route. The couloir is direct, simple, and has a fun steep section at the end. You can practice a little frontpointing and mixed maneuvers. The views of Utah Valley are great. In fact I would say they are better than Timpanogos and Provo Peak.
There was consisent rockfall down the couloir during the morning ascent, but most of the rock came from a side gully about 2/3 of the way up. Once we passed that point we had no more issues with rocks.
The summit ridge was beautiful. There were 20-30 foot cornices peeling away from the mountain. The sight was pretty dramatic. This is the most enjoyable mountain I've climbed in Utah Valley and the most enjoyable route, maybe except for Everest Ridge on Timp.
We took a slow, fun pace and the round trip was only 5 hours. The glissade down the mountain was a blast, probably the best part!
GlennMerrill - Feb 27, 2005 7:19 pm
Route Climbed: Upper Pole Couloir Date Climbed: Late winter, spring, and summerNumerous times up Upper Pole Couloir
marauders - Dec 8, 2004 7:01 pm
Route Climbed: West Face - South Couloir Date Climbed: May 14, 1998Fantastic route. Lots 'o fun. This mountain is basically void of any other hikers, climbers, etc. Plan on a great day of solitude and incredible beauty.
duolson - Aug 2, 2004 4:40 pm
Route Climbed: Trail No. 59 Big Springs Hollow Trail Date Climbed: 7/30/04-7/31/04Started from the Trail #59 trailhead in South Fork Canyon and climbed approx. 4000 vertical feet on the 30th. Spent the night on Lightning Ridge and summited on the 31st.
Tough Climb--Approx. 5300 vertical foot Climb and about 17 mile out and back.
Scott - Nov 19, 2003 3:58 pm
Route Climbed: Bunnels Fork (not east ridge, north gully Date Climbed: June 1989 and ?Climbed via Bunnels Fork on one trip and North Gully on one trip. The North Gully route is no longer possible without a difficult and high rock climb since the Bridal Vail Falls Tram closed some years ago.
MrWasatch - Nov 14, 2003 11:50 am
Route Climbed: South Ridge Date Climbed: 6/30/02Difficult route. Didn't summit as I had just gotten over a cold and didn't have full stamina back yet. Did with Wasatch Mtn. Club. I prefer staying on trail all the way to the ridgecrest (about 9,600 feet), but on this outing we bushwhacked straight up slopes to the ridge above. Once on the ridge, much scrambling on loose, steep rocks to summit of South Cascade with some exposure. From here, a few ups and downs, but much easier to true summit a ways further north. Too bad I was out of gas!