A Grandview atop the Wasatch's City Creek Canyon

The final push to 9410' Grandview Peak. Looking north, the Sessions Mountains in the mid-distance, Bountiful Peak (right) and Great Salt Lake (left) in far distance.

I always try to climb at least one peak every winter in snowy conditions. I missed last year, so I've made it up by making two winter ascents this season. The first, City Creek Canyon's Grandview Peak, was really just a practice run for the much more grueling Charleston Peak that I would attempt two weeks later.

As usual, I began my climb from the very base of the mountain. Defining the base of a mountain is somewhat subjective, so I usually just go with what feels fair--in this case I decided to start (biking) from the corner of North Temple and State Street in downtown Salt Lake City (elevation ~4360'). I started at about 6 am, so it would be a while until the sun came up.

My paved road-bike part of the route took me up through Memory Grove, across Bonneville Boulevard, and on up City Creek Canyon to as far as the road was plowed (about a 1/4 mile past the water treatment plant at ~5480'). Here, I stashed the bike and changed into winter boots. Initially, the snow was not very deep and it was frozen, so I kept the snowshoes packed for later.

Once through Rotary Park and on to the City Creek trail, the snow deepened considerably and I strapped on my snowshoes. I followed both a single set of ski tracks and what appeared to be moose tracks heading up the trail. Veering north up Cottonwood Gulch, I was now making virgin tracks. Just past the Treasure Box Mine, the sun came up and I got my first look at the winter wonderland around me.

Snow conditions were firm, and I had no trouble making the peak by 11 am. After some lunch, taking a couple of selfies, and calling Susie to let her know I made it, I cruised back down in a hurry to make sure I'd have time to get cleaned up for a Super Bowl party later that afternoon.

I lingered briefly at the Treasue Box, snapping photos, but I was at the bottom of the canyon by 1:30 pm.

Final numbers (round trip): 11 mile/1300' gain bike + 11 mile 4400' gain hike = 22 miles & 5700' vertical total in 7.5 hours.

Sunrise in Cottonwood Gulch of City Creek Canyon. Black Mountain , which divides the City Creek and Red Butte drainages, is the snow covered ridge in the distance.

Fast, hard snow in upper Cottonwood Gulch.

Several shallow, old avalanches on west-facing slopes in upper Cottonwood. It had been a couple of weeks since this area received snow, and the avalanche danger was very low.

Almost to the summit ridge dividing Salt Lake County's City Creek and Davis County's Mill Creek (Mueller Park). Salt Lake Valley and the Oquirrh Mountains are in the far distance.

Rime ice near the summit.

Final steps to the top.

A grand view indeed. Looking south along the central Wasatch. Lone Peak Wilderness on the skyline.

Refueling on the summit.

Looking 5000 vertical feet back down to where I started the day in downtown Salt Lake City. An incredible feeling.

Few Salt Lake residents are aware of the one-time burgeoning mining district that once existed up City Creek Canyon, just a few miles from downtown Salt Lake City. Most of the old lead-zinc mines of the Hot Springs Mining District are so overgrown, their locations have been lost to time. But the most successful of them all, the Treasure Box Mine in Cottonwood Gulch, is like a small outdoor museum and should not be missed.  This mine was in sporadic operation from the 1870s up through at least the 1920s as evidenced by this 1920s-era Fordson tractor.