Bradley's Pad: Bells Canyon Backpacking Trip

I have been very busy getting ready to move to NC an wrapping up things in my lab. Besides that I have no excuse for not posting anything. :) I start the long drive this Wednesday!

I have been at my parent’s for the past couple weeks and have been doing a lot of hiking. This past Monday I started a backpacking trip up Bells Canyon here in Utah. Bells Canyon is probably the most beautiful canyon along the Wasatch, but I am not biased at all:). There is abundant amount of water year round. There are even bogs up there. It is so green that those not acquainted with the Wasatch would hardly believe that they were in Utah.

I went up with three young friends; Christopher Davis, Austin Duncan, and Bryan Miners. We started hiking at 6 AM Monday morning. We had packs ranging from 35 to 45 lbs. The trail is said to be 4 miles (it feels longer though). There is a 4400 foot elevation gain; so the trail is rather steep. We made great time; we were at Upper Bells Reservoir (were we camped) just after 11 AM. We spent three days swimming, hiking, and just goofing off. We came back Thursday. Here are some pictures from the trip.

Upper Bells Fall

This is a meadow above the Upper Reservoir

This is The same meadow as above

This is a stream in the meadow

This is looking down on the Upper Bells Reservoir

Me in a meadow further up from the first meadow

Christopher In the upper meadow

A stream near the upper meadow

The upper meadow

Decending from the upper meadow

This was a solo hike I did (the boys were pansies and didn't want to climb the extra 1,750 vertical feet to the top). This is on top of South Thunder Mountain.