Next time someone tells you he or she climbed Mount Olympus, make sure to give him or her a pat on the back.
But the next time somebody claims to have climbed Mount Olympus’ south summit in less than 90 minutes, tell that person I’ve got a camera phone, today’s newspaper and 20-to-1 odds that say they won’t be sitting by a rusted mailbox in the time it takes to play a soccer game. Those odds balloon to 100-to-1 if they can do it without the use of a helicopter.
Mount Olympus entices numerous hikers every day with a promise of the best view of the Salt Lake Valley. It also offers a physical challenge even the most conditioned athlete can appreciate.
Less than a minute after leaving the small, paved parking lot just above Wasatch Boulevard, the trail begins a drastic incline toward the first monument of the hike, Pete’s Rock. The climb’s first tenth-of-a-mile leaves most hikers with the thought, “If the whole hike is like this, I’m going to die.”
But just as the climb starts forcing hikers to suck in bigger gulps of air, the trail tapers off into a gentle meander up the initial face of the foothills named after the ancient Greek mountain of the gods.
The hike up Salt Lake’s most prominent mountain peak can be divided into two stages. The first third is through desert terrain. The second stage enters a more heavily wooded area made up mostly of juniper trees and scrub oak that gets denser the higher one goes.
The initial stage of the hike works through a series of switchbacks that eventually winds hikers deeper into the Tolcats Canyon. Nearly every step offers an increasingly better view of the Old Mill golf course and the valley floor below. There are also numerous perches on the first mile of the hike that offer unobstructed views and photo opportunities of the city.
But as generous as Mount Olympus is in its scenic offerings, it’s deceiving, as well.
As the hike inches close to its one-mile mark, the trail makes its last switchback toward Tolcats Canyon. Once the deeply scarred rock face of the foothill across the canyon comes into view, it is a signal that the hike’s difficulty is about to increase exponentially.
About a mile-and-a-half into the hike, or just as your legs start the initial tingling toward numbness, the trail crosses over a small stream that is barely visible, except during the spring. A few minutes later the trail passes across the bottom of the Tolcats Canyon and begins a rapid ascent up the slender valley.
At this point, hikers’ legs usually start to catch fire and thoughts start to reflect back to those that rolled around when the hike started. Except this time, the trail never ceases to climb.
For the average hiker, it is at this point that the real sweating begins.
The climb up the Tolcats Canyon is littered with every rock-cluttered obstacle one can think of. Most of the boulders require strides larger than the ones required to climb stairs, and the pace of the hike will cause most hiking novices to take numerous water breaks.
For most hikers, this is the point where there is no turning back, and no end in site. Two miles into the hike, the trail begins a steep, snaking ascent toward the saddle. Flat areas are few and even farther between, and when one’s legs begin to feel like noodles it’s a signal that a flat area is near.
As gratifying as it is to reach Mount Olympus’ saddle, it is only a milestone in the hike. The area provides a slight respite from the steep incline of the hike and also offers some great views of the seldom-seen back side of the mountain.
The obstacle that lies ahead is a 600-foot rock climb that requires two free hands and feet, but it is simple enough for the most novice climber, if one sticks to the trail.
The problem is the trail up the last 600 feet of Mount Olympus is not very defined, but with a little patience and observation, reaching the top is far from the hardest task on the hike.
And once the full view of the Salt Lake Valley comes into view, all the numbness and sweat melt into oblivion.
The summit of Mount Olympus is like a playground fit for adults. In between long pauses to admire the view, one can clamber over the numerous boulders toward a rusted mailbox. Inside lie the notepads filled with the thoughts of people that previously conquered the same feat.
It’s no wonder most of the things written in those pads are spiritually related. The trying journey up is rewarded with one of the most tranquil experiences found in Utah.
Amazingly, at just over 9,000 feet up, one can still hear the faint sounds from I-215 below. Equally impressive is the fact that the trail up Mount Olympus is so well worn. This stands as a testament to the fact that no matter how hard the challenge is, newcomers keep flocking to the mountain, and some brave souls keep coming back for more.
Now only if there were an escalator, or some sort of handrail to assist in the descent back to civilization.