Cascade Mountain to Provo Peak Traverse in Uinta National Forest, UT

Hike Cascade Mountain to Provo Peak Traverse Uinta National Forest, UT

Class 3 10.3 miles 7100 gain 9-12 hrs Shuttle Sep 6, 2018
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Cascade Mountain to Provo Peak Traverse GPX Track

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The coordinates listed are for the starting trailhead, the Quarry Trailhead. In order to avoid 6+ miles of walking on Squaw Peak Road, park a second car at the Provo Peak Trailhead (40.2423692,-111.5776537)

I was hoping for a good, long day in the mountains as a finale for my Wasatch 11ers, East Provo Peak being my last of the 22 peaks over 11,000 feet. Previously, I had hiked Provo Peak, and also Freedom Peak, but never the entire ridgeline. This traverse takes the Upper Pole Couloir to Cascade Mountain, and follows the ridge past South Cascade Mountain, Shingle Mill Peak, Freedom Peak, East Provo Peak, and Provo Peak. It ended up being a really cool route, since it gets more difficult as the ridge progresses, ending at the highest point for the day.

Starting from the Quarry trailhead, a social trail leads from the north side of the parking lot and up into a scree-filled gully, the Upper Pole Couloir. Eventually, you'll see a cairn (or won't) that leads to the ridge north of the couloir. Scramble up awful scree and continue on the grassy ridge to the ridgeline. Head north to bag Cascade Mountain, where there are great views of the Utah Valley to the west and of Mt. Timpanogos to the north. Look south and you'll see the entirety of the ridge you're about to do. Follow the ridge all the way to Provo Peak, which looks pretty dauntingly far away. There are really no spots along the route that there isn't a social trail, and it's kind of more annoying to try to skirt the peaksides in order to avoid the sub-peaks along the ridge than to just follow the ridge itself.

After bagging Cascade Mountain, South Cascade Mountain is a minor bump on your way down to the saddle with Shingle Mill Peak, which is another bump on your way to Freedom Peak. This lovely peak is the start of the low Class 3 scrambling for the day. Once on Freedom Peak, take in the rest of the route and start along the Class 2 ridgeline (or just to the right of it, depending on how much scrambling you want to do), to East Provo Peak. The awful loose rock from East Provo Peak to Provo Peak is the crux of the day. There is one spot to note: a short knife-edge, definitely Class 3. You can avoid it by dropping a few feet to the left of the ridge and scrambling up scree. Otherwise, it's just a steep route down from East Provo, and a steep route up Provo. From Provo Peak's summit, you can see the whole route from this angle looking back toward Cascade Mountain, and then follow the standard Provo Peak trail to the car you (hopefully) placed earlier.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Cascade Mountain
10908 ft
1388 rise
2
South Cascade Mountain
10760 ft
280 rise
3
Shingle Mill Peak
10680 ft
440 rise
4
Freedom Peak
10801 ft
281 rise
5
Provo East Peak
11044 ft
524 rise
6
Provo Peak
11068 ft
3428 rise

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Starting up the Upper Pole Couloir from the Quarry Trailhead.
Starting up the Upper Pole Couloir from the Quarry Trailhead.
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Steep scree in the Upper Pole Couloir.
Steep scree in the Upper Pole Couloir.
Looking back down the Upper Pole Couloir.
Looking back down the Upper Pole Couloir.
Leave the Upper Pole Couloir and scramble annoying scree to get to the ridgeline.
Leave the Upper Pole Couloir and scramble annoying scree to get to the ridgeline.
Heading up a ridge, Upper Pole Couloir to the left.
Heading up a ridge, Upper Pole Couloir to the left.
Grassy slope to ascend.
Grassy slope to ascend.
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Looking down the grassy slope, Upper Pole Couloir down there somewhere.
Looking down the grassy slope, Upper Pole Couloir down there somewhere.
Ridgeline to Cascade Mountain.
Ridgeline to Cascade Mountain.
Looking back along the ridgeline on the way up to Cascade Mountain. You can see the entirety of our route, East Provo Peak and Provo Peak the pointy ones in the center.
Looking back along the ridgeline on the way up to Cascade Mountain. You can see the entirety of our route, East Provo Peak and Provo Peak the pointy ones in the center.
Approaching Cascade Mountain.
Approaching Cascade Mountain.
Close-up north of Mt. Timpanogos from Cascade Mountain summit.
Close-up north of Mt. Timpanogos from Cascade Mountain summit.
Headed back along the ridge from Cascade Mountain.
Headed back along the ridge from Cascade Mountain.
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Approaching South Cascade Mountain.
Approaching South Cascade Mountain.
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So long to go - Provo Peak is center.
So long to go - Provo Peak is center.
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Shingle Mill Peak (left), Freedom Peak, East Provo, Provo.
Shingle Mill Peak (left), Freedom Peak, East Provo, Provo.
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On the way up Shingle Mill Peak, looking back toward Cascade Mountain.
On the way up Shingle Mill Peak, looking back toward Cascade Mountain.
Almost on the Shingle Mill Peak summit.
Almost on the Shingle Mill Peak summit.
Shingle Mill Peak summit looking south toward Freedom Peak.
Shingle Mill Peak summit looking south toward Freedom Peak.
Freedom Peak ahead.
Freedom Peak ahead.
Scrambling up Freedom Peak, Shingle Mill Peak on the right.
Scrambling up Freedom Peak, Shingle Mill Peak on the right.
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Last bit of scramble to Freedom Peak summit.
Last bit of scramble to Freedom Peak summit.
Freedom Peak summit looking north toward Shingle Mill (right) and Cascade (left).
Freedom Peak summit looking north toward Shingle Mill (right) and Cascade (left).
Continuing from Freedom Peak summit to East Provo and Provo Peaks.
Continuing from Freedom Peak summit to East Provo and Provo Peaks.
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Beautiful ridgeline from Freedom to East Provo.
Beautiful ridgeline from Freedom to East Provo.
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Image 41 from gallery
Looking back on the way up to East Provo, Freedom Peak on the right.
Looking back on the way up to East Provo, Freedom Peak on the right.
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East Provo (left), Provo Peak (right).
East Provo (left), Provo Peak (right).
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East Provo Peak summit looking north on the route we've completed so far.
East Provo Peak summit looking north on the route we've completed so far.
East Provo Peak summit looking west to Provo Peak, Utah Lake in the distance.
East Provo Peak summit looking west to Provo Peak, Utah Lake in the distance.
Ridgeline from East Provo to Provo Peak.
Ridgeline from East Provo to Provo Peak.
Looking back toward East Provo.
Looking back toward East Provo.
A scramble section, likely avoidable if you drop some elevation on the left.
A scramble section, likely avoidable if you drop some elevation on the left.
Looking back toward East Provo Peak.
Looking back toward East Provo Peak.
Final push to Provo Peak summit.
Final push to Provo Peak summit.
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Image 54 from gallery
Provo Peak summit ahead.
Provo Peak summit ahead.
Provo Peak summit looking north toward Cascade Mountain.
Provo Peak summit looking north toward Cascade Mountain.
Close-up toward Cascade Mountain.
Close-up toward Cascade Mountain.
Coming down the steep standard route on a social trail from Provo Peak.
Coming down the steep standard route on a social trail from Provo Peak.
Headed down from Provo Peak to the Provo Peak Trailhead, where we parked our second car.
Headed down from Provo Peak to the Provo Peak Trailhead, where we parked our second car.
Crazy light in Slate Canyon.
Crazy light in Slate Canyon.
Image 61 from gallery

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!