Home
Jardine Juniper, 18 June, 2023
A group of 11 hikers made the journey to the Jardine Juniper, the oldest known Rocky Mountain juniper. It is estimated to be 1,500 years old, and still has a cluster of live branches near the top.
We encountered numerous hikers and mountain bikers at the trailhead and throughout the day. About 1.4 miles into the hike, a new bridge installed in 2021 allowed hikers and bikers to safely cross a seasonal stream that was flowing at an unusually high rate. Along the trail, we were able to view other peaks, including Mt. Elmer, Beirdneau Peak, and Logan Peak. After reaching and spending some time at the ancient tree, we ate our lunch at a point above the tree overlooking Cottonwood Canyon.
The entire landscape, from lower/mid elevation sagebrush, juniper and aspen communities to higher elevation mixed conifer, had a lush, green appearance due to weeks of spring rain and cool temperatures. Several shrubs and forbs were in bloom, including chokecherry, serviceberry, bitterbrush, snowberry, snowbrush, Oregon grape, arrowleaf and cutleaf balsamroot, low larkspur, death camas, sticky geranium, waterleaf, Solomon’s seal, penstemons, woodland strawberry, woodland star, western clematis, northern sweetvetch, Jacob’s ladder, green gentian, mountain dandelion, western wallflower, meadowrue, heartleaf arnica and leopard lily.
Trip Summary:
Jardine Juniper, 18 June, 2023
A group of 11 hikers made the journey to the Jardine Juniper, the oldest known Rocky Mountain juniper. It is estimated to be 1,500 years old, and still has a cluster of live branches near the top.
We encountered numerous hikers and mountain bikers at the trailhead and throughout the day. About 1.4 miles into the hike, a new bridge installed in 2021 allowed hikers and bikers to safely cross a seasonal stream that was flowing at an unusually high rate. Along the trail, we were able to view other peaks, including Mt. Elmer, Beirdneau Peak, and Logan Peak. After reaching and spending some time at the ancient tree, we ate our lunch at a point above the tree overlooking Cottonwood Canyon.
The entire landscape, from lower/mid elevation sagebrush, juniper and aspen communities to higher elevation mixed conifer, had a lush, green appearance due to weeks of spring rain and cool temperatures. Several shrubs and forbs were in bloom, including chokecherry, serviceberry, bitterbrush, snowberry, snowbrush, Oregon grape, arrowleaf and cutleaf balsamroot, low larkspur, death camas, sticky geranium, waterleaf, Solomon’s seal, penstemons, woodland strawberry, woodland star, western clematis, northern sweetvetch, Jacob’s ladder, green gentian, mountain dandelion, western wallflower, meadowrue, heartleaf arnica and leopard lily.
Trip Summary:
- Eleven participants: Ralph, Dave P., Brent L., Jane, Dan, Deana, Brent J., Eugene, Michelle, Dave W., and Chris (leader)
- Drove 11 miles to Wood Camp Trailhead in Logan Canyon
- Started hiking at 8:45; ate lunch 12:00-12:30; returned to trailhead by 3:00
- Cloudy skies; somewhat windy with occasional gusts; one short period of intermittent rain; cool temperatures
- Hiked about 10.5 miles with about 2,000 feet elevation gain
Thanks
to Chris for the narrative and photos, Jane, Michelle,
Dan, and Dave P. for photos and Ralph for photos and
GPS data.
 |
|||
| The Wood Camp
Trailhead |
|||
 |
 |
||
| The new bridge |
A new sign |
||
 |
 |
||
| On the trail |
|||
 |
|||
| The old
Jardine Juniper |
|||
 |
|||
| Lunch |
|||
 |
 |
||
| Southwest view toward Logan Peak and
Beirdneau Peak |
East view toward Temple Peak |
||
 |
 |
||
| Northwest view toward Mt. Elmer |
Hiking back on the "Shady" trail |
||
 |
 |
||
| Ron Auger of
the Backcountry Horsemen has been here with his
chainsaw |
|||
 |
 |
||
| Leopard lily |
Green gentian |
||
 |
 |
||
| Miners in Salt
Lake's Little Cottonwood Canyon called green
gentian the "iron blossom", now the basis for the
logo of the Iron Blosam lodge and ski shop at
Snowbird |
|||
 |
 |
||
| Heartleaf arnica |
Cutleaf balsamroot |
||
 |
 |
||
| Arrowleaf balsamroot |
Snowbrush |
||
 |
 |
||
| Miterwort |
Northern sweetvetch |
||
 |
 |
||
| Bitterbrush |
Jacob's ladder |
||
 |
 |
||
| Penstemon |
Chokecherry |
||
 |
 |
||
| Western blue clematis |
Meadowrue (female) |
||
 |
|||
|
Our GPS track shows about 10.5 miles
and 2000 feet of ascent.
You can look at our route using Google Earth
or download our GPS file.
|
|||