Two hours and five minutes is not my fastest ascent of a mountain peak; however, not my slowest ascent either. I'm standing on the rocky summit of Twin Peaks, South; the middle peak of three distinct peaks in the Badger - UT quadrangle and an area I have enjoyed hiking in these past few peak bagging trips.
“Monument Peak” copyright BrickBranBlog2022
To the south is Monument Peak and behind the shadowed mountain resides a scene more common to springtime in Southern Utah than this final day of September. Sunshine mixed with dark clouds and rain. Unfortunately, Cedar City is getting pounded with yet another series of rainstorms as the clouds follow the mountain chain to the east of my current position.
I had thought about climbing Twin Peaks, South last week during my ascent of Monument Peak, but now that I look back along the ridgeline connecting the two, I'm glad I decided against it. I mentioned my knee reconstruction surgery earlier this year. Although I am excited about climbing some middle-sized remote peaks in the area, the months of atrophy leading up to the surgery have been difficult to reverse. I was tired last week after my ascent of Monument Peak; today's climb will also take a toll.
“Trail View East toward Baboon Peak Quadrangle” copyright BrickBarnBlog2022
I glance along the eastern horizon, finding the storm's leading edge, and smile as I recognize all the significant peaks between myself and the shower. The quadrangle directly east of Badger Peak is called Baboon Peak - UT, and I've stood on top of each listed peak within the quad. Peak bagging is an exciting sport and one that I have grown to love over the years. Unfortunately, I gave up years ago trying to figure out why some peaks list within a quadrangle and others do not. The calculations consider items such as rise and prominence, and many peak bagging sites rely on the listing of climbs by its members. I use a couple of places and one, i.e., listsofjohn.com, almost exclusively.
Height, it turns out, can be misleading when mountain climbing, describing the elevation at the summit of the peak. The calculation is determined from sea level, so an elevation of 7,177' may sound large; however, when the valley floor beside the mountain rests at 6,000', it's not that impressive. The prominence of a peak, according to Wikipedia, then becomes the "minimum height of climb to the summit on any route from a higher peak, or sea level..." [1] One only has to search, and lists of mountain peaks around the world can be found ranked by prominence.
“Twin Peaks, North” copyright BrickBranBlog2022
My knee aches as I descend toward the high saddle beside Twin Peaks, North. An unranked peak (rise less than 300'), I had planned on making quick work of the ascent on my return trip; however, standing on the saddle, it will have to wait another day. The approach drive through Third Canyon was a fun ride on my quad. And although I was disappointed the small pond marked on the map was a retention pond instead of a rock-rimed pool of hot water (hot springs are standard in the area), the drive and hike were pleasant enough for a return trip for the much easier climb.
References:
[1] List of mountain peaks by prominence. (2022, September 24). In _Wikipedia_. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mountain_peaks_by_prominence