Weather:  Clear skies, few clouds.
Present were:  Mike, K7DOU with friend, Nancy; Gordon, K7HFV; Clint, KA7OEI; Bruce, KI7OM; Randy Lawrence, KG7GI; Randy Adams, N7BRP.
Destination:  To the top of Clayton Peak via Snake Creek pass.
Comments:  Since the last year, the lower portion of the trail has been relocated to follow existing roads - avoiding the wet, muddy areas paralleling the stream.  At sunset, on the peak, a thermometer read 63 degrees (F) but the light breeze made if feel even cooler.
Question of the day:  "What are the names of those lakes?"  A number of small lakes are visible just below Clayton Peak:  Look below for a map showing what's what...
Total distance:  About 5.5 Miles round trip.
Times:  Depart car:  1858;  Reached Dog Lake:  1921;  Reached Snake Creek Pass  1954;  Started the ascent on the Clayton Peak Mass:  2002;  Arrived on Clayton Peak:  2021;  Departed Clayton Peak:  2105;  Reached road again:  2125;  Back at Snake Creek:  2134;  Back at Dog Lake:  2211;  Back at car:  2033.  (These were my times - other's times may vary...)
Altitudes in feet ASL (approx):  Vehicle:  8783;  Dog Lake:  9377;  Snake Creek:  10059;  Bottom of Clayton Peak Mass:  10161;  Clayton Peak:  10731.
Elevation gain/loss:  1948 ft., approx.
Local sunset on this date:  8:47 pm.

Images (44-1250k each, .JPG):

• IMG01134 - A moose munching away.  See also #1136.  Unfortunately, the first picture is slightly blurred - and the other moose wouldn't pose for the second one.  (There were two mooses...  meese...  mice...)
• IMG01137 - The cirque of lakes Mary and Dog.  Note that neither lake is visible.
• IMG01138 - Our quest:  Clayton Peak.  Wider view:  #1139.  There are at least two people visible on the peak in these pictures.
• IMG01140- On the trail.  (That's Mr. Adams.)
• IMG01143 - On the peak - about 8 minutes before "official" sunset.  A view of the moon, Heber valley, and the register box on the peak.  Similar is #1142.
• IMG01144 - Mr. Adams on the peak, just after arriving.  Mr. Adams, a few minutes later in #1147.
• IMG01145 - Mr. Lawrence, just arriving on the peak (still walking - hence the motion blur...)
• IMG01148 - The sun, sinking in the West.  Similar is #1151.
• IMG01152 - Bruce, just having staggered onto the peak and barely beating the sunset, leaning against a rock.
• IMG01153 - Nancy on the peak at sunset.
• IMG01156 - Clint (foreground) w/Nancy and Gordon, at sunset.
• IMG01157 - Mike and Nancy on the peak as the last sliver of sun disappears. (Just for 'yuks, the same picture - as it came from the camera with no adjustment except that it is half-size, is here.)

• GPS track of the hike.  Note:  The GPS receiver doesn't record a track unless it detects that the receiver is moving.  For that reason, it did not record the actual elevation of the peak (the "stopping point") which was shown as 10731.  I guess that I need to walk around on the peak to make it do that...  Also, the map is slightly "off" as to where it says the peak is.  (My current GPS receiver and a waypoint from my old one agree on the peak being the end of the track.)
• Elevation profile of the hike.  The distance read on the GPS odometer was about 5.5 miles whereas the elevation profile shows 5.31.  The GPS odometer is from data taken continuously, whereas the elevation profile is the sum of the "legs" of the track between data points and, thus, some "rounding off" errors occur...  literally!  (In other words, for a perfectly straight track, they would be the same.)
• A map of Clayton Peak and vicinity - showing nearby lakes.  (In case you find it difficult to read the map, the lake names are:  Lackawaxen, Silver - along with an "islet" - as well as Brimhall and Bloods.)
• GPS track on a more detailed map.  This map is more accurate - actually showing the track as being on the peak!

About the Clayton Peak and surrounding areas:

Clayton Peak (apparently named after William Clayton - but I'm not 100% certain of that) reaches - according to USGS maps - 10721 feet ASL.  The final ascent on the peak is via a steep, occasionally faint, trail that zig-zags up the mountain amongst the rocks, crossing from the western face to the southeastern face at a point a little more than halfway up.

The peak itself is one amongst several broken rocks and boulders atop the mountain.  A mailbox is present - along with a log into which you may sign your name as well as other remarks.  From the peak one may see well into Eastern Utah as Southwestern Wyoming.  Several small lakes are visible a short distance to the north and east of the peak.  One of these is named "Silver Lake" - not to be confused, of course, with "Silver Lake" or "Silver Lake Islet."

• If you want one (or more) of these images and wish some sort of adjustment (color, brightness, exposure, etc.) please let me know:  All of these image have been processed in some way.
• These images are 44-1250k in size, .JPG and are in chronological order.
• No-one ever said that all of these images (or any of them) were good.  Some of them may have definite focus/exposure "issues."
• EXIF data is present for many of the images, showing time, date, and precise exposure conditions.  Recent versions of Irfanview will show this in the "View->Image Information->EXIF" tab.
• All images taken using a Sigma SD-10 camera using the 18-50mm zoom lens.

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