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Battle Creek Falls a quick hike with a big reward |
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Written by Jessica Eyre
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Friday, 05 September 2008 |
In an effort to beat the rain forecasted for Labor Day, I wanted to get in a quick hike on the Saturday before. So with a husband dedicated to BYU football, I took my two kids, aged 2 years and 6 months, and my dad for a hike on Saturday evening. It’s a great time to hike: a way to enjoy the scenery without the threat of heat stroke.
Inspired by Greg Witt, a tour guide and author of “60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Salt Lake City,” we headed for the trail to Battle Creek Falls in Pleasant Grove.
When you have two kids, there’s quite a bit of gear we brought. We loaded the baby in the child backpack — my Mother’s Day gift this year — and unfolded the bike trailer stroller for Grace, taking a chance that the trail conditions would allow us to pass.
Heading up the trail, we were surprised at the lack of water. Because we were headed toward a waterfall, we were expecting the trail to follow some sort of water. But we eventually came to a dam where the water collects on the side of the trail, and then was diverted into an underground pipe for Pleasant Grove's culinary water, explaining the dry riverbed we passed. On the way down, we met a horse and rider, along with his dog, wading in the small pool.
Farther up the trail, large rocks made traversing with the stroller difficult, so we pushed it off the side of the trail in an area with plenty of space, and pressed on, my Dad slinging Grace up onto his shoulders.
We hit a section of the trail that was quite steep. While it wasn’t very long, it was completely covered in small, loose rocks. I’m a slow hiker anyway, but with a baby on my back, I was compelled to be extra cautious not to fall or slide backward.
Once we were able to hear the waterfall, we kept trying to peer through the brush for a glimpse of our destination, and then suddenly, there it was, a magnificent display of falling water, splitting into two falls, crashing onto the rocks 40 feet below. The trail forks, and you can hike the short but steep distance to stand at the top of the falls, or you can hike down to the riverbed where the water is shallow enough in which to wade comfortably.
We opted to go down, not wanting to teeter two kids on the top of a cliff. But the foot of the falls is just as exhilarating. My dad and Grace walked out just in front of the falling water — and they felt the power behind the natural element. Spray and wind whooshed around them, prompting Grace to bury her face in my dad’s shoulder.
We watched the falls for a bit, joined by another family, whose teenagers promptly ditched their shoes to walk through the cold water.
My parents had lived in Highland for 13 years, and my dad didn’t know this trail existed. So after all that time roaming the nearby mountains by all sorts of means, there is always room for new discovery.
We spent about an hour and a half on the trail, getting back to the car as the sun was beginning to set. It was a great way to spend a Saturday, and we even beat the BYU game traffic going home.
IF YOU GO:
Head toward American Fork Canyon, and just before entering the canyon, take a right up the hill on Canyon Road and drive into Pleasant Grove. Turn left on 200 South in Pleasant Grove, and follow this up past the water tank and to the parking area at Kiwanis Park. The trail is just before you cross the bridge into the park.
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