Ferguson Canyon & Storm Mountain

Ferguson Canyon provides an enjoyable place to hike that's not as crowded as some of the trails up Big Cottonwood Canyon.  It is a popular destination for rock climbers to come and scale the cliffs near the mouth of the canyon.  Since dogs are allowed here, they often join their masters on the outdoor activities.  Further up the canyon, the trail switchbacks up the north ridge to an overlook of the Salt Lake Valley.  An eye-catching feature along the south rim of Ferguson Canyon is a rock formation known as the Hounds Tooth.  At the end of the canyon on the north ridge is Storm Mountain, which is actually a terminus point of the ridge extending northwest of Twin Peaks.  Northeast of Storm Mountain is Stairs Gulch where avalanches notoriously occur during the winter and early spring seasons.

To reach the Ferguson Canyon trailhead from Wasatch Boulevard, turn east (towards the mountains) onto Prospector Drive (7535 South).  Take an immediate right turn and continue south for approximately one-third of a mile to Timberline Drive (7780 South).  Turn left (east) on Timberline Drive and park along the right-side of the road near the beginning of the dirt service road.  Hike the service road northeastward past the water tank to reach the trailhead.  The trail makes a brief descent before ascending up Ferguson Canyon.  Upon reaching the rock climbing area just beyond the mouth of the canyon, the trail becomes a maze of other trails leading to various climbing sites.  Stay generally close to the streambed for the main trail through this area.  At approximately 1.2 miles from the starting point, the trail switchbacks several times for about 0.3 miles to an overlook of the Salt Lake Valley.  This is where I began my arduous climb up the south rim of the canyon to reach the Hounds Tooth.  While I'm not recommending this route as the best route to climb the Hounds Tooth, it was the most feasible for me at the time.  The slope is quite steep, and there were times when I had to cling to the shrubbery I was bushwhacking through to keep from sliding down the mountainside.  At the point when I was ready to abandon my wild attempt, I reached the top of the rim northwest of the Hounds Tooth.  On more level ground now with the goal in sight, I more or less made a direct course to the base of the formation.  The final obstacle came in climbing to the top of the rock without putting myself in too much danger.  After careful study, I followed a sloping ledge that seemed to be heavily vegetated near the south end of the formation.  Through careful maneuvering with some exposure, I was able to reach the 8,136-foot summit of Hounds Tooth.  Distance from the Ferguson Canyon starting point to the Hounds Tooth summit is approximately 1.9 miles one-way (based on the route I took) with an elevation gain of 2,886 feet.

Rock towers along the trail near
the Salt Lake Valley overlook

West face of the Hounds Tooth with
yellow line showing my general route

To continue on to Storm Mountain, follow the trail up the switchbacks past the Salt Lake Valley overlook.  At around 2.4 miles, the trail steepens for about 0.4 miles to reach a meadow area at approximately 8,300 feet elevation.  Beyond the meadow the trail becomes indistinguishable, and you make your way towards the pyramid-shaped peak on the left (north), which is Storm Mountain.  Near the base of the peak the route becomes steeper for a final scramble to the 9,524-foot summit of Storm Mountain.  During the time I did it, I looked across the Salt Lake Valley to see a thunderstorm looming on the west side.  Fearful of lightning, I finished a quick lunch and made my way off the Storm Mountain ridge.  While I got wet from rain a few times on the way down Ferguson Canyon, I never encountered any close lightning strikes.  What a coincidence to get caught in a storm on Storm Mountain!  Distance from the Ferguson Canyon starting point to the summit of Storm Mountain is approximately 3.5 miles one-way with an elevation gain of 4,274 feet.

The pyramidal shape of Storm Mountain
as viewed from the meadow area

View of an approaching thunderstorm
near the summit of Storm Mountain

Broads Fork Meadows & Twin Peaks

The hike described here can range from relatively easy to rather difficult depending on your choosing.  For a pleasant hike to an area where there are impressive views of the surrounding peaks along with the soothing sound of flowing water, the Broads Fork Meadows is the place to go.  It provides a great place to have a picnic lunch and to simply get away from the hustle-bustle of city life for awhile.  The Broads Fork Canyon is also the main access to Twin Peaks, which are the highest points along the Cottonwood Ridge, separating Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, and overlooking the Salt Lake Valley.  While these vantage points provide spectacular views of the valley below along with other points in the Wasatch Range, anyone attempting to climb the Broads Fork Twins should be in top physical condition and plan for a long day.

View of Dromedary, Sunrise, and part of
Twin Peaks from the lower meadow
area – Photo credit: Eric Willhite

To reach the Broads Fork trailhead from the Salt Lake Valley, take the 6200 South (Exit 6) off of I-215 and turn right (at the light) onto Wasatch Boulevard (SR 190).  At Fort Union Boulevard (7200 South), turn left (east) to go up Big Cottonwood Canyon towards the Brighton and Solitude Ski Resorts.  At approximately 4.5 miles up the canyon, the "Mill B Trailhead" sign appears to your right (south) at the bottom of what's known as the S-Curve.  Parking is available near the trailhead, or a second parking lot is available in the upper bend of the S-Curve.  Early arrivals during weekdays tend to guarantee a parking spot in the parking lot.  The Broads Fork trail begins near the west corner of the lower parking lot and makes a moderately steep climb westward to an overlook at about 0.3 miles.  Near the overlook, it enters the Twin Peaks Wilderness Area and levels out some as it veers to the left (south) into Broads Fork Canyon.  The trail eventually crosses to the west side of the stream where the climb becomes steep in places until the lower meadow area is reached at approximately 8,220 feet elevation.  Just before the meadow, the trail splits with the left (east) fork leading to a large pond.  Distance from the Broads Fork trailhead to the large pond in the lower meadow area is approximately 2.3 miles one-way with an elevation gain of approximately 2,040 feet.

Beyond the pond, the trail leading towards Twin Peaks becomes less distinct, and may at times disappear.  Continue hiking in the direction of the intermittent streambed, which may involve several stream crossings depending on the time of year.  Eventually, a terraced slope will begin to rise to the left (east) of the streambed.  This rather steep slope leads to an upper meadow area that levels out at about 9,600 feet elevation.  Here is a good spot to rest before pressing onward.  From the upper meadow, the route becomes a scramble over seemingly endless rock towards the saddle to the southwest.  Snow often remains in this area well into the summer months, and it is wise to carry along some crampons and an ice axe should you need them.  When walking on the snow, however, be aware of hidden voids that may collapse beneath you.  The terrain becomes steeper as you approach the saddle with various small cliff bands to work around.  Once the 10,800-foot saddle is reached, you can rest assured that the most grueling part of the climb is behind you.  Continuing northwest along the saddle ridge, you will run into one more obstacle during the final ascent.  It is a sloping rock wall on the Little Cottonwood side of the ridge with a one-foot irregular ledge spanning most of the way across it.  At the end of the ledge is a crack, perhaps 30 feet high, where there are holding points to wedge your hands and feet to pull yourself up.  This can be accomplished at a slow, steady pace if you're not too frightened of heights.  Beyond the crack, it's a standard scramble the remaining distance to the 11,330-foot summit of East Twin Peak.  The east summit is only two feet higher than the west summit, and they are approximately 0.14 miles hiking distance from each other.  While some sources place the one-way distance as high as 5.0 miles, based on my calculations, it is approximately 4.5 miles one-way from the Broads Fork trailhead to the summit of Twin Peaks.  Elevation gain from the trailhead is 5,130 feet.

West Twin Peak from the summit of
East Twin Peak

The wall & crack area on the
final ascent of Twin Peaks

East Twin Peak from the summit of
West Twin Peak