Darcy Martinez

Edward Abbey put it best when he wrote, "May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view."

The great state I call home is rich with an abundance of natural beauty. It would probably take me two, maybe three lifetimes to explore all the glorious natural wonders of Utah. One of those many precious wonders is Deseret peak. You can find this gem in the Stansbury Mountain Range and reach the tippy top at 11,031 feet, according to the United States Geological Survey. Now, prior to meeting Deseret Peak, the highest elevation I had ever hiked to was an elevation of 8,299 ft. I figured if I brought appropriate hiking attire, a sufficient amount of water, snacks, electrolytes and most importantly the moral support, and all around entertainer that is my boyfriend-- I could conquer any mountain!

We arrived fairly early to the trailhead. Plenty of water--check. Electrolytes-- check. First aid kit—check. Camera—check. Excitement—check. And we were off into the scenic Stansbury Mountains.

Being in the mountains for me is to say at the least, therapeutic. It is my "happy place." It is a place where giant advertising billboards I see plastered everywhere along my city are replaced with giant rock walls. I don’t have steel light posts towering over me on every corner; instead I am surrounded by trees; Aspen, Fir, Alpine and Junipers. Concrete sidewalks no longer exist; it is a dirt trail you follow.

The first ¾ of the trail was an Aspen forest. It was late June and in the middle of a heat wave. I’ll admit, it wasn’t the brightest idea for us to hike in such hot conditions, but when you’ve got your heart set on being on top of a mountain, apparently you make it happen. A mile in held a charming little stream crossing through the trail. It’s gentle sound was like music to my ears; the ultimate relaxation sound. My heart was racing, and the sun was shining so brightly through the trees.

Just as I needed a water break we had made it to a lovely, little meadow. As I ate my apple and sipped my water I couldn’t help but think how delicious my simple, red apple tasted. It must’ve been the beautiful backdrop that made it that much more tasty and enjoyable.

After the meadow, you ascend 2,000 more feet and reach the saddle of the mountain. Upon reaching the saddle my legs were burning, but I knew that once we got up there we could take in our first view of the valley, rest and snap some pictures. That part of the mountain offered such an incredible view. Taking a break and appreciating this beautiful sight made me so giddy and excited to reach the summit and get the grand view. The vegetation was mostly grass with a few patches of melting snow here and there. I felt really lucky that we had only run into two other hikers on our way up thus far. That mountain felt as if it was only ours for that time being and that was a really good feeling.

After reaching the saddle of the mountain came some major switchbacks in the trail and it became exceedingly steep. My thoughts were silent, but my thighs and calves were screaming. My breathing was my main focus. Taking in the view was on standby. I took one last break and looked around and we were so close, standing on the shoulder of this beautiful giant. Focusing on solely on my boyfriends two feet taking steps, we found ourselves at the summit! To finally reach the top felt nothing short of incredible. With my hair drenched in sweat and my col, sweaty back was starting to ache. I removed my backpack and smiled as I recognized the feat I had just accomplished with my own two feet.

Taking in the view from top was extraordinary. Seeing the valley I have lived in for over 10 years from different peaks never gets old. There is always something new that catches my eye and adds that much more charm to the place I observe everyday; I feel that much more awareness of my surroundings. Every direction I would fix my eyes on from the top of Deseret Peak was like I was seeing the Salt Lake and Tooele valley’s for the first time. To the North, I could see the vastness of the Great Salt Lake, to the East and Southeast I saw layers upon layers of mountains, those being the Oquirrh’s and the majestic Wasatch Front.

We were not the only ones taking in the splendor; we were in the company of a friendly couple and their adorable yellow lab. We chatted with them as we ravenously enjoyed our snacks and guzzled our water. After conversing with them, they informed us that they had an encounter with an aggressive rattlesnake on their way up, which was from the north part of the trail loop that we were planning on using to get back done the mountain. My boyfriend and I looked at each other and I could sense the apprehension we both shared at that moment.

It was time to head back down to the trailhead and reunite with the comfy car seat and air conditioning that awaited us upon our descent. It would be another three long, uncomfortable hours until we made it back.

Scared and tired is simply how I felt on the descent. I was scanning every bush along the trail in search of a rattlesnake. No longer was I stopping to capture panoramic views on my camera or admiring the scenes around me. At one point I was going through scenarios in my head if an attack actually occurred. It only made me more sensitive to noises, thinking that they could possibly be a temperamental, limbless reptile. My body was so tense for so long that it was beginning to ache—my back and shoulders especially. My dehydrated body was heavy, constantly feeling the need to sit down anf rest. For that reason, we stopped to stretch our backs and drink some water. I then noticed that my water was almost gone and so was my boyfriends and we still had approximately 2 miles left.

Once we realized this, it felt as if the sun was beating harder and hotter. Going down the dirt trail my knees were shaking and the back of my heels were bleeding. I felt miserable and I no longer could admire the natural beauty that surrounded me. That is, until we stumbled upon the quaint, little stream that we bypassed on the ascent. It was exactly what I needed at that very moment; otherwise I would’ve had a meltdown. We splashed our faces with the fresh, cool stream water and it was our second wind.

Feeling rejuvenated, we blazed down the mountain and eventually found ourselves at the end of the trail. The tremendous sense of relief was also a great boost of energy; it was like I was coming back to life. I even cracked a smile to my boyfriend. I hadn’t smiled since the top of the mountain.

All was fun and games until my fear and imagination invaded my head and made the descent polar opposite from the ascent. After everything was said and done, we conquered the mountain, extremely parched and exhausted, but grateful and fulfilled that we were graced and challenged by such the beautiful giant that is, Deseret Peak.