MillCreek Canyon
Distance: 5.3 miles round trip, ~2296 feet elevation
Difficulty: difficult
Accessible from May-October but I'd recommend going in June when it's really green, or in the fall... once again, I'm a sucker for fall hikes in Utah.
**I've also done this hike at night with headlamps, and we watched the Fourth of July fireworks from the peak.... another reason I love Grandeur Peak. It's a good one!
Dogs ARE allowed
This trail holds one of my favorite memories... here's the story.
On June 2, 2014, I took the scariest test of my life. The NCLEX (or nursing state board) was the determinant to whether or not I could be an active registered nurse in the state of Utah. After taking the test, I felt absolutely awful. I was sick to my stomach and didn't have a clue whether I had passed or failed. I knew my results would be back within a couple days, and that's when the longest 48 hours of waiting began.
I tried to spend the next two days avoiding nausea as much as possible. The anticipation was killingggggg me. I decided to plan a hike on the morning of the day I'd get my results back. I needed a healthy distraction. My sister Kaite and I woke up early and headed up the trail to Grandeur Peak. Even though the hike was gorgeous on the way up, I couldn't stop thinking about the test and I remember feeling like I was going to either throw up or pass out the entire way. By the time we got to the peak, I literally was shaking so bad, I couldn't stand it anymore. I told Kaite that I was going to try to see if I had enough service to check the results on my phone. I couldn't wait one more second.
After finally putting in my information and nervously hitting the "NEXT" button, all I saw from that point on were two words under my name: "GRADE: PASS." What!!!??? I screamed so loud and couldn't stop jumping around. That's when she captured these photos (below.)
^^This is when I called Bry to tell him the news...
I couldn't believe the news... I remember checking and re-checking to make sure I hadn't read it wrong. It was definitely the best 10 minutes of frolicking on top of a mountain that I've ever experienced. I called my husband Bry and it was the first time I had ever heard him cry during our entire marriage (which was 2 years at that point haha). <3 Cutest husband award, right? He got so choked up, so of course I started tearing up too.
It was a special memory with my sister that I'll never forget. We love you Grandeur Peak!!!
Please do yourself a favor and go on this hike. Bring your dog or friends along for the fun!
