The Overly-Decorated Trail to Valentine Peak

Terry and Tom had hiked Valentine Peak in my absence but due to snow, had not reached the top. Starting at just over 6,000 feet, the trail rises to 8,051 feet in 3.5 miles making much of the trail steep though, with the exception of the last half mile, not too steep to be unpleasant hiking. And I refer to the word pleasant because the trail is not at all spectacular in comparison to the many available hikes in southwest Utah but it is a perfect relatively-close Spring or Fall walk. However what does make this trail exceptional is the amount of signage, cairns, and particularly, the “accessories.” There are more than a dozen numbered signs along the way (we were speculating that at least some might be quarter-mile markers) and many of these are accompanied by folding chairs, bottles of dog water, and a whole lot of decoration suspended from the trees: skeletons, necklaces, keychains, buttons, and a slew of other random items. We agreed that it was the strangest trail we’ve ever been on in that respect. But anyway, the hike really did have some lovely views from the peak and absolutely kept us entertained.

We had to molest the dog in order to get her into this photo: