June 7-8, 2008
Report by Steven Newell, Photos by Joel Brewster

At 10,365 feet, Signal Peak is the highest peak in the Pine Valley Mountains and is one of the best hikes in southern Utah. Joel, his wife, Amy, and their two children (Toby and Sierra) hosted the trip. They were joined by Frank Simpson, a new LVMC member, and Steven Newell. The group carpooled and left Las Vegas around midday on June 7 and carpooled to a campground called Oak Grove and spent the night. Oak Grove campground is located near the small towns of Silver Reef and Leeds, which are near the interstate between St. George and Cedar City. The campground was surrounded by trees and lush vegetation due to snow melt from the nearby Pine Valley Mountains. Each of our three parties spent a fairly chilly night in a tent. The trail to Signal Peak approaches Signal Peak from south and the trailhead was conveniently located in the campground.

Joel, Frank and Steven got up the next day before 6:00 am to start the ascent. It was a very steep hike to the summit of the mountain plateau, but the views of southeastern Utah were indescribable. Following the trail, we went from desert plants to aspen, spruce, firs, junipers, and pines. There was quite an abundance of wildflowers. With his two-way radio, Joel kept in contact with Amy and the kids back at “base camp.” It took about three hours to reach the top of the ridge after many switchbacks. Going nowhere but up, it was definitely a workout. From the rim of the plateau, overlooking Oak Grove campground, we could clearly see and distinguish the western aspects of buttes and spires of Zion National Park, the large arch in Kolob Canyon, parts of Cedar Breaks, the Virgin River Gorge (I-15 runs through it), and, in the distance, the rising northern plateau of the Grand Canyon North Rim.

Amy and Sierra enjoying camp

Evidently, there had been more than the usual precipitation in Utah this past winter. When we got to the plateau, at about 9,000 feet, we found the area was about half covered in thick patches of snow. Although the snow was melting, there was enough left to obscure much of the Summit Trail. The Summit Trail goes from the high point above the campground to the base of Signal Peak. Unfazed and determined, Joel was able to lead us to our destination. Luckily, both Joel and Frank had fairly good maps and were able to decide which way to go. None of us had snow shoes. There was lots of slipping, sliding and sinking into the snow, which many times was several feet deep. Frank improvised by using a tree branch as a walking stick to prevent falling or sliding. The snow made the trek slow and very tiring. However, the hard work was a small price to pay for the solitude and silence of this high-altitude oasis in the southern Utah desert. Even though we were hiking during the weekend, we did not see anyone else on the trail.

Along the Summit Trail there were two notable features, Deer Flat and Further Water. These are two green, narrow meadows, surrounded by pines and filled with thick hummus. During our hike, Further Water had water running in the stream. At the end of Further Water were several peaks, including Signal Peak. The Summit Trail did not lead us up Signal Peak, and we had to leave the trail to get to the top. This was a steep, entirely uphill trip of about ¼ mile in which we gained just over 400'. Due to it being almost entirely snow-covered, it seemed like more 4000'! Finding the true summit took a bit of searching, but Signal Peak afforded another good view, despite it being partly obscured by trees. This viewpoint included Snow Canyon and the town of Pine Valley.

Steven and Frank pose along the trail

Coming back seemed easier, and we were able to find Summit Trail for the entire hike across the plateau. Round trip, the hike took about 10 ½ hours with far more time needed to ascend. All of us were very tired and could have taken a nap of the spot. After a quick snack, we left that evening for the short drive back to Las Vegas.

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