Abby was a fantastic hiker. She didn't even care to hike until the end. We did hit a summer storm and she was freezing cold in there and we had ever extra piece of clothing on her to get her lips to return to their normal color :(
We finally got to this point and could see the cirque of towers ahead of us. That was a good thing. just up and up and then up more and more and more.
We never actually made it to the very very top. We had several hikers stop us and tell us to not take three little kids up there. to dangerous. to steep, and to stormy. So we made it to 1/4 mile to the finish and the girls turned around. Darren and Tyler went a bit more. Just a few more hundred feet an they would have been there but the storm wasn't great and they were nervous.
We lost the trail for about an hour on the way down. The kids all lost it. They were hungry and tired. A prayer and a smart dad helped. We found the trail, ate, rested and carried on. Abby was our leader for a while.
We made it to the bottom. tired and ready for Leatherbys ice-cream. but not just ice-cream. real food. the kids barely made it through dinner they were so tired. Great adventure. I have amazing kids. They did awesome.
Jacobs Ladder Route:
The Jacobs Ladder Trail is 5 1/2 miles to Lone Peak with an elevation gain of 5650-feet. The route will take 5 to 6 hours to reach the summit. From the trailhead, follow the three 4-wheel drive tracks on the north side of the road, which feed together in a short distance. Continue to hike the 4-wheel drive track to the top of a steep hill (N40 29' 46", W111 48' 55") approximately 7 minutes from the trailhead. At the top of the steep hill the road forks, with one road leading down into a deep gully and than climbing to the Movie Rocks where Devil's Brigade was filmed. The route that leads to Jacobs Ladder turns right (east) on top of the steep hill and follows the spur ridge. Hike up the spur ridge trail, other trails and a 4-wheel drive track will feed into the trail, as long as you are heading up, you are traveling in the correct direction. Continue to Lone Rock (N40 29' 53", W111 47' 22"), an outcropping with a big drop to the east and south. The trail drops slightly to the north and than climbs steeply for 1 1-2 hours until the trail leads to an open grassy ridge and a junction with the Draper Ridge Trail (N40 30' 46", W111 47' 19").
From the junction of Draper Ridge trail and Jacobs Ladder trail (N40 30' 46", W111 47' 19") to the summit is an easier hike with excellent scenery. From the junction follow the trail east a short distance to a rise where a meadow and the summit of Lone Peak is visible. Many people get lost just past the meadow so pay attention to your route from this vantage point. Your route is to follow the trail down and cross the meadow, cross the stream, and to climb the saddle to the east of the meadow. In the meadow, there is a very good trail and junction (N40 30' 55", W111 46' 43"). The fork to the north (left) leads to the Outlaw Cabin. DO NOT follow this trail unless you wish to visit the Outlaw Cabin. The fork east (straight ahead) leads to the small saddle. From the saddle (N40 30' 59", W111 46' 27"), there is no trail but your route is clearly visible. Enter the cirque and follow the drainage north. Pay attention to where you entered the cirque since you must find this exit point when you return. Head for the obvious saddle to the north. From the saddle, follow the ridge east to the summit. The summit is the triangular peak farthest left along the top of the shear wall. The last 1/4 mile to the summit is very exposed and requires scrambling. Please use caution and know your abilities. The summit is a small flat toped rock.
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