Mount Timpanogos is one of the most awe-inspiring mountains we have ever seen. Centuries ago, the Ute Indian Tribe resided at its base. They used the mountain for fishing and hunting. The Ute name for a large river at the mountain's south base was "Timpanogotzis". In time, that name was transferred to the entire mountain as "Timpanogos".

Mount Timpanogos has been a draw for hikers and climbers since the early 1900's. The mountain has become so popular, in the summer months, that some weekends see hundreds of people to the summit. The Forest Service maintains an excellent network of trails all over the mountain. These trails allow many people to navigate what would otherwise be a very difficult summit. To negate the effect of these developments, more experienced mountaineers tackle this mountain in the dead of winter. In fact, an early nineties Mount Everest expedition used the Everest Ridge route of Timpanogos for training.

There are a number of routes to the summit. The most heavily used is the Timpooneke Route, followed by the Aspen Grove Route. These routes are recorded in any map of the mountain. Off of these routes, you are essentially off the beaten path. Some of the more popular mountaineering routes are the Everest Ridge route and the West Face route. A few climbers are recorded to have traversed the entire Timpanogos Ridge (from American Fork Canyon to Provo Canyon) during the summer. As of yet, no one has been recorded to have accomplished that traverse during the winter.

In addition to summiting the mountain, Timpanogos deserves to be widely explored. Entire guidebooks are devoted solely to exploring this mammoth. Arguably the best scenic road in Utah (the Alpine Loop) travels the base of Timpanogos from American Fork Canyon to Provo Canyon; and, Robert Redford's low-key, Sundance Ski Resort sits on the lower end of Timpanogos's southeast flank, near Provo Canyon. The southwest face of Timpanogos was once heavily forested, according to early settlers' accounts, but uncontrolled logging in the late 1800's took care of that. Nonetheless, Mount Timpanogos reigns as one of the most spectacular mountains in the United States.