Thanksgivng 2015 - Crabby Appleton Peak

15 hikers celebrated Thanksgiving morning by hiking to Crabby Appleton Peak in Red  Rock Canyon.  The hike begins at Pine Creek parking lot and trailhead. We followed Pine Creek Trail about one mile into the South fork of Pine Creek.  Once in the wash it's about 20 minutes to the divide. We headed into the South - South fork of the canyon. Soon we came to the unmarked turnoff where we left the wash.

The rest of the hike is class 1 to 3 scrambling and is only marked with cairns (small stacks of rocks). This route has several places of exposure.  The route was entirely in the shade until we reached the summit.  We took a short break before heading down. Even though the summit was in the sun, it was cool and the breeze made it cold for some. 

The descent route is entirely different from the ascent route making this hike a round trip adventure. As the photos show there's some exposure on the descent route.  The entire hike took us 3.5 hours at a moderate pace, but we made zero navigational mistakes. 

Here are the stats:
Hike: Crabby Appleton Peak — route
Trailhead: Pine Creek — marked
Distance: 6 miles — round trip
Elevation gain: 1,900 feet
Elevation peak: 5,380
Time: 4 to 5 hours – round trip
Difficulty: 3
Class: 3

How did this peak get its name? I named it after the wall that stands below the peak. Rock climbers named the wall: Crabby Appleton.  You will have to ask them "Why".