Mt. Aire hike

The trail begins by following the Elbow Fork River, climbing at an incredibly steep grade nearly straight up. You will pass a junction where you will continue straight toward Mt. Aire. After just over half the climbing, and plenty of sweating, you will finally exit the dense forest and find yourself on a wildflower-spotted pass. Here you will get your first views and, if you are lucky, a little breeze.

At the pass, the trail veers sharply to the right and – believe it or not – starts to switchback! It’s almost like two completely different people built this trail. From here, you will climb the steep slopes of Mt. Aire along a reasonably well-graded path.

Along this part of the trail, there is little shade and often little breeze. If you are hiking in the afternoon, be prepared to sweat. Finally, after a few more switchbacks, you will clear the summit and be done with the arduous ascent.

Looking north, you will be able to see the backside of Mt. Raymond – another hike on this website – and to its left, Gobbler’s Knob. To the north, the rolling, arid foothills of the Wasatch will be visible. Take a moment to sit on the smooth summit rocks before returning the way you came.