The Legend of Mount Timpanogos: Native American Legend

 Growing up I heard the story of Mount Timpanogos differently that what is being presented on the internet.  The mountain traditionally was the territory of the Uintah Utes, who have since been moved to the Uintah and Ouray Reservation to the east.  I heard (probably from my father who spent considerable time with the Ute Native Americans as they were the topic of his thesis) that Chief Timpanogos died on the mountains and the mountain took his shape as witnessed by the one side of the mountain looking like a war bonnet.  His wife also died on the mountain and the other side of the mountain took her shape.  She is harder to see but with imagination you can see her.  Of course the heart of Timpanogos in the Timpanogos Cave is a symbol of their undying love.

Now as I read there is no indication there ever was a Chief Timpanogos.  Instead there is a story that comes from about 1920 from a BYU professor Eugene Lusk "Timp" Roberts.  There was an annual hike to the top of the mountain and he told this story as part of a day before the hike at the Timp Hike bonfire.  So if the 1920 story is a work of fiction or a legend he had heard I do not know.

Timpanogos is the name of the god of the mountain.  For some reason he had become angry and caused a drought to come upon the land.  The fish dried up in the waters.  The medicine men tried everything they could to appease the god.  But Timpanogos wanted the sacrifice of a maiden.  As the maidens took the stones, Timpanogos touched the stone picked by Utahna, the most beautiful maiden and daughter of the chief.  All were heart broken; but in order to appease Timpanogos, the chief determined to sacrifice his daughter.  Four braves took her to where the waters bathed the feet of Timpanogos.  She was to climb into the mountain and find the Great Spirit of the mountain.  She had to travel alone for only she could walk on the sacred ground.  She dutifully climbed the mountain.  As she traveled she passed a strange tribe that was dancing.  She thought it odd they should trample the sacred ground.  She skirted around them.  Red Eagle, a brave of the tribe followed her.

She made it to the top and could see the cliffs descending away from her.  She thought she could see her people and hear their desperation.  When she got to the top, Red Eagle followed.  She chanted a cry of appeal and sacrifice.  Just as she was ready to throw herself to Timpanogos Red Eagle spoke to her.  

She was confused and thought he the Great Spirit.  She threw herself at his feet.  She accepted him as a god, and followed him down the mountain.  He lead a different way then their ascent.  He came to a mountain wall, but spied a bear leaving a cave and lead her into the cave.  The great wonders in the cave convinced her he was a god.   He would leave the cave  nd hunt game and bring back berries from high in the mountain.  She wondered how he nneded to eat if he were a god.  But it seemed he hunted without weapons.  One day he was attacked by a bear, and grabbed his bow and arrow from a bush.  The bear wounded him before he could kill it.  She nursed him back to health, but in his fever revealed he was not a god.  

She realized she had been deceived.  She prepared herself her her final sacrifice.  One day when Red eagle returned from hunting the cave was empty.  Red Eagle realizing what was happening hurriedly ascended the mountain.  He he got to the bottom of the glacier he saw her on the top of the mountain.  He yelled to her but his yells were carried by the wind.  He saw as she leaped from the cliff and her mangled body came to rest not far from him.  He gathered her up and took her back to the cave, no longer leaving to hunt or take food.  He joined her in death.  Timpanogos accepted their sacrifice, took their hearts and made one of them which still resides in the cave.  The mountain took the shape of the maiden Utahna.  What looks like a head dress is in fact her hair coming off her neck.