Lake Blanche

July 22, 2011 – Lake Blanche is an incredibly beautiful hike in the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City. Growing up in Salt Lake I think I took for granted what amazing opportunities I had in my own back yard. In fact although I've done this hike before I'm not sure I've ever appreciated the beauty of this hike like I did this week.

Lake Blanche is a very popular day hike through in the Twin Peaks Wilderness area up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Despite it's popularity the 6+mile hike is somewhat challenging because of it's rugged ascent over uneven terrain.

The trail follows Mill B South Fork and the gushing mountain stream that cascades down from the high elevations.

 

It was a beautiful hike and by leaving at 7:30am I was able to have quite a bit of the trail to myself. Midway up the trail I hiked through an incredible clearing of mountain flowers greeting the sun.

After two hours I made it to Lake Blanche which is an emerald pool below the majesty of Sundial Peak.

Three mountain lakes are in the shadows of huge glacial cirques and jagged peaks and waterfalls frame every view.

After exploring Lake Blanche, Lake Florence and Lake Lillian it was time for me to head back home.

The decent taxed muscles I forget about as I made good time down the 2.8 mile trail. There were far more people coming up for the day which gave me a satisfaction that I had experienced the beauty long before they were actually awake. By the time I made it back to the trail head the parking lot was packed.

The Lake Blanche trail doesn't necessarily offer solitude but it is certainly one of the most beautiful and rewarding hikes in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Summary: 6+ miles (rt) to three high mountain lakes under granite monoliths and huge glacial cirques.

Time: 4-6 hrs

Difficulty: Strenuous

Indian Trail & Cowboys (Part Two)

July 9, 2011 -- After trekking the Indian trail we had the ambition to visit Ogden Hot Springs. We probably should have simply followed the Bonneville Shoreline trail back to Rainbow Gardens but we had to make it to the Ogden Canyon overlook and bushwhack our way down the mountain -- it has to be an adventure.

We found a hidden hot spring that gently ran down the mountain and paved a way to Rainbow Gardens. The spring was incredibly hot and smelled of sulphate. Because of the heat from the spring there was fascinating fauna everywhere.

We soon started back up Ogden Canyon to the hot pools adjacent to the man made waterfall

The hot springs are on the south side of the mouth of the canyon just after you go under the large overhead water pipe and we were lucky to have them all to ourselves despite being literally yards from the busy motorists traveling unknowingly up and down the canyon. 

There are three "pools" and they are all hot!  When I got out I was a lobster but of course I really love hot showers, pools, baths...hot water in general. 

After our relaxing in the pools we met my dad and our kids and headed to the Ogden's Farmers Market for Cowboys!

This year to usher in Pioneer Days festivities outlaws, the stage coach and a mounted posse flooded 25th Street during the Farmer's Market! We rode the stage coach after witnessing the shootout in the streets.  Nothing like a great day trekking through Indian paths and ending with a shoot out and stagecoach ride to appreciate the legacy of the west!

Indian Trail & Cowboys (Part One)

July 9, 2011 -- I've been lucky, summer has been cooperative and I've been able to keep up a pace that has allowed me to accomplish quite a bit of the adventures my ambitions have imagined. Today's adventure – a tale of Indians and Cowboys.

First a tale of the Indian Trail.  The trail has long been a favorite for many in Ogden and provides fantastic views and a rigorous challenge which was just what I was looking for to rehab my knee. We started from the restored lime kiln just up Ogden canyon and quickly ascended into the canopy of the well traveled forest trail.

The trail actually follows the footsteps of the Shosone Indians who traversed the mountain above the Ogden river to get to Ogden's Hole (Ogden Valley).

Following a creek coming down the Warmwater Canyon, the cascading water was peaceful and serene.

Along the trail there is faint evidence of various groups who played a roll in the human history of the of the canyon; the the bridges and cement work of the Civil Conservation Corp in the 1930s, the embedded artifacts of settlers and miners- the trail is a walk through history.

The first major view of the valley is the halfway point of the trail, “Nevada Viewpoint”.

The resting spot marks the highest point of the trail at 6100 feet and there is a storm shelter structure which was someones labor of love to build.

I loved that we started from within Ogden Canyon because with the sun on our backs on the second half of the trail we enjoyed the spectacular vistas facing west.  

Finally descending the Indian Trail our second adventure started- getting the hot springs/pools at the mouth of the canyon.  (Part Two)

Sanpete County

June 7, 2011 --

Beginning in Fairview, Utah scenic highway 31 is an awesome drive up to Huntington through the Manti La-Sal National Forest.