The 2021 Utah Adventure

 Sunny day with highs near 70 degrees -- probably one of the last times we'll that temperature for a while. Not looking for a long hike this morning and I'm little bored with Twin Lakes, so I'm heading to Willow Lake this morning; maybe I'll run into a moose again. :) Heading up the canyon, I'm just scanning for critters as usual when I spot 2 moose laying on the the mountainside! I pull off the best I can to take a picture.  Hey, there looks like there may be a 3rd moose - looks like a dark blob. It's by the Mom but hard to tell because they are in the shade. (Looking at the photo, it's clear there's a calf.) I decide to turn around and find a better spot to pull-off and try to get a better look. I walk over, they are the hillside with the Big Cottonwood Creek between us. Still looks like there might be a 3rd but can't tell. Time to continue up the road. Not sure why I didn't stay and walk up the road farther, ever since Covid I'm always in ...

 Sunny day with highs in the mid-60s. My plan at the beginning of the week was to hike up to  Red Pine Lake. I would love to the Pfeifferhorn all covered in snow. It looked possible as there was no rain/snow in the long term forecast. But guess what, the mountains got snow again. Yea for the mountains, but boo, for my hike. I looked this morning on Alltrails and someone reported no trail from the 2.5 mile mark up. He post-holed up so there's no a trail but too rustic for me. Need alternative plan. Heading up to the Cardiff Mine instead. The mountains will have snow but the trail should be pretty good. And hey, I've always wanted to get up there when the mountains are snowy. I arrive just after 8am, gear up and start up the road. There's snow on the ground but the road is clear. I stop at the bridge to watch 2 Dippers enjoying an early morning swim. Looking for moose/deer on the way to the trail head but nothing. I reach the actual trail, cross the bridge and start up the di...

Sunny day with highs in the 60s. Heading up to Antelope Island to hike either the Sentry or Gravel Pit trails. I arrive just after 8am. There's more water in Farmington Bay from all the rain we've had recently. And there are still tons of birds. I reach the island and head south towards the Ranch.  There a scattered Bull bison near the Visitor's Center and the road up until the first corner by the rocks. On the downside of the 1st pull-out, I see a herd of Pronghorn. Hard to see because terrain. After the Frary Peak, I run into tons of scattered herd of bison - the family herds. They are really close to road. Can hear the chewing, ripping grass and grunting.  While waiting for one of the herds, a coyote runs across the road. I try to find him as I drive by but have no luck. I continue to pass by herds of bison all the way til about a mile from the Ranch. I arrive at the Ranch and yes, there are more bison around as there's another herd north of Mushroom Springs. Darn! I...

 Lots of snow since Sunday. Even got some flakes and light accumulation in spots at my home. Excited to trek thru that snow today. Thought about heading to Dog Lake this morning but last minute I'm heading to Willow Lake - higher elevation = more snow. Canyon road is clear but the snow on the ground increases the farther I go up the canyon (as expected). The pines are covered in snow (so pretty) and snow of the mountains. There's about 3-5 inches of new snow on the ground at the Willow Lake trail head. There's only one car parked. Lots of snow lovers out there as the trail is clearly visible - just a path thru about 1.5 feet of snow. The lead-in trail and the left side of the loop is hard-packed and icy. The right side of the loop is less-traveled, not packed but visible. I followed the trail to the right (counter-clockwise) walking thru light fluffy snow up the switchbacks. Lots of deer tracks on the trail. It's quiet for a little bit until I start hearing what appears...

 Lots of rain Friday and Saturday (and snow in the mountains). It's supposed to be sunny with a high near 60 degrees today so I'm heading up to Twin Lakes to "play" in the snow. It's still partly cloudy when I head off about 7:15 this morning. The drive up the canyon is quieter than it was last week when people were chasing Fall colors. The snow is pretty much limited to the higher (8500+) peaks.  Foggy and snow covered when I arrive at the Silver Lake parking. The parking lot has only a couple of cars. It's chilly around 34 degrees but it feels cold with all the dampness in the air. I gear up start around the boardwalk. The boardwalk is icy from yesterday's hikers/walkers. The mountains peaks are hit-n-miss with the low clouds but it looks awesome. I stop briefly at the foot bridge before heading to around to the trail head. But I make a stop at the pier first for a water view. Then it's up thru the woods towards Lake Solitude. The trail is used and i...

 Cloudy skies this morning but it became partly cloudy by afternoon with temps in near 70. There are rain showers in the forecast (spotty ones) but I decide to brave the rain-like looking clouds and head up BCC to Willow Lake to look at the leaves. This is the peak and with rain/snow forecast Fri/Sat, now is the time to get up there. I arrive just after 3:30 with only a couple of cars parked. Lots of yellow aspen around as I start my way up to Willow Lake in a counter-clockwise direction. Pretty much yellow but there are patches where the leaves have already fallen; I don't understand the logic but its Mother Nature. Quiet walk up the switchbacks. Before I know it, I'm approaching the meadow with a background of yellow/orange.  The trees at the higher elevation are bare/going bare but plenty of color. I reach Willow Lake who has dropped in water since my last visit but the reflections are there despite the ripples from the nearby Mallards. I work my way around the lake in a cl...

Sunny day with temps near 80 degrees. My plan last night was to hike the Broads Fork trail this morning but with the amount of people/traffic in the canyon on Friday, I think today will be worse. Instead, I'm heading up to Twin Lakes My jumping ship on Broads Fork appears to be a good idea because when I reach the S-turn the parking is packed and onto the street -- there's been plenty of parking since Labor Day, but not today :( So I continue to Silver Lake. The other parking areas I pass are way more crowded than the last several weeks - leaves, leaves, leaves. And I drive farther up the canyon, the aspens are at peak and Wow! (even though they are in shade). I arrive at Silver Lake near 8am. There are plenty of cars are already in the lot but I do find a spot.  It's 34 degrees and I gear up and get started. The ground is frosty and puddles are frozen. The sun is at the highest peaks at this point. I work my way to the other side of the lake  and then start up the trail to...

 It's time for the annual trek up to Desolation Lake today to check out the Fall color. I know the colors are popping in the canyon, just hoping they're still at the lake (2000ft higher than the canyon). It's a nippy one this morning (40s) but the sun is coming out today to warm things up. I arrive at the trail head just after 8am. It's 34 degrees when I start and there's frost on the leaves/ground where the sun has not hit yet. There is color all around me except it's still in the shade as I start up the trail for 3.5 miles before reaching the lake. Just a few Asters and Yellow Composites along the way. It's quiet and crisp but I cruise along and before long I'm at the split for Dog Lake. I continue towards Desolation Lake thru the yellow aspen and some meadows.  In the final meadow, there was ice crystals on the ground. Another 1.9 miles or so, I reach the clearing before the lake. I'm a bit disappointed because all the aspen are naked (except for ...