Lake x2 Hike

Happy Pioneer Day!

Everyone was off work and school so it was time for a hike.  Being Pioneer Day, it would be crowded at most popular hiking spots, so we left early - to beat the crowds and beat the heat.

Our destination this time was Big Cottonwood Canyon in East Salt Lake.  We'd not been up that canyon and there are tons of trails.  We bypassed the two most popular ones, as all the websites said you have to get there before 9am on weekedays during the summer to get a parking spot..so we will wait on those.

Instead, we opted for two very short and easy hikes - each was around 1 mile round trip, and mostly even ground.

The first, was at the very top of Big Cottonwood Canyon, and Guardsman Pass, which is a scary narrow road with extreme drop offs!  It's only open in the summer as it's covered with sometimes over a hundred feet of snow..or something like that. It wasn't open until June this year.  The elevation up at the trailhead is close to 10,000 feet.

Bloods Lake was our destination.  A very small alpine lake (1 of 3 close by), but the hike was beautiful as was the small lake.  We loved it!

There is a small parking lot (about 10 cars) and then everyone else has to park precariously on the edge of the road!

Of course, Jacob had to find the "edge" of something to scare his mom.

The view from the beginning of our hike

This was the only steep part. 

The lake is in view!

Of course we found a geo-cache that was on the little island there

There was a little "trail" that went around the lake

I really like how this pic turned out looking up through the pine trees.  This trail went another mile to a larger lake.  Next time.

Time to head back

Then we headed down the mountain about 3 miles to Brighton Ski Resort and hiked around Silver Lake.  There are two Silver Lakes in the area, we've been to the other one, and it's a longer hike. This Silver Lake isn't really a hike.  There is a boardwalk that goes around the lake in a .8 mile loop, so it's all just flat walking.  

Even though it was a simple hike, it was beautiful as well.  It was extremely crowded here as we got there late morning...we had to circle and circle and circle for a parking spot.  Well worth the wait though!

Yes, the lake is under this meadow looking wetlands.  There are running streams all over....and even some beaver dams.  Moose are often seen here too

It was beautiful!!