Ridge Above Pipeline Trail (3.66 miles round trip, Moderate Difficulty)

View of Mount Olympus from ridge above Pipeline Trail

This hike is a more challenging variation of the Rattlesnake Gulch to Salt Lake Overlook hike.  There is trail of some sort the entire way, but a section is very steep (although not  quite the desperate, grasping-at-small trees type of steep), with a fantastic view, and a way to avoid the crowds of people on a beautiful weekend.
Trailhead: Drive up Millcreek Canyon. Turn into the large parking spot less than a mile past the toll booth, at a sign that says Rattlesnake Gulch.

The Hike:  The trail starts at the left (West) end of the parking lot.  The first .7 miles is a gradual rise, with some switchbacks starting just past a magnificent large spine of rock. At the top of the switchbacks, you will see a sign pointing to the Grandeur Peak trail if you go right, and Pipeline to the left.  Go left. In a few hundred feet you will see a rusty sturdy sign on your right. I would like to know what this sign originally said. Be sure to hit it with a rock or trekking pole, to hear a great gong sound like a church bell!    Continue a few hundred more feet past the sign, and look for a definite but steep trail branching off to the right. (GPS coordinates: N 40* 41.888' W 111* 46.344'). Go up this steep trail.  After several minutes of steep hiking, you will be rewarded with a gorgeous view at a saddle. (At this point I reached for my GPS and realized I had lost it!  I backtracked and found it on the trail almost at the beginning of the steep part! ) From this point at the saddle, there is a trail to the right that appears to go up to Grandeur Peak, and a trail that goes to the left, and ends up going down the gulch the valley below. But the trail I took was even more to the left of the gulch trail. It is faint at times, but keeps you on top of the ridge to a few easy peaks. There are a couple of geocaches along this ridge,(which I did not find): Troop 249 Cache, and Deep Tracks-Speechless Cache.  After the western-most peak, you will find yourself going down a gentle trail that brings you to the Salt Lake Overlook and a "Y" shaped remnant of the Pipeline Trail. At this point you can take the easy Pipeline trail back to the trailhead.

At the saddle

Days Fork to Eclipse Mine (Moderate 7 miles round-trip)

Description:   This is a scenic, not-crowded hike through beautiful alpine forests and meadows. I hiked it on Labor Day  weekend, and only saw 3 other people.

Trailhead:  From the bottom of Big Cottonwood Canyon (The 711 store) drive 9.7 miles up the Canyon and look for the Spruces Campground on your right. During camping season you have to pay to park there, so I just parked on the road and walked in.  I thought I knew where the trailhead was, but I didn't, and since I am one of those guys that doesn't like to ask for directions, I added an extra mile to the hike, walking around the campground!  From the toll booth, go to your right then enter the one way road, and go to your left past some restrooms. Look for Group Camp area 1 (not single campsite 1!)  Just past this you will see a baseball diamond. The trailhead is just past the baseball diamond, and is well-marked.  (GPS Coordinates N40* 38.456' W111* 38.307')  

The Hike:  The first 1/4 mile is fairly steep.  As it levels off, you will see a trail to your left which goes to Greens Basin. That is a nice hike,  (See post http://talesfrommytrekkingpoles.blogspot.com/2012/11/greens-basin.html) but not the way to the Eclipse Mine.  The trail is easy to follow, and goes straight for a while, then has some steep switchbacks to your right, where you pass an old mine that was not on my topo map, then levels out somewhat and eventually comes to the Eclipse Mine (GPS Coordinates N 40* 36.151' W111* 38.295')  This is a cool area with lots of old mining equipment. I then headed back the way I came.

I would love to get this old gear home, but I think it would take a helicopter!  It is about 5 feet in diameter.

More old mine equipment.

Why I love this hike!

Giant old trees

Trailhead sign near baseball diamond

Beginning of the trail.

Lake Solitude (again) (3.5 miles round trip, easy)

Description:
      I have blogged on this hike before.  This is one of my favorite hikes, especially when hiking with my sweet wife. It is scenic, lots of shade, good chance to see moose, especially at dawn and dusk. It is  fairly flat, with an elevation gain of only 320 feet. There used to be a steep climb to the lake, but a couple of years ago, the trail was rerouted to make it much easier.This is the hike that inspired me to start a hiking blog!

Directions to trailhead:
     From the bottom of Big Cottonwood Canyon,  (The 7-11 Store) drive almost to the top of the canyon, 14.5 miles.  Turn  right into the parking lot across from the little store (or park in the store lot if that lot is full). This is the Silver lake lot, and Visitors Center. There are restrooms there if needed (Outhouse-type outside, and nice ones in the Visitors Center if it is open).
The hike:
     Go to the right of the Visitors Center and go around the boardwalk. If you go to the right, it is a little shorter, maybe 1/3 mile to the trail to the lakes.  On the far side, you will see a large trail sign  in a wide opening in the trees (unless it has been removed for the season.) Turn right at the sign, follow the trail a short distance to a fork in the trail, and signs pointing to Lake Solitude to the right, and Twin Lakes to the left. (Unless the signs have been removed for winter).  The trail is fairly easy to follow, and there are signs to get you to the lake where there are options.  On the way back I like to continue the rest of the way around Silver Lake. This will make the hike just over 3 miles round trip.
     There is a geocache there that I hid about 10 years ago. It is called Rock Solitude.
http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCQ6DG_rock-solidtude?guid=e40a7151-207c-4038-9949-191b2a35388a

The geocache container.

The underside of geocache container.

A little touch of Fall at Lake Solitude.

A squirrel kind enough to pose for me!

A fairly good shelter near Lake Solitude, to the left of the trail.

Silver Lake on the way back to the trailhead.

An interesting plaque near the parking lot.

Mount Timpanogos (Difficult, 14.8 miles round-trip)

Description:
     This is one of my all-time favorite hikes.  It is challenging, incredibly scenic, with great chances to see moose and mountain goats, and amazing views.  The big question people ask, is, "Which route shall I take, Timpooneke or Sundance?" I have tried both, and they are both nice, but I prefer Timpooneke, as it has more shade overall, and is a little easier, although you miss Emerald Lake unless you go way out of your way.  I ran into an expert on this trail. He is 73 years old, and hikes Timp 7 times a week! (He does not hike on Sundays, so he makes the hike twice on Wednesdays to make up for that!) He prefers the Timpooneke route as well, and almost never does the Sundance route.  Another question that is asked, is "How much water do I need?" I have found that I need every bit of 4 liters, but I freeze one water bottle, and hide it in the meadow near the junction to the toilet, then pick it up on my way down. That way, I have some nice cold water, but do not have to carry it all the way to the summit. It is a good idea to write the date on it, so if someone finds it they know it is not just discarded from some earlier date.  Some people bring a water filter, but by the time I get to where there is water to filter, I am so close to the trailhead that I just want to press on, so I no longer carry a filter.  You will want to start early in the morning, as it is a long hike.  We started hiking at 5:30. Bring a headlamp or flashlight!
Trailhead:
     From Salt Lake City, take I 15 South over the Point of the Mountain and take the Highland/Alpine Exit (Exit 284) and turn left (East) following the signs to Timponogos Cave. The toll booth will likely be closed, but stop and pick up an envelope to put the fee in ($6 for a 3 day pass when I went).  There are envelopes at the trailhead, but if the lot is full, and you have to park on the road, you don't want to have to walk clear back to your car to hang the tag showing you paid). The lot can fill very early, as many people begin at 2 or 3 in the morning to summit before sunrise.   Turn right into the Timpooneke Campground which is about 18 miles from I 15. Stay to your right, and the road takes you  to the trailhead which you will see on your left, and it  has restrooms and a water tap.  Sign the register, and you are on your way!  The trail is fairly obvious, but in the dark, some places can be confusing.  If you seem to come to a dead end, just backtrack a little and look for the main trail.  After the saddle, follow cairns for the safest way up.  Again, if you get on a portion that looks very difficult or dangerous, just look around for a better way.  I have seen children as young as 5 years old at the top, so it is not a technically difficult climb.

You do not have to be at the summit to enjoy the sunrise.

Junction to the toilet. 

August 17, and still peak wildflower season.

We saw dozens of mountain goats up close.

This mountain goat is named Ben, and is on his 716th climb!

So fun to watch them effortlessly climb!

View from the shack

Large moose we saw on the way up and on the way down.

Lambs Canyon to Lambs Canyon Pass ( 4.5 miles round-trip, easy)

Description: This is a beautiful hike on a well-maintained trail, easy to get to from Salt Lake City, and no fee to pay.  I have hiked the Millcreek Canyon side of this trail (Elbow Fork)  many times, but this was my first hike from the other side.  Another hiker described this trail as "almost magical," and it has a different, very pleasant feel to it.  It is shaded much of the way, goes along a small stream for quite a while, has some great views near the top, and the trail does not have a lot of roots, almost no rocks, and is just one of those trails where you can't resist seeing what is around the next bend!  I did this hike on August 7, and there were patches of delicious ripe raspberries along the way!  There are several geocaches along the trail, although most of them are just far enough off the trail to make it a challenge.    Rain was in the forecast, but I did not let that stop me.  Two minutes after I started hiking, the first drops fell, then the drizzle turned into a downpour at the top, then the rain abated enough going down to get my camera out and snap a few pics.  I saw only one other person, a runner that had started from the Millcreek side.

Trailhead:  From Salt Lake city, drive about 7.7 miles up Parleys Canyon (I-80) and take the
Lambs Canyon Exit. From here, go to your right, and drive up the canyon 1.5 miles. The trailhead is on your right, and would be easy to miss if it were not for the restrooms and small parking area on the left.
(GPS coordinates: N 40* 43.275' W 111* 39.475.')  Once you park your car, the trail sign across the street will be obvious.  The trail is easy to follow, and you don't have any decisions to make until you get to the sign at the top, 2.23 miles from the trailhead.
(GPS coordinates N 40* 42.373' W 111* 40.540.') At the pass, you can go back down the way you came, or continue straight, and end up at Elbow Fork in Millcreek Canyon,  (2 miles from the sign at the top), or hike along the ridge. (Left goes to Millvue Peak, right goes eventually to Grandeur Peak).
Maximum Elevation: 8115 Feet
Ascent: 1636 Feet
No dogs allowed

Geocaches:
 Out on the Lamb: http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC30KXX_out-on-the-lamb?guid=8c267dd0-d5e7-4af3-97d0-3ab77c3bd73b
Two Trails Diverged in a Yellow snow wood...: http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC4A6XM_two-trails-diverged-in-a-yellow-snow-wood?guid=024a4bee-8ca2-4afb-b6d0-eb35002ea965
Always up for a Pone Tree Cache #6: http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC4A6WY_always-up-for-a-pine-tree-cache-6?guid=74fe074c-5c5f-4136-b83a-db33fa6f506b
#46: http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC4A6WC_46?guid=1898b08c-8f5c-4b1e-a5b3-304ad0230954

The sign at the top of the trail.

Delicious wild raspberries along the trail.
(Considerably slows the hike, but well worth it!)

This pine tree was over 150 years old.

How can you resist a trail like this?!

Bridge near trailhead.

Trailhead sign.

Maybird Lake (8 miles round-trip, Moderate Difficulty)

Description:  This is a beautiful small alpine lake in Little Cottonwood Canyon. It is a way to find solitude even on a holiday weekend, once you split off of the popular Red Pine Trail.  There were hundreds of hikers on the Red Pine and White Pine Trails, but on the Maybird Trail, I saw two  Forest Rangers coming down after doing some maintenance work, and one solo female hiker as I was headed back down, and that was it.   When I make a list of my favorite top 10 hikes, this will be on it!  I did this hike on July 25, and the wildflowers were amazing, especially at the 9000 foot level.  The wild raspberries were just getting ripe.  I ate a couple and they were delicious.  The trail is shaded much of the way, and offers  magnificent views of Snowbird, the Salt Lake Valley, the Pfeifferhorn, Sundial Peak, and Salt Lake Twin Peaks.  There are a couple of perfect places to pitch a tent shortly before you reach the lake.   I recommend 3 liters of water, and there are several good places to filter water. The elevation gain is 2, 247 feet over the 4 miles. This was the Hike of the Week in the Salt Lake Tribune for July 23 2015.  In that article the mileage is incorrect for the Maybird Junction.  There are several geocaches along this trail that I have done previously, but I did not have time to look for any this trip.

To get to the Trailhead:  From the bottom of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon, (The 7-11 Store), go South up Little cottonwood Canyon for 9.3 miles.  Turn into the large parking lot for the White Pine/Red Pine trails, or park on the road if it is full.  (gps coordinates N 40* 34.528' W 111*40.862'). There are trailhead restrooms, and the trail starts right behind the restrooms. You will quickly cross a large  bridge and head West. This is a good place to look for wild raspberries.
     At 1.4 miles you will come to a junction.  The dirt road to your left with the missing sign goes to White Pine Lake.  Just past this is a large sign with directions to either lake. Past this sign is the trail up the hill to  Red Pine Lake. This is the trail you take to get to Maybird Lake.  Follow this trail for another 1.2 miles to the 2.66 mile point.  (GPS coordinates N 40* 33.190' W 111* 41.729) Here you will see a small wood bridge on your right, and a wood sign on the left of the trail that points to Red Pine Lake.  At this point you have already climbed over half of the elevation gain.   Cross the wood bridge, and you are on your way to Maybird Lake!  From here it is 1.66 miles to the Lake.  When you get to the lake, you will see there is actually an upper and lower lake.   The upper lake has a small island covered with pines.  The coordinates to the upper lake are:  N 40* 32,700' W 111* 42.224.'  

View of Twin Peaks across the Canyon

Indian Paintbrush

View of the Pfeifferhorn as you approach Maybird Lake

Pfeifferhorn

Sundial Peak across the Canyon

The bridge to peace and solitude!

The sign by the bridge to Maybird Lake (2.66 mile point)

View of the Salt Lake Valley

No campfires here.

The sign at 1.4 miles

Alta Ski Resort to Cecret Lake ( Easy, 5 Miles Round-Trip)

Description:
     This is an easy, scenic hike, especially during wild flower season.  It is good for any age. I even saw small children that did not look old enough to be walking, but they were hiking this trail!  The first part of the hike has several signs along the way with  pictures of  various forms of wildlife and a question about them, then an answer and interesting facts about that animal when you flip the picture over.  If you do not want to go all the way to Cecret Lake, the trail to the Albion Basin Campground would make an easier but pleasant hike, complete with benches made out of old ski lift chairs.  This hike was inspired by the Salt Lake Tribune Hike of the Week of July 2, 2015, but when I went to do it, the Parking Lot for Goldminer's  Daughter Lodge
was closed for repairs, so I made up my own Hike of the Week! This is a watershed area, so no dogs allowed.  There are plenty of geocaches in the area, but I did not look for them on this hike.

Directions to Trailhead:
     Drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Albion Day Lodge  (gps coordinates N 40* 35.465' W 111* 37.718')  I believe it was 9.9 miles from the 7-11 Store  at the bottom of the Canyon. Park anywhere in this parking lot.

The Hike:
     The trail starts between the Albion Day Lodge and the Alta Ticket Office.  The trail goes downhill from the Parking Lot, then heads to the left (East)  At .25 miles, stay on the wider of two trails at a sign with an arrow that says Albion Meadows. When you get to Alf's Restaurant, go to the left. At 1 mile, you will come to a sign that says: Germania Pass 2.5 Miles, Cecret Lake 1.5 miles, Albion Basin Campground 1.5 miles.  Follow the path toward Cecret Lake and the campground.   At mile 1.6 the trail splits, but there is no sign. The trail to the campground goes to the Left, and has a bridge. I went to the Right, which goes to  Cecret Lake.  At mile 1.88, the trail joins the wide Cecret Lake trail.  Go to the right to get to the Lake.   If you plan to return the same way you came, look around carefully for landmarks so you can find this trail again, as there are no signs.  (I went down to the campground from Cecret Lake and went back a different way).  You will reach the Lake at mile 2.44.
     You can go back the way you came, but I went down the the Albion Basin Campground, walked around the campground loop to scout it out for a future camping trip.  Near the parking lot outside the campground, are some restrooms.  Just West of the restrooms is the trail to take you back to your vehicle.  This trail is at waypoints N 40* 34.660' W 111* 36.883.'   Keep you eyes open and you are likely to see deer and Moose in this area.
   

Mostly yellow and white flowers at lower elevations of the hike.

Higher Elevations brought more reds, blues, and pink  flowers.

The sign at mile 1, just past Alf's Restaurant.

Seems to be peak wildflower time at this elevation. (About 9000 feet)

Cecret Lake. Not quite peak wildflower season here. I actually saw
the Ranger posting this sign about 10 years ago.

Colombines

A deer checking me out from a distance.

A moose bedded down for the day west of the Campground.

Red White and Blue appropriate for July!