Donut Falls Snowshoe Hike

I had a busy day yesterday and was not able to get out until late in the day, so I grabbed my gear and headed up Big Cottonwood Canyon. I drove 8.8 miles up the canyon and parked on the right side near the locked gate. This is a popular tubing area, and there were several people leaving, as it was getting dark. There was a guy next to me named Don, so we shared hiking stories on the way up the trail. He had been many places that I had been (Wind Rivers, Coyote Gulch, local hikes) so it was fun.  This is an easy hike, 1.6 miles each way, but there is a spot that you have to climb down or slide about 5 feet, no big deal. This spot is maybe 100 yards from the falls.  We met a couple of groups coming down, and there was a group just leaving as we got to the falls.  Don did not have snowshoes on, and did not want to worry about slipping on the short steep last 50 feet, so he turned around.  This part is actually easier in the winter than summer, as most of the rocks are buried in snow.  It was easy to climb down into the cave with my snowshoes on.  The waterfall pouring down through the ceiling of the cave was almost completely frozen, and even though it was pretty dark outside, light shown down through the falls like fiber optics!  I shined my wife's very bright little flashlight on the falls and took a few pictures.  Then I headed back to the car by starlight. It was beautiful. Just as I saw the first stars, I heard the hoot of an owl, and I thought of my late father, who loved owls, and was a night owl himself, and thought he was perhaps saying "hello" to me. I had 2 headlamps and a flashlight, but did not use any of them.  A short way back down the trail, I saw a branch off to the right that goes to the Spruces Campground.  Two couples headed up to the falls with headlamps on were glad I had my gps to tell them they had .75 miles to go.  The entire hike took me 1 hour and 20 minutes, and was a fun little hike!

Not much daylight left as I parked at the trailhead.

A lone pine standing guard over the small
Big Cottonwood creek.

My trekking poles content to stand guard at the cave entrance.

I was surprised how much light shined through the
frozen falls this time of evening!

A beautiful evening for a hike!

I was not tempted to swim or wade tonight!