Brighton to Lakes Mary and Martha, then Mount Wolverine to Lake Catherine

This hike is barely 5 miles long since it is cut short by going off trail straight up to Mount Wolverine, but you could stay on trail by hiking up to Catherine Pass, and following the ridge line (more or less a trail) to Mount Tuscarora, then on to Mount Wolverine and down to Twin Lakes Pass, then back to Lake Mary and Brighton.
     I drove to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon and parked at Brighton Ski resort, right next to the Brighton Center ticket office.  The trail starts right behind a large sign that shows the ski trails.  It is an easy but beautiful one mile hike to Lake Mary. On the way there, I was stopped, taking pictures, when a group of three hikers caught up with me. A lady pointed to Mount Millicent and I heard her say, "There is Mount Chickadee, if anyone cares." I was mentally correcting her, when I realized she was talking about birds,  and she had said Mountain Chickadee! She then pointed out several other birds, and I was glad I had kept my big mouth shut!
     I had a waypoint for a geocache on Mount Tuscarora in my gps (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=8d0e183f-0c37-4453-8f73-c60cc7c943c2
I looked for a reasonable way up to it and chose a route between lakes Mary and Martha. It was fairly steep, but safe. I crossed a boulder field to get to the ridge between Mount Tuscarora and Mount Wolverine. I could probably have avoided the boulder field by staying more to the right as I ascended.
     When I reached the ridge, I was very close to Mount Wolverine summit, so I made a quick detour there and then made the easy hike to Mount Tuscarora summit.  I was within 6 feet of the geocache, but   the exposure looked pretty dangerous for a solo hiker without the rope that I usually carry, but didn't, so I decided to leave the cache for another time.  As I was about to return back the way I came up, a couple of hikers appeared from the other direction toward Catherine Pass, so I changed my plans and went down that way. It added a little more distance but was much easier, and turned the hike into a loop instead of out and back!

Lake Mary with Mount Millicent (not Mount Chickadee!)
in the background

Lake Martha (I just missed pic of deer that was there!)

Just a little snow on way up to ridge

Lakes Mary and Martha from ridge

View from Mount Tuscarora 

Cecret Lake with American Fork Twin Peaks

Kennecott Copper Mine in the distance

Lake Catherine and Sunset Peak with Heber in the distance

Catherine Pass-so many options!

Lake Martha on return trail to Brighton

Columbines