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!

   

Lisa Falls (Easy, .26 mile round-trip!)

Description:  I drove past this Little Cottonwood Canyon trail for many years before a friend told me about it. It is a very short, very easy, shady hike to a refreshing waterfall, and a great way to cool off on a hot day. Even small children will love the short hike. No dogs, though, and No trailhead restrooms.    There is one geocache along the way.

Directions to Trailhead: From the intersection  of Wasatch Boulevard and Big Cottonwood Canyon road, (The 7-11 Store) head South up Little Cottonwood Canyon 6.7 miles to the small turn-off on your left. (There is also a turn-off on the right, if the other one is full, but you will have to cross the road on a curve, which is nice to avoid if possible.)   The turn-off is between mile markers 6 and 7, just around the bend from a large brown pole with a traffic camera mounted on it.  The gps coordinates of the trailhead parking are: N 40* 34.364' W 111* 43.596'.  There is not a trailhead sign, but there is only one trail, and it is to the right of a dry stream bed. (Don't worry, there will be water at the Falls!)  Just hike up the short trail, enjoy the cool spray of the water mist, or go ahead and dunk your head in the stream!  I had the place to myself at 7 A.M. but I'll bet it gets rather crowded on a hot summer day. There is plenty of space and there are plenty of rocks to have a nice picnic meal.  If you are a geocacher, be sure to find the Lisa Falls Micro Cache: http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC1CRNC_lisa-falls?guid=3af3e3ba-07f4-4745-921a-616942410f7a.  I also found a unique cache down the road a bit called Shaker-slc Cache: 
http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCZ684_shaker-slc?guid=6c0012a9-7d4a-414e-aa34-9109cf772cc2.  A good way to get to this cache without a lot of bushwhacking is to first go to a fairly large hut made out of sticks at coordinates: N 40* 34.350' W111* 43.765'.

The shady trail.

Almost there.

Lisa Falls

Flowers below the Falls.

                        

Albion Basin to Mount Tuscarora July 24, 2013

I woke up early on Pioneer Day, and headed up to get a good view of Pioneer Peak.  I drove 14.1 miles up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Catherine Pass Trailhead.  I parked in the parking lot by the restrooms and crossed the road to hit the trail.  At about mile .78 the trail splits, and you stay to the left for Catherine Pass.  At Catherine Pass, I headed left up the ridge to the top of  Mount Tuscarora. Apparently a large buck had the same idea, but from the other direction, because we both reached the summit at the exact same time, and surprised each other!  He bounded away, leaving me to find the geocache up there: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=8d0e183f-0c37-4453-8f73-c60cc7c943c2.  The view was incredible, especially as the sun broke through the clouds reflecting on Lake Martha.   I headed back the way I came, ran into the retired Air Force Pilot and his English mother, whom I had met last Friday! They were looking for the father, who had become lost descending Sunset Peak.  When I returned to the trailhead, I had hiked 3.61 miles, a great start to Pioneer Day!

Daylight breaking in Albion Basin

Lakes Mary and Martha from Mount Tuscarora

Sunlight reflecting on Lake Martha

Trekking poles framing Pioneer Peak on Pioneer Day

Wildflowers reminded me of fireworks.

On the way back to the trailhead.

Sunset and Pioneer Peaks from Albion Basin

I began this hike from the Catherine Pass Trailhead near the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, 14.1 miles from the 7-11 at the bottom of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.  It was an easy 2 miles or so up to Catherine Pass.  I then headed up the ridge to Sunset Peak, stopping to find a geocache, "By the Way," http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=f8b05ccd-fe89-4c2f-a279-20be59702b2d. The ammo box was open, so I signed the log and closed it up tightly. On the way, I chatted with a retired Air Force Pilot from Virginia, and his wife and, his mother who was from England.  The hike to the summit is not difficult, and exposure is not bad.  Shortly after I reached the summit, a 72-year-old man from Farmington came up behind me.  He was a retired plant pathologist, and he identified a patch of "Bearberry" bushes growing near the summit.  I then continued on to Pioneer Peak, and found another geocache, "Ten Year Hike," http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=1937e750-3449-48e0-a617-0afc3c82a267.
The view from here was great, and I stopped in the shade to eat an early lunch.
     I then returned back the way I had come, reascending Sunset Peak.  On the way down Sunset Peak, I saw what at first appeared to be a young woman helping an elderly couple slowly down the trail, but when I got closer, I found that the elderly couple were helping the young woman down the trail! She had fallen, and injured herself.  I got out my first aid kit and patched her up.  Instead of going back to Catherine Pass, I cut over to Supreme Peak and did 3 more geocaches, ending up just below Cecret Lake. I then returned along the road to my original trailhead.  I had hiked 6.21 miles and ascended 2,655 feet in a leisurely  4 1/2 hours (3 1/4 hours moving time), a very enjoyable hike.

Trekking Poles resting on some interesting
geology along the trail.

Wildflowers illuminated by the rising sun.

View of Lakes Catherine and Mary on the way up
to Sunset Peak. (Martha is hidden from view)

View of Sunset Peak and Mount Timpanogos
from Pioneer Peak.

View of Lakes Martha and Mary, with Silver Lake in the back,
taken atop Pioneer Peak.

Returning to the trailhead.

Red Pine Lake

 This morning I hiked to Red Pine Lake in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Right at the start of the trailhead was a huge female moose. I stopped to get my camera out, but the moose looked kind of nervous, so, with my lifelong goal to never be on the evening news, I continued up this inviting trail, without a moose photo.  The hike was exactly 3.3 miles long, (one way) and took me one hour 38 minutes to get to the lake. (My trekking poles arrived slightly ahead of me!)
  On the way up I found a geocache called Pick-A-Trail Junction at N 40° 33.195 W 111° 41.720 .  
This is near the trail that branches off to Maybird Gulch.  That is a hike for another day.
     On my way back to the trailhead, I met up with an inspiring elderly hiker. He was making his way up a steep part of the trail and was not even breathing hard.  I commented on how well he seemed to be doing and he said he was far ahead of his two younger friends.  ( I met up with them also, and they were ages 78 and 83!) This gentleman was 87, and likely shopped at the same store as the 89-year-old that I met at White Pine, as they were dressed exactly alike!  I asked what his favorite hike was, and he said it is the hike from Brighton to Albion Basin with a side trip up Sunset Peak. (My previous post) I was surprised by one thing he said; he said he thought the hike up to White Pine Lake was boring!!  I loved that hike! Maybe it was too easy for him?
As I continued down the trail, I wished I had asked permission to take his picture, to remind me what I want to be doing at his age!
     His younger friends were headed back down, as it was raining slightly, and they had had enough for the day. I asked my usual question about their favorite hike, and one of them said, "Bear Trap Fork," which I have not hiked since I was in high school,  so I think I'll plan that hike soon.

     I saw quite a few squirrels  today, and  I was wondering how fast they run. I estimated 10 miles per hour, and when I looked it up on Google when I got home, they said 12 to 14 mph so I wasn't too far off.

Brighton to Albion Basin

This is an awesome hike I did with the Scouts. It is a fantastic hike around mid-September for Fall colors.  We got dropped off at Brighton Ski Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon and hiked to Lakes Mary, Martha, and Catherine. From there we made a detour to the summit of Sunset Peak. The view is amazing, and this is the point where the boundary of three counties meet. I think this is the only place in the State where this occurs. You can probably imagine what a bunch of Scouts would do at a point like this.  From there we hiked over Catherine Pass down into Albion Basin, where our drivers had brought our camping gear, and we camped in Albion Basin Campground for the night. I think the entire hike was 4 1/2 miles, and the views were so incredible that even the most reluctant hikers loved it.

White Pine Lake

This is one of my new favorite hikes! The trailhead is in Little Cottonwood Canyon.  From where I parked, the hike was 11 miles round trip. I met some interesting fellow hikers. On the way up, I met two elderly men. The younger one was 83 years old, wearing a 1970's blue jumpsuit. The older one was 89 years old, wearing Khaki pants and matching long sleeved shirt. The younger one had hiked King's Peak, (the highest mountain in Utah) 13 times! I related to him the story about my son-in-law's scout troop hiking up to King's Peak a couple of years ago. One boy, usually very energetic was looking very tired, and resting more than the others. When they got to their first night's camping spot, he unloaded a GIANT watermelon from his backpack to share with the troop!
     When I reached White Pine Lake, there was a girl, maybe 25 years old, 125 pounds, (you will see in a moment why this is significant), that had hiked up there alone, and was setting up her tent. She had all brand new high quality equipment; Big Agnes 3 man tent, Gregory backpack and sleeping bag, butane stove with HUGE canister of fuel (enough for an entire scout troop for a week!), water pump, CANS of food, and a cot. I asked her how much her pack weighed and she said 80 pounds! I am amazed that a 125 pound person could haul up a pack that weighed 2/3 her weight!  (The recommended max is 1/4 your body weight).  She told me she is going to study up on lightweight backpacking!
     On my way down, I encountered the two elderly  hikers again. The older one said, "Why the heck is everyone taking these zigzag trails?! When I hiked up here as a scout 74 years ago, we just went straight up the mountain, and that's just what I am going to do this time!" I did not read about them in the Sunday paper, so I assume they made it ok. I hope I am hiking at that age!