More Northern Utah Exploration (Summer in Full Swing)

It’s been a busy couple of weeks. I have been spending many of those days taking photos though. So I want to highlight some of my most recent ones as well as show you some places you might consider checking out yourself.

Antelope Island

The Great Salt Lake is what remains of prehistoric and much larger Lake Bonneville. Because the lake has no outlets, it is very salty, much saltier than the ocean. Located in the southern part of the lake is Antelope Island. While the water level of the lake fluctuates over periods of time, Antelope can’t really be considered an island, at least not currently as it is not completely surrounded by water.

Antelope Island is designated a state park in Utah. It is a refuge for birds and wildlife (Antelopes and Bison among others) and is nearly all open space. It is a great place to explore and offers great views and scenery and some of the best sunsets I have ever seen. There is a fee for entry ($10 per vehicle) which you pay upon entering the causeway to the island. I highly recommend a visit here but I would bring along some bug spray.

More Hiking around Salt Lake

I have previously posted some entries about how by living in Salt Lake City it is to get away and into the outdoors and nature. So, continuing in that spirit, I have added some photos from some other popular places to get out and explore.

Red Pine Trail – Little Cottonwood Canyon

I had last been up this trail snowshoeing in January after a large snowstorm. The snow was so fresh and powdery. This time, I came to the canyons to get away from the heat in the Salt Lake Valley, and found it pleasantly at least ten degrees cooler here. The Red Pine Lake Trail is a challenging climb. It is 7.3 miles round-trip and there is a 1960 foot elevation gain. It is beautiful the whole way up. The snow hadn’t completely melted when I was there the latter half of June but it was not an issue for me. Several people set up camp at the top with great views of the lake. This is a trail I highly recommend. The trail begins at the White Pine Lake trailhead, just before Snowbird. The trail splits early on, one to White Pine, one to Red Pine. I plan on hiking to White Pine Lake soon and will report back.

Lake Blanche Trail – Big Cottonwood Canyon

This is another one of my favorites. I had done this hike last August. It is in Big Cottonwood Canyon and is a fairly popular trail but still can be challenging to those not used to hiking steep and rocky terrain. The Lake Blanche Trail begins from the Mill B South trailhead, near the “S-curve”, a few miles up the canyon. It is 8.1 miles round-trip and almost 2700 feet in elevation gain. Give yourself at least four or five hours for this hike and even more to spend more time exploring the lakes at the top. As you can see, this place is beautiful. I love how Sundial Peak sits right at the lake. This area is very beautiful, with other lakes and waterfalls in the area as well as a lot of flowers and wild life. It is common to see Moose up here.

Brighton Lakes Trail to Lake Catherine – Via Brighton Resort (Big Cottonwood Canyon)

It’s July, and as the snow continues to melt in the higher elevations of Wasatch, wildflowers begin blooming. July and August are a great time to get out and see the flowers and the beautiful scenery these mountains offer. The Brighton Lakes Trail is a less challenging trail beginning at Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It takes you up to Lake Mary and if you choose to continue, all the way up to Lake Catherine, Catherine Pass, and then over to Sunset Peak or Little Cottonwood Canyon if you want to. The Brighton Lakes (Mary, Martha, and Catherine) are beautiful and one can get a great view of all three from Sunset Peak if you go that far. This trip, I didn’t make it to the peak. But stay tuned, it is coming up.

Happy Independence Day!

I will leave you with a long exposure shot I took just a few hours ago. I had to work all day and was somewhat bummed I didn’t get to spend it with my family. But as luck would have it, I was able to make it up to one of my favorite viewpoints overlooking the city just in time to see the fireworks. It offered a great view of many different fireworks shows.

I hope you all had a great holiday! Keep exploring!