2015 Wildflowers in Bloom

(Be sure to check out my post from last week with other wildflower photos)

At an elevation of over 9,000 feet, usually it is well into June or July before the snow melts enough for grass, flowers, and other plants to grow. As it was last week, many flowers were showing their colors with many more still waiting. If you plan to visit, now is a great time, but don’t procrastinate too long. You could also check out the Wasatch Wildflower Festival being held at Alta and other resort areas July 24th thru 26th. Click here for more information.

In my previous blog entry, I talked about and showed pictures of a good hike near Brighton Resort, and how you can take the Brighton Lakes Trail past Lakes Mary, Martha, and Catherine. If you so choose, you can continue on to the Catherine’s Pass Trail and over into the Albion Basin or up to different peaks, like Sunset Peak. I mentioned I was planning on getting to the top of Sunset Peak soon and I am happy to report I did so last week, twice. I elected to start from the Little Cottonwood Canyon side from Alta Resort. Doing so, you take the Catherine’s Pass trail through the beautiful Albion Basin. Beyond the pass is the steeper part of the climb up to Sunset Peak. Overall, the hike from the trail head to the top is about 3.5 miles round trip with about 1,300 feet elevation gain. Some parts can get steep while other parts are very flat through beautiful meadows. It should be doable for most skill levels. Even if you cannot make it to the top of the peak, the other less-steep parts are wonderful.