Oct 5 - Albion Basin - Catherine's Pass and Beyond

Beautiful sunny but cool morning. Heading up into the mountains today. There was snow up there from the week-end. Most of it has melted but I can still see snow up on the northern faces. Time to see if I can pick a good spot and find the snow.

Heading to the Albion Basin. Getting close to the end of accessing it as the road closes around Nov 1. Not sure if that is a hard date regardless of snow conditions.....

Busy drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon this morning but I lose most of the cars at Alta. Can't see much because I'm heading East into the morning sun.

The access road is a bit holey. Hard to look around for fear of losing my car in a hole -- some of them are pretty big. But when I get to the parking lot, I'm car #2 at around 9am. (And that's fine with me!)

It's a "balmy" 33 degrees --- and I did find snow. The mountains to the north - I'm sure they have names but I don't know them -- were snow-covered.

Off on the hike to Catherine's Pass. As one would expect all of the plants are past bloom except there are still some purple aster blooming. Hardy little things surviving snow and frost to enjoy one more sunny day.

The trail in spots is frozen mud -- that could be fun on the way.

Again the sun is in my eyes but I'm looking west down towards the Secret Lake area trying to find moose. But no such lucky today.

Up, up I go. Traveling past snow-covered vegetation along the way.

I get to Catherine's Pass and am greeted by a wonderful view of a snowy Sunset Peak.

Catherine's Lake is still mostly in the shadows. I see a Milbert's Tortoiseshell flying at the Pass.

I don't stop but head up towards Sunset Pass. As always, great views from up here.

I'm thinking of going up Sunset Peak (yet again) today. And start heading down the trail, but there's snow. Can't do it, I head back up and then down the Great Western Trail.

Views of snowy mountains are always pretty. :)

Its pretty cold up here especially when the wind blows.

I decide to head further down the Great Western to see where it goes. There's a big rounded peak that looked like there was a faint trail. It would be a good view but I decided to take the actual trail which wraps around the rounded peak. The trail is clear but then becomes snow covered (maybe an inch).

The trail follows the curve of the mountain and there's a nice steep incline going up and down. I see a round below with some Fall colored trees. I think I'm in American Fork (or rather above American Fork).

The trail is headed thru some pines now. I see some snowy mountains but just can't get good views thru the trees. Too steep for me to head down into an opening.

When the trail starts heading down, I turn and head back.

This is actually a neat view of Sunset Peak -- never seen it from this direction.

Time to head home.

Catherine's Lake is now in the sun. I can see the yellow trees below.

And Lake Mary is empty. I know they use the lake water to make snow for the ski slopes but its a little early. Maybe that's why there's no one up here. Lake Mary is usually so pretty.

Good day.