Heading to the mountains today. After a Sat/Sun/Mon storm brought snow to the mountains, time to check it out. Not sure how far I will get, but I love the adventure. Plan is to head up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Brighton and hike up to Catherine's Pass - backup plan is Silver Lake and Twin Lakes.
Not much snow visible as I drive up the canyon - I know there's snow in the mountains, I've been looking at it since Sunday. As I get very close to the ski resorts - BINGO! Snow!. High in the mountains, mostly on the northern and eastern exposures.
I stop a Silver Lake to take a quick walk-around the lake -- looking for moose. But hop back in the car to see if Brighton is hikeable. When I pull-up, the trail is buried under snow - snow from the storm and snow that the ski resort is making. They have the start of a groomed ski run! Twin Lakes is my hike today.
Only 2 cars in the parking lot around 10am. It's in the 40s with a light breeze. I walk into the meadow to a view of snowy mountains. Not buried in snow, but just enough to look pretty.
I check for moose - nothing - so I walk counter clockwise around the icy boardwalk. Perfectly quiet morning - wonderful. Silver Lake still have a lot of open water but the eastern 1/2 is frozen to various degrees as it gets shaded by the mountains. Still lovely reflections in the water.
The hiking trail markers have been taken down for the winter but I start up the Twin Lakes trail anyway just following footprints in the snow. The trail heads uphill thru the now leafless aspen trees -- just tall white trunks and limbs against the blue sky (with a bit of snow on the ground). This trail is usually rocky but the packed snow (and ice) level things out a bit making for easier walking (and slippery).
The ledge over Silver Lake is pretty much snow covered. I find a few deer tracks following the ledge -- a mini-deer highway above the lake. I also see another track. It has 4 rounded toes and a pad in the middle. It's about the size of the width of shoe. Not sure what it is.
I hear a pika calling from the rocky slide to my right. I do find him but he scampers under some rocks.
Silver Lake looks quite pretty from up here.
I'm off the ledge and turn south towards the reservoir. Much more snow here but there are still footprints to follow so I'm still heading up.
I stop to look around and hear something off to my right. There are three deer! No four deer grazing. All does. They sure blend into the surroundings. They know I'm there -- they're all looking my way -- but finally decide I'm not a threat and continue their business. We're actually heading in the same direction so I get to enjoy them for a bit before my trail verges off their path.
I finally make it to dam and the lake. Quite pretty this morning and its all mine!!! Not a soul around!
I find a nice rock on the shore to take a rest and enjoy the sights. No ice on the lake yet but she's pretty low with some steep shores up the lake.
I decide to head up above the lake. I wanted to do this last time I was here but it was really windy so I didn't get to Twin Lake Pass. Today it's just somewhat windy. Not planning on going to the Pass unless the trail is snow-free though. Just trying to get higher. The trail is follows along the western side of the lake.
Twins Lakes is really two lakes. The dam allows for higher water levels so the two lakes become one. I've never seen the two lakes. But as I climb higher, there is two lakes today!!! The second one looks totally frozen!
The trail has some "mesh" on it to prevent erosion. I see a squirrel playing tug-o-war with a piece of the mesh trying to tear a piece off. Pretty entertaining but his persistence paid off and with his prize, he ducks into the trees.
I follow the trail until there are no more footprints and I find a nice spot overlooking the lakes. Its really pretty up here -- big range of snowy mountains in view (with the two lakes).
I want to make it to the icy lake so I head back down. Nice view of the dam from up here too.
When I get back to the lake I follow the lower trail along the western shore.
As I get further down the first lake, I can see the land that separates the lakes. Its quite snowy. I can also see water flowing between the lakes.
I arrive at the 2nd lake and head for small stream between the lakes.
Its a nice view down to the dam.
And a nice view of the icy lake.
I make my way down the beach to the far shore. There are tracks on the ice. They zig-zag around. I'm thinking they might be an animal trying to get to the small openings of water. They're just strange.
There are deer track on the beach. Also a couple of different tracks in the snow. None of them super fresh. One is long - maybe a raccoon. But the fascinating ones are the animals trails. One has four close tracks and a long break, then four more track and a long break with the tracks in a single file.
The other is just a long line of continuous tracks. Sure wish I knew my animal tracks.
I find a nice rock on the far side of the lake (in the snow) to enjoy the views.
But feet are cold from the snow so I move to a non-snowy rock back up the lake.
Then its time to head back.
One last parting shot to the icy lake.
On the way down, I spot the deer again -- five this time. Four of them wander off when they see me, the fifth is laying down and just watches as I pass.
I hear a pika as I head across the ledge over Silver Lake. I find him on a rock.
When I get back to Silver Lake, there's a chipmunk sunning himself on a rock.
I decide to walk around the rest of the lake -- the snowy and icy side.
I'm on the final stretch of icy boardwalk when I see a tiny shrew or mouse heading towards me. (It startles me.) It turns around and tries to find somewhere to hide on the open boardwalk hiding under one of the raised edges. I walk over and he runs down into the grasses and disappears. Cool "little" ending to a fabulous day!!
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