Mill Fork B – Big Cottonwood Canyon

On the 4th of July weekend, I met up with an old friend to do a hike. We were trying to meet up with another friend up Big Cottonwood Canyon, well, we never found the other friend, and are pretty sure we didn’t go to the right place. However the hike we found was rather pretty itself.

Most Salt Lakers are familiar with the S curve 4.4 miles up Big Cottonwood canyon. This is where we parked and went uphill to the trail head.

This is what greets you at the trail head. I found out afterwards that if you follow this up 100 yards or so you will find Hidden Falls. We did not do that this trip. Instead we hiked to the right and went up the side of the mountain.

View down the canyon.

Pretty Flower.

See the random boulder?

Here’s the view from under it.

Pretty Orange Moss

Got back to the stream. I like the 2nd image even though the horizon is completely wrong. Normally I wouldn’t even share an image like this, but I am happy with this one.

Very green trail! Almost as lush as Oregon was.

There are even ferns. My mom lamented to me how she could not grow these in Utah no matter how hard she tried, yet, here they are.

I wonder how old this sign is.

Butterfly!

Pretty!

The trail got really thin, and overgrown after this point. I don't think it is used very often. About this point, the bugs really set in thick. we both forgot to put some off on and wow. I like the outdoors, and hiking, butI have never experienced the sheer amount of bugs as I have here. I was constantly swatting. I would highly recommend a thick layer of Deet for this trail. They were bad enough we both considered turning back several times.

The is one of the greatest/most awful pictures I have ever taken. At first glance, it looks like a terrible blurred crap image, and then you have this butterfly perfectly focused. I have no idea how this happened. I think I was tracking it, and somehow, while turning, managed to focus perfectly on it. Something about finding perfection amongst the chaos.

Yes, that is snow. and yes, this is JULY!

Lizard!

Chauncey, also a photographer, is a bit more adventurous than I am. I must say it is a completely different experience hiking with a fellow photographer. Not only am I stopping often to take a picture, but so is he. Then of course I have the whole, what did he see? and I am sure, vice versa. It makes for quite a slower hike. But that's okay. It was wonderful to share a hike with someone who shares my passion.

And then we found this little waterfall. It’s little (thin) but it is really cool! I like the tree.

Unfortunately at this point we made the wise decision that we should really start heading back. We both wanted to get closer, however we started this hike awfully late, and we where losing light rapidly. One day I will return, oh yes, this I vow.

Another lizard!

Realizing we may have pushed up to far with the dwindling light, we kept a rapid pace down hill. We were going rather fast, the trail was thin, and the growth on either side was thick. Suddenly something burst out of the growth to the right in front of me. I squealed, and put on the brakes almost falling over. I didn't know if it was a bear, or a cougar, or who knows what… it was a grouse or some other bird type creature. The above image is the best I got. You can just make out its neck and beak. I felt a little silly, but, when traveling that quickly in the woods, you never know..

Pine Trees!

This was an intense, however amazing hike.

It was about 4 miles round trip according to my pedometer ap I installed on my phone. (Verified in Oregon from the 3 mile trail that came out at exactly 3 miles) I didn’t think to turn it on until a smidge downhill, but it did track the trail fairly well. I am impressed.

The trail is rather deserted, even on a holiday weekend. It starts in full sun, and has quite a few full sun parts. The bugs are very hungry, Deet is recommended. Even with all of this, I enjoyed this hike. We rarely passed a soul. I would give it a final ranking of 8 out of 10 Squirrels.