Mill Creek’s Big Water Trail

 

Looking up at the mountains, they are currently exploding with the colors of fall. I decided I wanted to get up in there and enjoy the natural wonder of the season so we decided to finally really explore Millcreek Canyon. One of the few canyons have not explored as much.

Since I was unfamiliar with this canyon, my plan was to drive up to the top, see what is up there, and if all else fails return to the trail Monica and I had done last winter.

From the Lower Big Water Trail Head. Well, this sounds like a decent trail, not too long at about a mile.

The beginning of the trail.

Well, here is a smidge of fall!

This trail smells amazing! Not quite as good as Sweet Creek in Oregon, but still really incredible earthy woods smell.

Small twisted aspens.

I am guessing this is Big Water? I am still not exactly sure what Big and Little water are but I assume streams of some sort.

View up.

View down.

I love taking random shots of the forest.

And of the trail as well. Tree roots being excavated at this switchback.

A couple splashes of color.

Perhaps this is Big Water?

Pretty view of the valley below.

The hillside above has some color.

Here we found a fork in the trail. A sign pointing forward said Great Western Trail, right to Dog Lake, and Left to Big Water. So naturally we assumed we had to go left and follow this very small trail. After about 30 yards or so we decided this couldn’t be the main trail, and perhaps the sign was referring to the trail we had come from. So, we decided to head towards Dog Lake.

Pretty trail.

Pretty aspens.

More trail.

I love how the trails around here switch from pines to aspens back and forth, back and forth.

Autumn is starting!

Another small patch.

We took a small break and kept hearing the strangest noise. I cant really describe it, but I did locate the source. You can’t really tell in this picture, but these 2 trees are close enough and tall enough that the wind is causing them to rub against each other. Really bizarre!

Our first glimpse of Dog Lake!

Wait a minute. This isn’t dog lake, is it? I knew Dog Lake was in Big Cottonwood Canyon, the trail head said so, and we visited Dog Lake when we hiked The Lake Mary Trail. So, naturally we hiked a bit further to try to get our bearings.

Again, getting a glimpse of Autumn.

As we were walking around the lake I heard a very loud noise come out of the forest behind me. At first I thought helicopter, but when one did not come up above the ridge, and then heard the noise again I determined it to be a large animal. How bad is it that after this realization I was tempted to get in closer, rather than oh, I donno, walk faster the other way? We did keep going the other way though.

 

Pretty flower.

The trail beyond the lake. By this time we became certain that there is not another lake (mileage signs we saw means it could not have been much further.) After we returned home I looked it up, and sure enough there are 2 Dog Lakes in Big Cottonwood Canyon, they are pretty close to each other which bothers me to name 2 features these close to each other the same same name, (Haystack Rock, cough) but oh well, slight confusion aside we returned to enjoy the lake a minute.

I like the random stump in the middle.

A little fall reflection.

 

And now the trek back down.

I love the “eyes” on aspens. It makes it seem the forest is watching you.

Pretty valley views.

 

More aspens.

 

ONE tree on the entire hillside decided to change early.

Pretty leaves.

Yellow.

Last ones off the trail. The parking lot was full when we went up.

Okay. So according to the map Little Water is a peak, but also has a stream coming off of it, and Big Water appears to be the first stream we crossed. The Little Water trail looks like it could be interesting too. We shall have to return one day and do it.

According to my Pedometer ap, we hiked 2.7 miles down, so we did a good 5 and a half miles today. Not bad!

On the way up the canyon, I saw this sign for 1000 springs. So on the way down I thought we’d stop and check it out. It’s hard to capture, but it does appear the hillside has a bunch of springs coming down. Although, it it hard to tell if they are springs, or just water running down the hill. Still, pretty neat.

Quick view down the canyon.

It is starting to get dark, but I wanted a shot of the forest as we went down the hill. The result is actually pretty cool! (DBP Album).

All  in all I really enjoyed this hike. Pretty little lake at the end, amazing scents, and it’s kind of cool starting in one canyon, and crossing into another. My biggest beef is the 3 dollar fee to use the canyon. My 2nd beef was the amount of bikers.However, Bikers are only allowed every other day, and we showed up on the day they are allowed. You know it was weird, hiking up 2 bikers cruising downhill came to an alarmingly abrupt halt, even though we had moved to the side. Then we noticed the sign that said bikers must yield to hikers. Wow, 2 people out of… 20 followed the rules. haha. But really, they are cruising downhill, if I see them, I am happy to get out of their way. I believe the rule was created with the biggest threat in mind. If a hiker doesn’t see a biker, it is the bikers fault if there is a collision, which is the way it should be. Just let us know you are coming, and we’ll get out of the way. No need to stop to let us walk past you.

Anyway, all in all I am going to go with 9 squirrels. Absolutely pretty hike!