Wild Rose to Lookout

 

Today we kind of got a late start so I looked for something low elevation and nearby. I found the Wild Rose Trails in North Salt Lake. I really didn’t think this was going to be much of a trail, but just wanted to get out. So off we ventured.

To get here take US 89 in NSL to Eagle Ridge Dr. Go up the hill and turn right on eagle point dr. Turn left on Sky Crest Ln. and you will find a nice community park. The trailhead is up past the picnic tables. The trail splits at some point and you can do a loop trail to the north, or the lookout trail to the south. We opted for the lookout trail.

There is a fire down by the lake. The first time I saw this I kind of freaked out, but I have since learned they regularly burn an invasive plant called Phragmites. (DBP Album) I love how due to the steep hill side we are on is, that even though my horizon is good, the lamppost looks all skiwampus.

Beginning of the trail looks promising!

Here is a close-up of the pipeline scar I am always complaining about. It looks like they may have started seeding at this point, but it’s still hideous and I want it to go away. Besides, considering the amount of pipeline breakages we have had, I really don’t like the idea of having another one put in above our water sources! Blarg.

Anyway, back to the trail. Already offering a pretty view!

Did anybody tell these leaves that fall is over, winter done passed by and we’re into spring?

The trail follows an old stream bed. I think it is a spring melt stream, but Landis thinks that it was diverted so it doesn’t affect the fancy homes below. Either way, if it was a winter melt stream, I think now would be the time for it to flow, so, dried up is what we will go with.

After another trail split, one option continued up the stream bed, the other back to the loop trail, and the one we decided on toward the over look switched back up the ridge into this pretty little forest.

The spring flowers are starting to come up!

I think this is the look-out they reference. The trail kept going, so, we kept following it.

I think there might be a cave up there on the other side of this canyon.

View up said canyon.

We then reached this ridge. This might be the overlook as well, however, the trail kept going.

 

Quick Panoramic.

Guess we’re hiking up the ridge now!

Top of the ridge!

Bountiful. Here you can see the snowline is getting quite a bit higher, but it is still there.

If you look closely, you can just make out where the Jordan River meanders into the swampland, and then eventually into the Great Salt Lake. Kind of cool.

I think this takes us to the City Creek Ridge. We did not do that today.

Breakin the law! :-p

Instead we decided to check out the view from this peak. I’m loving how green the hill side is right now.

Landis already enjoying the view.

I love these open peaks, where it looks like the world just drops away into the void.

Davis County…

Salt Lake County

Interesting ridges.

A nice pair of comfy rocks to take in the view. Too bad with the sun where it is I blew out the sky.

More ridges they seem to line the whole hillside up here.. I wonder what caused this. I know directly below here there is a mine, so I am not sure if this is remnants of Lake Bonneville, or the mine below. Or something else entirely.

About this point we decided to head home.

Quick panoramic.

I really wanted to hike up to that peak but we decided to save it for another day.

Grassy trail through scrub oak.

Beautiful skies!

I can see my house from here! Well, at least I can make out where it is based upon larger features around it. That's kind of cool.

All of these yellow flowers have drooped to be hanging upside down. This is the only one I found that I could get a shot of the proper flower.

But they are coming up in spades.

The loop trail on the other side of the canyon, and the pretty green hills.

Getting back down into the forested area.

I spotted this boulder that got caught in the tree branches. I thought it was kind of cool.

One of the trail signs. I know we hiked more than 1/4 mile, but I don’t think we made it quite to City Creek Ridge I think that was what was at the top of the hill we didn’t do.

One of the other trails we didn’t take. This one continued following the old creek bed.

I love the grass borders. I don’t know why.

Another of the yellow flowers.

Pretty pretty flowers.

There are some pretty gnarly bike trails criss-crossing this trail. I bet they are pretty fun.

I think I like this one best. I always get a little flower happy this time of year.

A sign to make us all feel better about the fact that they installed another pipeline above our water sources. Blah. Also, I am pretty sure the “maturing vegetation” picture as actually the before shot because I was at Mueller Park not long ago, and the scar is no where near that filled in. Ok focus on the pretty nature, not the scar… moving on.

Here is the cute little park. I like the mountain climbing to the slide in the playground. What a cool way to tie it in to the area. The second shot you can see the location of the actual trail head (the big sign in the middle).

I think we chose the perfect time in the year to do this trail. A lot of it is in full sun, so summer time would have made it miserable. I know it was one of the first hikes of the year, but I really enjoyed this short little trail. Yea, there wasn’t much to it, but it did have an amazing view in the end, and there weren’t a lot of people. Factoring in that it is the beginning of the hiking season I am deducting one “I’m just nature starved” squirrel and finalizing on 7 squirrels.