Random Rambler: Butler Fork To Mill A

The Butler Fork Mill A trail is a steep trail through beautiful conifers and aspen forests. This is one of those trailheads that I drove by all the time and kept saying, we should check that out someday, and never did until now. I couldn’t find a whole lot of information on it other than it was rated as difficult. I’m going to have to say, I am inclined to agree!

Beautiful fall colors along the way.

Quick Details:

Length: We only did about 1.4 miles, but it looks like it is 3.3 (one way).
Difficulty: This trail is seriously uphill with a few short sections of calm. DR5
Elevation Gain: In the short bit we did we climbed 1,128 feet. Not sure how much higher it went.
Restroom: No. The nearest one I could think of was about 1 mile up canyon at the Mill D trailhead.
Dogs? No. Big Cottonwood Canyon is watershed.

To get here drive about 7.8 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Just after mile marker 10 you will see a small parking lot on the left side of the road.

On to the hike!

Kessler Peak from the parking lot. Some nice color up there!

Looking up canyon. Overflow parking along the road.

Trailhead sign. The main trail here is yet another way to get to Dog Lake. We have done that a few times already so I opted to head towards Mill A. There is a trail split about a half mile up. This is I think the 4th trail that I am aware of that goes directly to Dog Lake. (Little Water and Big Water Trail in Mill Creek Canyon, Mill D North and Butler Fork in Big Cottonwood) Plus numerous other connections along other trails.

The trail starts out fairly easy along a narrow canyon, following a stream.

There was a trail on both sides of the stream, but this one got blocked and didn’t seem to be in use anymore.

So, quick stream crossing. At least this late in the year is was easy to cross without getting wet.

Short rocky outcropping. It’s not so bad.

Detail.

Some aspens poking through the conifers.

The creek is nice and mossy.

Exposed section of colorful sandstone beneath these roots.

Some color and the creek.

Looking back down the gulch.

And then we came to this. Ho boy, up we go!

Small waterfall down below.

This pushed my comfort level a bit. I have trouble with high trails on steep slopes. But, I was able to push past it, and this was actually the worst of it, and then it levelled out for a bit.

If you come into my canyons, and this is what you do, just get the hell out. You are not welcome here.

Oh, we crossed into Mount Olympus Wilderness.

Some color in the sunshine.

And a proper bridge at this crossing.

Squirrel!

And into a thick conifer forest.

And some color on the other side of the canyon. Unfortunately due to our timing today, we were in the shadow of the mountain for the entire trek.

And into the aspens.

At about a half mile up you come to the first trail split. Dog Lake to the right, Mill A Basin to the left.

Colorful hills beyond the dark forest. The Dog Lake trail seemed to be in the sunshine, and I was tempted to head that way instead, but I was hoping to explore Mill A.

Oh boy, snow and mud!

I believe this is Gobblers Knob.

And we about to head into a thick band of aspens.

Last patch of sunshine.

Two seasons.

Beautiful aspens.

More beautiful colors.

Bright ridge.

More great color.

The forest opened up a little and allowed another view of Gobblers Knob.

Another colorful ridge.

Twisted trunks.

The trail is getting kind of thin along this steep slope.

I think this is my favorite shot of the hike.

And the we start with the switchbacks. At least it takes us away from the steeper edge for a minute.

Starting to get a view of the canyon below.

Small patch of golden aspens. I’ve mentioned this before, but it is interesting so I will mention it again. The orange/gold aspens just got different nutrients and sugars which is why they have the different color. Not a mutation or anything like that. I thought that was interesting.

Got an opening to view the ridgeline. Very pretty!

Well, we had hiked a bit further than we had planned today. I was hoping to make it to Mill A basin, but we were getting a bit tuckered out and it was getting late so we decided to call it a day. We will definitely need to make it back to this one someday.

You can see down into Big Cottonwood Canyon and even see the road.

Some great color here.

And back down to the great ridge.

Some good color here too.

Some color and the peaks beyond. We were both trying to figure out what that tiny little bit of peak we can see across there was. I’m still not sure, but am leaning towards White Baldy.

I haven’t had the best luck chasing the color this year, or well last so, I got a little picture happy.

Not 100% sure, but it looks like this one got hit by lightning.

This one turned out pretty good too.

Looking up.

Line of color.

Fall mess on winter snow.

Layers of color.

Just some great color all around.

View towards the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Spring.

A silly side affect of using a hiking pole in fall.

Butler Fork towards Dog Lake. In hind sight I am kind of wishing we had headed that way today instead. But, it was still a nice hike with some good color.

The mountain shadow we were in the whole hike. I think it is Mt Raymonds shadow.

This is kind of a bizarre trail through this section, very narrow and deep cut.

Back down to the conifers.

Back down to the bridge. Just the steep section left and we are about done.

Nice thick forest.

Over the hump and down we go.

This part of the trail offers a nice view of Kessler Peak.

Nearing the bottom.

Back down to the trailhead.

Another shot of Kessler Peak.

Well that was a nice trail, and I am happy we did it. I wish we had made it to the basin I was after, but I did enjoy what we did. There was the perfect amount of people. Not too crowded, but just enough that we didn’t feel completely alone. But boy was it a climb! The first hill and then the entire ascent after the fork was seriously uphill! Going with a solid 8 out of 10 squirrels.