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Note: Still using an older camera since my camera died.
Quick Details:
Length: 1.25 miles from the TH which is .3 miles from the parking lot. 3.1 out and back. You can also add the about a half mile around the lake if desired for a total of 3.6 miles.
Trail Type: Out and back, balloon option.
Difficulty: DR3
Elevation Gain: About 500 ft.
Restroom: I haven’t been in the new restrooms yet, but the old ones were flush so I don’t see why that would have changed,
Dogs? No. Big Cottonwood Canyon is watershed.
To Get Here:
Drive to the very top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Park at the Solitude Nordic Center which is at the beginning of the loop rd. If you hit the big Brighton parking lot, you went too far, but just loop back around.
This will put you at Silver Lake, which is pretty, but also very crowded. The shortest route to the trailhead is counter clockwise, or to the right.
Heading up Big Cottonwood Canyon (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)). Is it just me, or does it look like the leaves are starting to change already?
The Trail:
Mount Millicent.
With Silver Lake.
Squirrel!
At about 3/10ths of a mile you will reach the trailhead. Where you have the option of doing Lake Solitude, or Twin Lakes. Or both if you are up for it.
Pretty forest.
Trail split. Left goes towards Twin Lakes, Forward to Lake Solitude. Right, is closed for re-vegetation.
It’s usually signed though. I don’t know when they do it exactly, but I have noticed they take these down for winter.
The first climb is quite rocky.
I just love me a nice aspen forest.
Looking up.
More forest.
Daisies.
Nice stone staircase.
Fireweed.
Fleabane.
Another trail split. I think to the right goes down to Solitude. You want to go left. In fact, aside from the main junction, you will always stay to the left.
Paintbrush.
Western Coneflowers.
Squirrel!
These are some interesting paintbrush.
Heading under a ski lift. This short section of the trail is along a pretty steep slope, and it makes me a little nervous on the way up, but its really not that bad.
Before long you are back on a good slope, and in a beautiful conifer forest.
More paintbrush.
More pretty forest.
Looking up.
These chipmunks were very interested in the bushes. I know they are tree dwellers, but they just looked so silly swinging around in these shrubs.
Four way trail split. Right is the old trail. They haven’t blocked it off, so I am unsure where it leads, but I am certain it will no longer take you to the lake. Left is the new trail to the lake. Left and backwards will head up to the ski lift.
Reviewing the Summer Trails map, I guess right goes up to the summit, and might swing by the lake. But the old route is definitely closed for re-vegetation up by the lake. Either way, the new route is definitely the easier way to go as it is a slower climb.
Lupine.
Seeding lupine.
More fun forest.
Looking up again.
More forest.
When you reach the big scree field you are getting close. There are two smaller scree fields before here. All three fields are excellent spots to observe pikas (which I will show on the way down).
Berries of some sort. I bet they taste like burning.
The big scree field again.
The part that the trail crosses through is settling in.
One last quick thick forest section.
We made it!
This is a particularly shallow lake.
We, well, I, decided to go around the lake. I still had some energy in me.
One of the two mines up here.
Nearing the back end.
The back end.
The mountains behind the lake.
The lake again.
I’m guessing the shore on this side of the lake is kind of swampy, so trail takes you up over these mine tailings.
It does offer a better view of the lake.
There is another mine here.
The lake again.
Mamma deer and her babies.
The lake again.
The deer go for higher ground.
White and purple daisies.
The view from the front of the lake. I think it can be called a hanging lake, much like the famous Hanging Lake in Colorado, but not quite as pretty.
Fuzzy red-butt bumble bee.
The front of the lake has a bunch of bushes so it kind of hard to see, but there is one small clearing to get closer.
The view down again.
Bridge over the outlet, which is currently dry.
The old trail, with a closed for re-vegetation sign. The new trail really is much, much better.
One last parting shot before we head back down.
Back down the trail. Random curiosity I just had, I wonder how long it takes for the cut in trail to start to look completely natural again.
Lovely forest.
Pika! This was at the top, large scree field.
Screaming pika!
Red-tailed hawk.
Another pika at the middle scree field.
Hard at work down at the lower scree field.
Oh neat! he is adding to his haystack! I learned about these sometime after our last trip up here, so it is cool to see for myself. Pikas are active all year, so they gather plants into these haystacks to dry out. When they are dried the pika will move it all to their den to have some food during the winter months.
Three haystacks. I’m not sure if they all belong to the same pika.
I just love these adorable little guys.
Gathering plants. I’ve watched them do this a couple times, but I think these are some of the best pictures I have caught of it.
I could watch these guys all day!
He/she looks so proud of their work.
Those are some big haystacks!
Another little guy hard at work. His haystack seems a bit smaller.
Well, like I said, I could watch them forever but, it was getting late and it was getting late and time to head on back. Further spurred by a mask-less family that decided to see what I was so interested in. Which I wouldn’t have minded but, they didn’t give me the space I would like so, yeah, I bailed. I am always happy to point out wildlife, or whatever other thing I am fascinated in, but seriously, wear a mask or keep your distance (or preferably both),
More lovely forest.
Some pretty yellow flowers. They kind of look like daisies, but I have given up trying to identify yellow flowers with multiple petals. There are just way too many of them.
Forest.
Nice view of Scott Hill across the way.
The top of the ski lift.
Some kind of sad looking daisies.
Another daisy.
Looking across the canyon at Guardsman Pass Rd.
More forest. You know, I have been trying to figure out if I prefer an aspen forest, vs a conifer forest and I think I just love them both equally.
I even love a nice mix of them. By the by, I think this is the trail that leads to Twin Lakes but, I have never done that so I am not 100% sure.
Some of the pines up here are huge!
Back down into the aspens.
Split tree.
Scott Hill again. This peak is so easily identifiable due to the mine tailings that look like Mickey Mouse.
Tree stars! Actually I think these are thimbleberry leaves.
Back down to Silver Lake.
Normally I would go the other direction and enjoy the pretty lake as well, but there were tons of people and not a lot of masks so we went back the way we came, because it is shorter.
The lake again.
This is a great little hike and I enjoy doing it. Right now, the crowds at Silver Lake were a little anxiety inducing, but its a short section so it wasn’t too bad.Once you get past that the crowds reduce immensely The trail is pretty and I always love seeing wildlife. 8 out of 10 squirrels.
As for difficulty, it’s a bit of a climb, but not too bad. DR3.
Dogs are not allowed due to watershed restrictions.
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