Crazy Hiker Chick: 2013-12-08

Friday, December 13, 2013

Days Fork Trail

The Days Fork trail begins at the Spruces campground about 10 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Days Fork is a long side canyon heading directly south from the Spruces parking area and is a well established snowshoe and cross country ski trail. This was my first time exploring Days Fork and I found yet another great hiking / snowshoeing trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon! I have mentioned an awesome website on my blog before as an excellent guide for snowshoe trails. A perfect description for the Days Fork trail #27 can be found at http://www.snowshoeutah.com/ (Look in the Table of Contents for trail info).

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous! -Aristotle

Today it was finding and photographing ice crystals!

What powerful force of nature could have toppled this giant tree?

We hike for about 1 3/4 mile to an open meadow before turning around and heading back down canyon.

View from the meadow

Oh and by the way, it was warmer at Spruces campground at 29 degrees than at my house in Cottonwood Heights at 23 degrees. Just sayin'!!

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******Miles hiked tally

beginning March 22, 2013

198.1

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Rattlesnake Gulch Trail

What is more gorgeous than sun and freshly fallen snow? In December? In Utah? You gotta love it if you live here, right!! My weekend workout was a snowshoe hike on the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail to the Salt Lake City overlook. This trail begins just passed the fee station in Millcreek Canyon. The first mile of this snowshoe hike is a great cardio workout. The next 3/4 mile is a leisurely stroll around the mountainside to an awesome view of the entire Salt Lake Valley.

This was my first view of the valley with the snow covered Oquirrh Mountains in the background. You must go around two more corners to get a view of downtown Salt Lake City and the Great Salt Lake. Don't give up and turn around here - keep going!