Mount Van Cott

Mount Van Cott is a small mountain (more of a knoll really) just east of the University of Utah which has the nickname of the "Butt Burner".   Mount Van Cott was named after Lucy May Van Cott who was the first dean of women at the University of Utah from 1907 to 1931.  I wonder if she was also a hiker?   There are many paths leading to the summit of Mount Van Cott.  I picked a trail heading north from Red Butte Canyon and just started climbing up.  For me, this Easter Sunday morning hike was just about immersing myself in nature to find a little peace.  And it worked by the way!  Here is some of what I saw along the way.

Don't know what these flowers are.

Magpie

Monarch Butterfly

Ladybug

Field of Springbeauties

University of Utah campus.

Kickin' down the mountain trail!

Sometimes when I'm hiking alone I create lyrics about hiking to popular songs (I'm weird, I know!), but here is a sample. . . . . . 

Slow down you move too fast, you want to make the hiking last.

Just kickin' down the mountain trail,

Looking at nature and feeling groovy!

Life, I love you!  All is groovy!!

Looking up at Mount Van Cott elevation 6348 feet.

The highlight of my hike was finding this handsome fella!  It is a horned lizard.  And he is really good at camouflage!

Horned Lizard

One of my favorite John Muir quotes was right on today "Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees".  I felt so much more peaceful at the end of hiking than I did at the beginning.

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 Wildflower of the Week

This wildflower is called a Tufted Evening Primrose.  It will open in the morning to become a beautiful, large, white flower but then closes and turns pink in the evening.  You will find the Tufted Evening Primrose on open sunny slopes during April, May and June.

For myself I hold no preferences among flowers

so long as they are wild, free, spontaneous!"

Ed Abbey

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******Miles hiked tally

beginning March 22, 2013
Beginning of this Blog

251.9