Lake Mary Snowshoe

It was a glorious afternoon on the mountain Wednesday, March 19!

BEAUTIFUL!

That is Lake Mary buried under all that snow with Mount Millicent towering in the back.  

  AND MORE BEAUTIFUL!

Snowshoeing to Lake Mary on a crystal clear early spring day gives this classic summer hike a whole new feel.  The only little downside to this snowshoe hike is dodging the skiers and snowboarders on the way up.  After all we are on their turf - it is a ski resort.  But man oh man is it worth it once you reach the top!  

Doing moguls - snowshoe style!

Snow Rollers

Milly in our sights!

Lake Mary Dam

My good friend and hiking buddy.

We were not totally alone! A very ambitious skier!

A nice skier took our picture.

Pioneer Peak and Sunset Peak

Perfect spot for a snack.

More beauty!  We were surrounded!

One last photo before heading down!

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

This week marks my one year anniversary of blogging about hiking.   I know why I love hiking, but I can't explain why I enjoy doing the blog.  So I think I'll just keep at it until I get bored with writing and taking pictures - Maybe at some point in the far future I'll give up hiking (maybe in my 90s).  Who knows??

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******Miles hiked tally

beginning March 22, 2013
Beginning of this Blog

234.5

Thousand Oaks Trail

I made a great hiking trail discovery this weekend!  The Thousand Oaks Trail is a newly constructed section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.  This route links the "Z" trail in Olympus Cove to the Mount Olympus trailhead.  Eventually the Bonneville Shoreline Trail system will stretch from the border of Idaho to Nephi for a total of 280 miles. How awesome is that?!  We hiked this trail one way parking a shuttle car at the Mount Olympus trailhead and beginning our hike at the "Z" trail connector in the Olympus Cove neighborhood.  Our hike totaled 2.8 miles.  To find the trailhead in Olympus Cove take the I-215 exit at 3900/3300 South, turn right onto Wasatch Blvd.  Turn left at the first light onto Oakview Drive passing Churchill Jr. High School then turn right onto Jupiter Drive.  The next turn is left on Adonis Drive (4505 south) then a quick right onto Thousand Oaks Drive (4500 south).  Thousand Oaks Drive dead ends in a very exclusive neighborhood and parking is limited to the street near the trailhead.  You will climb .44 miles following an old pipeline before reaching the marker for the Bonneville Shoreline trail.  From this point the trail levels off and heads south 
 
 towards the Mount Olympus trail.  A lot of this area is private property so please be respectful and stay on the trail.  At the beginning of the trail you will be hiking through thousands of gamble oak trees - hence the name Thousand Oaks.  This is a wonderful trail high above the city with impressive views!    And it was very fun to traverse the hillside of mighty Mount Olympus.

Great views of Salt Lake Valley

 

Looking back at Grandeur Peak

Section of trail as it traverses the mountain side.  Also a picture of old mine tailings.

The trail splits at this junction.  Both trails merge with the original Mount Olympus trail.  We chose the path to the right which merged with the lower section of the Mount Olympus trail and back to our awaiting car. If you want more of hike you can turn around at this point and head back to Olympus Cove for a 5 mile roundtrip hike.

We are very lucky to live here in the Salt Lake Valley with so many great hiking trails right in our backyard!   Get outdoors and enjoy!!

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******Miles hiked tally

beginning March 22, 2013
Beginning of this Blog

232.4

Guardsman Pass Snowshoe

Guardsman Pass is a challenging snowshoe hike with killer views that always take my breath away.  Could be my breath was taken away by the very steep climb to the top of the pass, but the views are really stunning.  I wish my camera could capture what my eyes see.  Definitely save this hike for a sunny day!  This was my third time snowshoeing to Guardsman Pass and we have climbed to the overlook three different ways.  The Japanese are fond of saying that there is more than one way to climb to the top of Mt Fuji and the same is true for Guardsman Pass Overlook.

The state road known as Guardsman Pass takes you from Big Cottonwood canyon over the mountain pass into either Heber Valley or Park City.  In winter this road is one of the few places where snowmobiles are allowed to traverse the roads.  But it is also a great snowshoe trail and the mountain is big enough for all to enjoy!  The snowshoe route is approximately 3 miles roundtrip and took slightly more than 3 hours total for us to snowshoe to the pass and back.  You will follow the snowmobile road for about 3/4 mile then veer to the right from the state road and head into the forest of pines -- BEAUTIFUL! 

At this point there is a sign warning snowmobilers to stay on the state road, but it is obvious that many ignore the sign.  The terrain gets pretty steep from here to the top of the pass and it is helpful to follow snowmobile tracks as much as possible. Be prepared for a very good workout on this hike.  Also as a side note, I would avoid this hike on the weekends when the snowmobiles are out and about.  The noise and fumes would diminish the pleasure of hiking.

The snow was almost blinding bright today.

 

Final push to Guardsman Pass Overlook

View of Heber Valley that will take your breath away!

We always make one more push up a steep incline to visit a spooky old tree.  The trick to making this climb is counting steps - 25 steps, rest, 30 steps, rest and so forth until you finally reach the top.  Works like a charm!!

Spooky Old Tree

 More great mountain views on the way down from Guardsman Pass.

Also on the way down I came across this shelter in the middle of the woods.  What do you think made the markings on the tree?  

Mr. Snowman enjoying the sun.

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******Miles hiked tally

beginning March 22, 2013
Beginning of this Blog

229.6

Cross Country Skiing

I traded my snowshoes for a pair of cross country skis on Friday afternoon - but ONLY for one afternoon.   I have always wanted to try cross country skiing and here was my opportunity.  Check another item off the old bucket list!

Free Beginner Lessons

Solitude Nordic Center offers FREE classic ski lessons for beginners (Day Pass and Rental not included), on the 1st Friday of each month at 3:00 PM. Beginning Friday, January 3rd, 2014, our skilled instructor will teach you the basic technique in classic cross country skiing. For more information, please call the Solitude Nordic Center at 801-536-5774.  Day pass and ski rental was a total of $25.

I am a terrible downhill skier (don't really enjoy skiing) and I don't know why I thought cross country skiing would be easier.   As long as I was on the flat surface of Silver Lake I did fine, but going down a tiny hill and picking up speed caused me some trouble.  It was much harder for me to snowplow on these skinny skis.  Classic cross country ski trails are groomed with pairs of parallel grooves cut into the snow. (Pictured below)  Following the grooves definitely made the task easier.  Now if I could only relax and glide and enjoy the scenery.

I do have a greater appreciation for the sport of cross country skiing by having tried it.  And hey, I only fell hard a couple of times and I could barely walk the next day so I think I'll stick with snowshoes.  Cross country skiing was one of those "good experiences" I don't think I will repeat.  Let's just say I could never quite get into the "groove" of cross country skiing.  It was sure beautiful in the mountains though!

 

It is nice to have a friend to try new things with.  Thanks Martha!

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Part II

As if my legs weren't sore enough from skiing on Friday, I decided to do a little hiking on Saturday morning.  It was such a beautiful, sunny, warm day.  Who wants to stay inside on a day like this??!!  NOT ME!  I chose the Red Butte Skyline Nature Trail in the foothills surrounding Red Butte Gardens.  This is a great early spring hike offering a nice panoramic view of the Salt Lake Valley.  Plus it is a fantastic workout and a girl has to exercise, right!  From North Campus Drive (University of Utah) turn onto Red Butte Canyon Drive and park near the gate that closes off the canyon road.  I hiked up the paved road for about half a mile until I came to a foot bridge crossing the stream to my right.  There is a second bridge to cross and then a gradual climb up.  Still too early for green vegetation, but I'll come back in April or May when the wildflowers are blooming.  As I mentioned the views of the Salt Lake Valley are worth hiking for.  There are several trails to choose from in this area so I was able to take a different route back to my car. 

Mountains to the east.

First sign of spring, I bet this is a glacier lily.

Another happy hiker.

Second foot bridge.

A nice bench for resting.

Mountain biking.

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******Miles hiked tally

beginning March 22, 2013
Beginning of this Blog

226.6