The Mountains are Calling and I Must Go -John Muir

Whenever I need an escape from the city I head to Bells Canyon.  I probably hike up to the lower Bells Canyon Reservoir once or twice a month during winter and fall.  The Granite trailhead located at 3470 East Little Cottonwood Road is only about 5 minutes from my house. (Lucky me - I know)  Yesterday's hike took us to the Lower Bells Canyon Falls.  Even though the weather wasn't perfect, the hike was!

Lower Bells Canyon Falls

Follow this sign to waterfalls

From the Granite trailhead it is slightly over half a mile to the lower Bells Canyon Reservoir.  This a great short hike destination and is a very popular hike for families and trail runners which leads to crowds on weekends.  Once you reach the reservoir you will see a utility road on the left.  Follow this road for about 100 yards and you will find a small sign pointing the way to Bells Canyon. From here you walk through a lovely meadow with nice views of the mountains ahead. In less than a mile you will come to a sturdy foot bridge crossing a pretty stream.  Photo op!  From here the trail gets quite a bit steeper and is scattered with good sized granite rocks.  You will definitely get a stairmaster workout the rest of the way to the falls.  The tricky part is knowing where to turn off the main trail to find the falls.  The falls are several yards to the left of the main trail.  You will come to a giant pine and well marked up quakies at the turn off plus you will ear the roaring sound of the falls.

  And OH is it worth it! 

 

And there it is - a beautiful 90 foot waterfall.  Spring run off is not yet in full force as of May 1 so you can expect a lot more water cascading down in another few weeks. This waterfall can be very dangerous so use caution and common sense.  I couldn't stop taking pictures of the beautiful waterfalls.

 There was still a little snow on the trail and some of it freshly fallen.  You will also have really nice views of the Salt Lake Valley.

And if you are really lucky you may even see mountain goats.  We spotted 3 in the rocky granite cliffs on the north side of the canyon.  We shared our find with another hiker coming down the trail and "made his day"  He was as excited to see the goats as we were.

I know you can't see the goats in my picture, but they were there.

 Oh and by the way you are hiking in the Lone Peak Wilderness area and protected watershed - no dogs allowed.

 Hiking to the lower falls is almost 4 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of around 1500 feet.  There is another equally beautiful, but smaller waterfall up the trail an additional mile as well as the upper Bells Canyon reservoir another 1.4 miles beyond for an 8.4 mile roundtrip hike.  I'll save that hike for another day.

Wildflower of the Week

Utah Milkvetch

You will see this little beauty all over the foothills this spring.

CraZy Hiker Chicks Top 10 Reasons to Hike

#10 Hiking is an excellent cure for boredom.

#9 Hiking will strengthen your legs.  You may even notice calf muscles.

#8 On hiking trails you meet the most friendly people.  And even friendlier dogs. 

#7 Winter hiking allows you to escape the inversion in the valley and breathe CLEAN, FRESH AIR! 

#6 Hiking relieves stress, worry and anxiety - GUARANTEED!

  #5 If you are lucky you will see a variety of wildlife on your hike.  Keep your eyes open!  And look around!

******Miles hiked tally     

beginning March 22, 2013

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