Red Pine Lake

I discovered another trail that I really, really like!  I actually liked the trail as much as the final destination - Red Pine Lake.  Maybe it was just that the conditions for hiking yesterday were absolutely PERFECT!  Red Pine Lake trail begins at the White Pine trailhead about 5.5 miles up Little Cottonwood Canyon just before you reach Snowbird Resort.  The first mile of the hike follows an old jeep road so it is pretty easy walking.  You will then come to the junction for White Pine Lake, first left and a smaller trail just past the sign leads to Red Pine Lake.  Another half miles brings you to spectacular views down the canyon toward the Salt Lake valley.  In approximately another 1 mile you will come to a junction and small sign with Red Pine Lake straight ahead and the trail to Maybird Lakes crosses the stream to the right.  This hike is only challenging because it is a long one.  We hike just over 7 miles with an elevation gain of 1940 feet.  The trail this time of year truly delivers a feast for your eyes!  The rock formations that crown the ridges of Red Pine canyon was another highlight of this trail.  If I were to do one thing different, it would probably be to hike this trail in the morning instead of late afternoon.  The sun was already sinking behind Pfeifferhorn when we got to the lake.  It took us 2 1/2 hours to hike to Red Pine Lake and 1 1/2 to hike down.

 Here are pictures!

Golden aspens - camera doesn't quite capture the beauty.

At the last junction - Red Pine Lake straight ahead.

Old mine tailings

On the northwest side of Red Pine Lake.

 

Hand print left on the wall a very long time ago.

View of Mount Superior

 It's October! and the Halloween caterpillars were on the trail!

This lovely creature is a Woolly Bear caterpillar (pyrrharctia isabella).  Folklore is that if the orange stripe is thick, the winter will be mild and if the orange stripe is narrow, the winter will be severe.  Looks a little narrow to me!  Bwah -ah-ah!

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Peaks Bagged 2013

1. Grandeur Peak ♦♦ 8299

2. Reynolds Peak ♦♦ 9422

3. South Guardsman Pass Peak ♦♦ 10,420

4. Mount Baldy ♦♦ 11,068

5. Mount Evergreen ♦♦ 9,840

6. Mount Tuscarora ♦♦ 10,660

7. Mount Wolverine ♦♦ 10,795

8. Sugarloaf Peak ♦♦ 11,051

9. Little Water Peak ♦♦ 9,605

******Miles hiked tally

beginning March 22, 2013

159.8