Fall 2018, Day 17 - Big Cottonwood Canyon hiking, PICK UP WENDY!

Monday, Sept. 10, 2018 - Explore Big Cottonwood Canyon, and PICK UP WENDY! = 263 miles driving!:


Pretty Nice looking east at 6:46 AM in Vernal, Utah:


Maybe I shouldn't have given up my Honda Civic Compressed Natural Gas car:


It is very nice driving through the Utah morning. This is Deer Creek State Park:


I did not call ahead, and had a disappointing visit at the Museum of Art at Brigham Young University - they have works by 15 artists in my app. but none of they were on display. I did see some-kind-of-cool-rainbow-string-thing:


And then it was off to Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch National Forest:


My first hike was a little one, to see Hidden Falls:


I think their PR is a little over-active! (maybe they should have left this "waterfall" off their list) Very nice view back down its canyon:


I then did an 8 miles, 3:28 hike up to Lake Blanche:

As you can see, it has A LOT OF UP to this hike! with a gain of 2460 feet:


Big Cottonwood Creek is roaring alongside the beginning of the trail:

but then the Trail is up and dusty:

Its nice going back into "The Wilderness":

The aspens are lovely:

And it is nice getting a couple of other hikers in the frame:


Can you see the hikers?


2 hours 10 minutes, and 3.9 miles after starting, I got to Lake Blanche:




Google Earth shows you how I messed around on the summit before heading back down:


A nice parting shot of Lake Blanche:

before I turn around and head back down:


Because I did a TON of trail-cleaning on the way up, I had the confidence and comfort-level to just FLY back down the trail - my last 3 miles down took:
16:49
17:28
and 17:01

I then headed up the Canyon to Silver Lake Visitor Center - Silver Lake is a beautiful high alpine lake surrounded by protective marshlands:



I continued up the Canyon to the end - seeing Solitude and Brighton ski areas. It was fun - I believe the last time I was all the way up here was in my Pinto around New Year's 1974-1975, skiing with Ed!

Then back all the way down, and settled in to the Super 8 out near the Salt Lake City airport. I picked up Wendy around 11, safe and sound. Thank you God for these Wonderful Adventures, and for the physical ability to make this happen.

Blog music at the hotel was:

Keith Jarrett - At The Blue Note V: Sunday, June 5, 1994 (1st Set) [Disc 5], 2000


Driving Music:

William Gibson - Neuromancer (Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7), 1984 (his first book)

The last line of Chapter 6:

Case watched the sun rise on the landscape of childhood, on broken slag and the rusting shells of refineries.

Pearl Jam - Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003), 2004

Highly Recommended - it has all their "mellow" hits, so I can both listen to it, and play it for others.

McCoy Tyner - The Real McCoy, 1967


Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Real Deal: Greatest Hits Volume 2, 1999