Aug 27 - White Rock Trail (Antelope Island)

Today, after a long hot Spring/Summer, I get to return to hiking on Antelope Island! It's been a pleasantly cool week in the valley (low/mid-80s).

When I checked out the forecast last night, the predicted high for Saturday on Antelope Island is 78 degrees - Antelope Island is a go!!

This is my first hike since the big fire a little over a month ago. I thought about hiking in the burned area (Sentry Trail) but I wanted a "normal" experience so White Rock is my hike.

Crossing the causeway to the island is disturbingly dry and crusty. But the fall auburn colors of the shoreline vegetation is here and it's beautiful.

Lots of gulls out this morning.

As I arrive on the island, there's a bison on the Farmington Bay shoreline grazing on the green vegetation. Hey, there's a coyote only feet from that bison!

Well that's an awesome start!

I turn right onto the island and pull-off for a better look at the bison and coyote. The coyote disappears for a bit but I finally see it and I see another tail. There's two coyotes there! Nope , there's 3 coyotes!!

Maybe it's a den area.

I continue towards the Ranch. Many bison near the northern part of the island this morning.

I interrupt a family of Chukkars crossing the road. The last 3 run back to their starting side. Then one by one they cross in front of my stopped car. They disappear into the vegetation until one pops out on a rock.

I continue down the island. There's a herd of bison under the White Rock ridge.

I reach the burn zone. It's more of a grey color now (instead of a black ). And I'm surprised to see that the orange fire retardant is still visible.

(Maybe I shouldn't because we've had no rain to wash it away or to allow new vegetation to grow over it.)

I see a car stopped ahead and I think I know what he's looking at - there's a few pronghorn to the right. They are hard to see but I see 3 of them.

I turn to the left and catch a glimpse of a deer chasing off a coyote! Very cool!

The deer has plenty of backup as I count 7 deer nearby - including a couple of fawns and a buck.

The coyote heads north along the shore.

I continue along and soon I finally find a large herd of bison and they are on the move!

A little further along and there's the other side of the large herd. I'm sure they will meet at some point today.

I make a quick stop at the Ranch and turn and back up the island.

I find pronghorn resting under a tree. Last time I was here to check out the fire aftermath, I found a herd of pronghorn under this same tree. I think this family unit has claimed it as "home"!

Continuing on, I find the coyote that got chased off by the deer. He's heading back south to the scene of the attempted crime.

But I can't find the deer.

I make my way to the White Rock Bay campground. Not many people camping last night - only two sites occupied. And in the trail parking, there are only 3 cars. Guess people didn't read about the 78 degree temps - better for me!

I start the trail in the clockwise direction. There are 2 bison in the distance.

Not many flowers (just a few mullein in bloom) but there are quite a few grasshoppers hopping/flying around.

I climb the switchbacks getting a good view of the resting bison below.

Then I start the circle loop still heading clockwise. The trail is very quiet this morning - I can only here the breeze and my footsteps.

I'm seeing fresh'sh deer or pronghorn scat so they're around somewhere and I'm searching.

I'm nearing a fence line when I see a very large buck standing behind it!

I slow down hoping not to scare him away as I get closer and I do succeed! He's still in velvet and he's a big boy!!

A couple of turns later, I see a lone pronghorn ahead.

I keep walking down the trail and getting closer to the pronghorn. I'm expecting him to run away but boy am I wrong. Instead of running or even moving away, he turns and starts walking in my direction. I stop and watch. He heads toward me and when he about 20 feet away, he turns parallel to me, stops to look at me

and walks past. So cool!

Once past, he angles towards the trail and walks away! Fantastic!

I continue along until I reach the White Rock Valley. I get a good look at the burn on/near Frary Peak

And see the burn on west side of Elephant Rock.

But the valley is untouched by fire. Yea!

I thought there would be animals in the valley but nothing.

From the ridge, I can see the water in Farmington Bay is extremely low for yet another summer.

Lots of dragonflies up here -- they look like Darners.

I take the inside trail following the curves of the hills. I see many lizards running along the trail.

The sunflowers are in bloom and there are pretty green flies/bees on them.

I finally turn north back to the trail head but have to stop for the view.

I see a couple of Shrikes on the way back.

I make my way back to my car and head home!

Bison, Pronghorn, Coyote and Deer - awesome day!

Aug 23 - Silver Lake, Lake Solitude, Twin Lakes Loop (Big Cottonwood Canyon)

Heading to hike what has become my "normal" after work hike recently, the Silver, Solitude, Twin Lakes Loop.

Cooler temps this week - yea! Highs predicted in the mid-80s; hoping it stays around.

It's around 88 to day in the valley and mostly sunny with some clouds around.

Entering the mouth of the canyon, there are trees that are changing. It seems to be early for Fall colors especially at this elevation. (They are turning around Park City but that's about 2000ft higher.) I think the color change here is probably stress - very hot, very dry summer.

And my suspicion is verified as I drive up the canyon and the aspens and other trees up at the top are not changing yet.

I park at Silver Lake and make my way around the lake. Not expecting much change as I was just here last Thurs.

Dragonflies still flying and the purple asters are still hanging in there.

I make my way to Lake Solitude and then up to the ridge above Twin Lakes.

It's a little cool up here with the light breeze blowing.

I make my way down to the lakes.

In basically the same spot I saw the butterflies last week, I see 2 Zerene Frits nectaring. And a Checkered White.

I make it to the lakes and find a good spot for a sandwich.

Then I head down.

I start crossing the ridge above Silver Lake. I can hear Pika but can't find them. Can't find any Marmots either.

Oops, there's Pika running across the rocks way down the hill!

I'm almost at the end of the ridge and a few feet down from the trail, I see two furry brown marmots. Based on their coloration, I suspect its Mom and one of her young. So cute!

From above, I hear a Pika. I turn and find a Pika guarding a big pile of vegetation. Bet it's the same Pika from last week as it's the same pile of vegetation.





I make my way to Silver Lake and continue around the rest of the lake completing the loop. Lots of Mallards on the lake today (most I've seen all year). There about 10 near a dock where a small boy is feeding them.

A little farther along, there's another 5 swimming towards the dock.

The surprise of day, a pretty white flower (Fringed Grass of Parnassus) in bloom.

Awesome hike!

Aug 18 - Silver Lake, Lake Solitude, Twin Lakes Loop (Big Cottonwood Canyon)

Heading out to hike the Silver, Solitude, Twin Lake loop once again after work as it's just a good little hike in the cooler mountains.

It's in the low 70s and mostly cloudy when I arrive around 4:20pm.

I head out around the lake towards the trail. There is a bunch of college-aged guys talking and pointing to something in the vegetation. But as I get closer, they all start to leave.

I pass and continue along the boardwalk when I hear one of the guys indicate that whatever they were looking at is back. I turn and start walking towards them. The guy looks up and tells and shows me were the female moose is in the brush. I see her - she's feeding -- nice way to start a hike.

I continue along hoping to get a better view farther down the boardwalk and I do.

Along the trail, there's still plenty of dragonflies zipping around. But very few flowers except a purple asters in spots.

I head up the trail heading toward Lake Solitude. All the flowers along the trail are all dried up. I reach Lake Solitude but don't stop because there are folks in my "normal" break spot. I just head around the corner of the lake and start up the switchbacks up to the trail above Twin Lakes.

I reach the trail above the lakes. When I started, I was thinking about trying my 3rd attempt to find Twin Lakes Pass but I really don't think I can make it without coming down in the dark (or close to dark) so I'll just head to my favorite viewpoint.

Time to head down. There's are plenty of purple aster along the road as I head down to the lake. When I get most of the way down, there are some decent patches of flowers. On those flowers, I see 5 Frits and a West Coast Lady

I make a quick stop at the lake before heading down. (I need to loop the lake next time I'm here.)

Flowers heading down were all but gone. But I can hear a bunch of scurrying under all the vegetation. I'm assuming the noise is coming from ground squirrels. A little farther down, I finally confirm that suspicion.

When I almost down the steepest part, I see a Marine Blue nectaring on a small patch of flowers. (These guys are not normal residents in Northern UT.) Pretty exciting!

I head across the ridge above Silver Lake. The last time I was here, I saw Marmots and Pika in the rockslide area so I'm looking for them.

I see a brown blog on a rock below and take a closer look with my camera. Yep, a marmot!

And there's a Pika a couple of rocks behind the marmot!

Oh cool, the Pika is now on a rock directly behind the marmot!

I'm hoping for some interaction but nothing. :( The pika runs away.

When I look up, I see another marmot on some rocks a few feet away from me. He disappears into some vegetation.

I look down the trail and there's a marmot walking down the trail!

I start walking down the trail and I start seeing more Pikas and Chipmunks running among the rocks! And I count 5 marmots! Boy are these rocks active tonight!

I reach the end of the ridge. There's a marmot sitting on the rocks 5 feet from me - just chilling.

And a pika on a rock above me chirping. (Got him in mid-chirp!)

There's a large pile of green vegetation below the pika - I find it hard to believe the little pika collected it but there's another pile among the rocks below... maybe the Marmot helped?!
 

I reach Silver Lake and head back looking for that moose but I can not find her.

Pretty exciting hike: moose, butterflies, and marmots/pikas/chipmunks! Great time!

Aug 20 - Lofty Lake (Uintas Mt)

Heading to different territory for today - the Unitas Mountains to the east.

Sunny day predicted with a high of 88 in the valley but the high in the Uintas is around 66 - a nice cool temperature at 10,000+ft.

I got company today, my nephew is in town and along for the hike: Lofty Lakes (10,800ft).

It was a fun drive showing him points of interest along the way: Hot Air balloons near Park City, the Jordanelle Reservoir, Mt Timpanogos, and the windy drive up the Mirror Lake Scenic Hwy.

Unfortunately, there was a big bike race along the Hwy which made the trip very slow as we were behind lots of bikes. We get around a pack of them, drive normal speeds for a while and then there's another pack. I'd hate to admit it, but it was very frustrating.

By the time we arrive at Bald Mt Pass viewpoint (the high point of this road trip), we had passed all but the elite riders and they were easy to get by as they rode single file (instead of the gang mentality of the slower riders). We stop at the viewpoint for a quick look around and then head to Mirror Lake.

It's a windy day so the lake was not a "mirror" (as I've seen in prior trips) but still beautiful with the mountains in the background.

There are lots of kayakers on the lake this morning and one guy swimming in the water -- brrr, it was 38 degrees here last night.

We start the 1 mile loop from the west end but we were quickly greeted by a Trail Closed sign - trail reconstruction happening.

So we try the east side and make it a couple 100 yards before we are greeted by the other Trail Closed sign which we expected.

Oh well, time to head to the Pass Lake Trail parking to start the Lofty Lake hike. The hike is a loop of about 4 miles and 900ft of elevation. The lake sits at 10,800ft nestled between two mountains. I was here last July - it's a wonderful place and awesome hike.

When we arrive at the parking, all the spots were already taken but we did find parking along the edges of the dirt road. And then we start the hike in the counterclockwise direction.

The trail heads thru the pine forest at a gradual incline. Lots of rocks of various sizes along the trail. The landscape is so pretty.

Surprisingly at this altitude, there are still purple asters and white yarrow blooming.

We arrive at the first smaller lake that attaches to the larger Scout Lake. There's a family of Mallards on the lake.

And then continue to the larger Scout Lake. Along the way, I see a Hoary Comma (I actually see the shadow of him flying first before I actually locate him).

Scout Lake is beautiful this morning.

Along the trail now, there are Hairbell in bloom.

Boy, am I feeling the altitude today (I did from the start). I'm not sure why because I hike at 8000-9000 ft normally. And I had no problems at Great Basin National Park which is 10,000+ ft.

Now the trail starts to climb a little steeper and starts to open up. Views of Scout Peak and Reids Peak are emerging from the trees.

And a little further, part of the Uinta basin.

In one section, there are tons of yellow composites still blooming. And I count 6 Milbert's Tortoiseshells nectaring on those flowers.

The trail flats, make a quick trip thru some pines and then we are looking down on Lofty Lake.

We make our way to the far side of the lake to find a spot to have lunch.

Along the edge of the lake, there are wonderful dark blue Mountain Gentians in bloom

along with some purple asters.

We head to the 2nd smaller lake/pond but it's all dried up -- just a seasonal pond.

Then find a nice spot to have lunch.

Milbert's Tortoiseshells flying here as well.

Time to start finishing the loop which includes heading down several narrow switchbacks with incredible views of the area below!

Once down the switchbacks, we head down a little further to a large meadow that is filled with flowers in the summer but now it is mostly brown except those dark blue gentians.

Then it's down to Kamas Lake.

A walk below the small old dam (the Fireweed are blooming here)

Before continuing downward.

I see a Purplish Copper!

We pass a couple of dry seasonal ponds and a Fritillary (I think a Great Basin Frit).

Before arriving at Reids Meadow with Scout Peak and Reid Peak in the background.

The trail follows Reids Meadows for some time before it veers off to the parking area.

Have to say for only a 4 mile hike, I'm pretty exhausted - it's the altitude! :)

Awesome day and it was so fun to have company!