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!