| | -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
1 |
-
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 8.37 Miles |
3,356 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.37 Miles | 5 Hrs 43 Mns | | 1.79 mph |
| 3,356 ft AEG | 1 Hour 2 Mns Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | On our way home from the Tetons (our primary vacation this year; triplog coming soon!) we happened to be in the Salt Lake area on my birthday. Having never been to Big Cottonwood Canyon, it seemed fitting to do the hardest hike in the area. I'm glad we did, although the hike itself was a little bit of a disappointment. Stay tuned...
Intro: The hike is very convenient, located just 20 minutes or so from southern Salt Lake. Maybe like 30 minutes from downtown. At the trailhead, there are numerous signs warning of theft and car break-ins. Apparently, these crimes are a daily occurrence at the trailhead, so we were careful to take all our valuables with us (or bury them out of sight in the vehicle). Just exercise caution and don't leave stuff in plain sight, and I think you'll be OK. Driving an older car probably helps too...who knows?
The hike: The hike starts off with a gradual paved section leaving the parking lot and leading to the "real trail" about 0.25 miles up. There is a very nice creek with some waterfalls there, which we greatly enjoyed. The trail quickly becomes rocky and rough, so appropriate footwear is recommended. We enjoyed the wildflowers and beautiful forests, which got denser the further up the mountain we got. For being a Sunday morning, we were surprised at the lack of hikers. Maybe all the locals know to avoid Big Cottonwood on weekends, or maybe the intense smoke from the forest fires drove the crowds away. Either way, most people were on their way back down as we headed up, which meant we "had the place to ourselves" for the majority of the hike. Overall, the trail was in good condition after the first rocky section, composed mostly of smooth dirt/dust. There was some shade as well, which we greatly appreciated, it being a pretty hot day. As we got to the top, we found the lake with ease and enjoyed our lunch near the lake. Afterwards, we explored the other two lakes up there, which was quite fun. We actually like the other two lakes a little more than Lake Blanche, so it's definitely worth the effort to walk over there.
Conclusion: Overall, I'd only rate this hike a 6/10. The lake was nice, but I've definitely seen better scenery other places. The convenience to the city boosts its rating. But the effort required to get to the top lowers the rating somewhat. While it may very well be the best hike in the area, I'd pass on it next time I'm in Salt Lake and probably do something like Mount Timpanogos instead.
I'll post a photoset soon; you'll see how smokey it was from the fires on the west coast, which also made it a little unpleasant. |
 |
Lake Blanche |
76-100% full |
76-100% full |
| | | Looked a little low, but mostly full |
 |
Lake Florence |
51-75% full |
51-75% full |
| | | Looked a little low, but mostly full |
|
Lake Lillian |
76-100% full |
76-100% full |
| | | Looked a little low, but mostly full | | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
