Aug 12 - Catherine's Pass and beyond (Little Cottonwood Canyon)

Partly cloudy/rainy day with temps near 90 degrees.

Finally spending the $10 and heading up to Catherine's Pass. I like it better when it was free -- I actually went up there a lot more but it's getting pricey. Maybe this summer of low volume tourism will change things (wishful thinking but probably not).

It's cloudy when I leave just after 7am. But there is still blue sky to the east so there's a shot that I'll still be walking in the sun (for some period of time anyway).

Checking out the parking for Red Pine Lake and surprised that it's only about 1/2 full - low tourism. Perhaps I'll do next Friday!

I arrive at the summer road entrance, pay my $10 and head up to a 1/2 full parking lot. It's cloudy here too. :(

It's also 56 degrees. I gear up and start up the trail.

Still some good patches of flowers - Purple Fleabane, Geraniums, Paintbrush, Yarrow, Yellow Composites, etc.

But lots of dead/dying flowers too.

The views are good as always as I walk the trail.

Soon I arrive at the meadow.

No critter sighting other than chipmunk

(and birds).

I'm thru the meadow and climbing again. More flowers on these slopes.

And slugs! 

It didn't think there are slugs near 10,000 feet - perhaps it's mating season.

Then I reach Catherine's Pass. Good views of Catherine Lake (below) and Lake Mary in the distance but the views will be better higher up so up I climb towards Sunset Pass.

Here's the better view!

Then it's up to the Pass for a good view of Mt Timp. (Good amount of flowers still in bloom too!)

I start making my way over towards Devils Castle/Supreme Lift. I'm hoping for an explosion of Red Paintbrush when I get there like a couple of years ago.

Quite a few Mountain Blues flying

(and other birds too)

When I get there -- explosion!! Fantastic!

I make my way over to the Lift - hey, I can see Cecret Lake!


Love the pink Yarrow.

Plenty of bluebirds here as well!

I thought about making a loop thru the campground but decide because of the lack of sun, I'll just backtrack down to the Pass.

Past the slugs -- they've more than doubled in numbers!!

A little before the meadow, I see a Long-tailed Weasel on a rock. 

He starting running toward me, stops to look at me and just as I'm about to take a photo.


Just as I arrive at the meadow, I stop for a hummingbird.

There a few more as I pass thru the meadow.

Easy trip back to the car -- and hey, it's clearing! Oh well!

Oh, the parking is still not full just after 10am -- very strange.

Awesome day!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nov 27 - Antelope Island

Image
Partly sunny with temps in the mid-40s forecasted. Heading up to Antelope Island to hike to Beacon Hill. It's already in the lows 30s when I leave around 8am. However, there's a lot of fog in the valley. And especially along the Antelope Island Causeway and the Island. Foggy from the time I arrive but it's starts to clear a bit before getting socked in. I do find that large herd of bison near Frary Peak on Friday still there - as is the little herd a bit farther down the road. It clears up as I approach the Ranch. There are bison just north of Mushroom Springs (not a good day to hike that) and some even farther north. I decide to turn back north spotting for a wonderful hawk near the Ranch. Down across from Frary Peak, I see a Pheasant, And near the Frary Peak Rd, a coyote! It's clear when I arrive at the Gravel Pit parking. A little coating of snow is on the ground plants. But there is no wind but also no sun. I also see a bison in the distance which may or may not be ...
Read more

Nov 21 - Lambs Canyon Rd (and a bit of the trail)

Image
 Sunny day in the upper 30s. Headed to walk Lambs Canyon Road around noon today. Start of the road is snow-free and then it gradually changes to part snow/ice and finally to all snow/ice. Most of the snow is on the east facing slopes. But there is snow on the west side in spots where there's hardly any sun. No flowers today just wonderful flaky snow glistening in the sunny spots. Pretty incredible! The trees in some cases are also covered in this flaky snow - piled on. And the ice formations in the creek are also wonderful. Many animals tracks today -- wish I could ID them but fun to look at. Heard a few Chick-a-dees in one spot but other than that pretty quiet. Saw a hunter (archery) coming down the road as I went up. I reach the trail head. Pretty icy just before as it appears the stream alongside the road overflowed. Stunning crystalization in that stream. The trees/brush at the bridge crossing is thick and beautiful.  The bridge is snow-packed so I go across and walk the t...
Read more

Dec 16 - Antelope Island Cruise

Image
 Cool but sunny day (high in mid-20s) but a welcome reprieve of a week where is snowed 4 days (maybe) and dumped over a foot a snow on me and over 5ft in the mountains. Haven't seen that big of a dump in several years now. Hopefully that's a good omen for the rest of winter. Heading up to Antelope Island to have a look around. Would like to hike (I brought all of my stuff) but still battling a very sore heal and it would be best to little it rest ...so we'll see. (oh, and the walking in snow will aggravate the heal even more). I arrive on the causeway and it's sunny to the east but still clouds moving thru from the west. Half the island is sunny and the other, not so much. (and its 21 degrees) Crossing the causeway there were no hawk or kestrels; very surprised especially with all the snow and cold temperatures. But there is a small group of Canadian Geese laying on the Great Salt Lake side. As I near the island, the are 2 black dots in the distance. They look a little ...
Read more