My Utah Adventure 2025

 Sunny day with temps near 70 degrees. Heading up BCC to hike out to Lake Solitude for the 1st time since July. The whole circuit from Silver Lake out to Lake Solitude and up to Twin Lakes has been closed due to Solitude construction. However, the trail out to Lake Solitude is now open. Yea! I leave around 7:30 and wow has the traffic been reduced to a trickle. Love when "leaf peeping" and tourist season is over.  I get a surprised by a cow and calf moose crossing the road (as did the guy on a bike). I arrive at Silver Lake and the parking lot has only 3 cars!! It's in the upper 30s with the sun still coming out. I head out to do the loop around Silver Lake heading in the clock-wise direction. Some of the puddles are frozen over and there is frost on the boardwalk. I glance around and do not see any moose or deer. Nearing the lake, I scan for beavers and again, do not find any. The boardwalk heading into the woods has moose tracks (wet ones) on it. Moose have been by at s...

Sunny day with highs in the 50s. Was thinking about heading into the mountains but after a couple of days of snow, I think I'll wait. So I'm heading to Antelope Island. I arrive at the gate with the sun still rising and temps in the low 40s. As I cross the causeway I see a Kestrel and then quiet the rest of the way. There are no bison behind the VC and the bison that have been among the rocky curve are gone. That may mean trouble for my planned hike up to Beacon Hill. On the downside of the Gravel Pit, the Pronghorn are still here. I count 9. Continuing on it's until just before Frary Peak where there's a huge herd of bison on the move to the south. Looks like these guy have been on the move as they were down at the Sentry Peak less than a week ago. Guess I should drive down and try to hike Sentry Trail but not feeling that this morning so I turn around and head back towards the Gravel Pit. As I approach I see a couple of bison on the ridge above the Gravel Pit. Hmmm, d...

 Sunny day with temps in the mid-50s today. Yes, we had more rain last night and 20-30 degree drop in temperature too. Thought about heading up to walk the summer road as it is now closed due to last week-ends snowfall and the mountains were supposed to get snow last night. But this morning, I voted for open space and warmer temp so I headed for the Island. Driving out of the gate, I see a Kestrel and a Hawk. Should have been going slower to stop but I buzzed right by them. Not other activity other than lots of duck hunters out. I reach the Island and head south towards the Ranch. No bison behind the VC but there are bison among the rocks like on Thursday. I pass my trail to head toward Frary Peak. No owls again this morning and all is quite on my way to the turnaround in front of Frary Peak. On the way back to the TH, just before my road, I spot 2 bison on top of the ridge. I may see them on the trail. And I spot 6 Pronghorn out to the west. I bet I can see them from the trail, at...

 Decided, last minute, to take today off and enjoy this sunny near 80 degree day before the bottoms fall out again this week-end. The original plan was to head up to Lake Mary, Martha, Catherine but since I haven't done a lot of mountain climbs this summer since Twin Lakes is closed, I decided to head to warmer and snow-free landscape of Antelope Island. Today, I'm driving the Island for the first time since Spring and hiking the Sentry Trail (and yes, it is a mountain).  I arrive at the Island before 8am. Crossing the causeway, just out of the gate, is a Kestrel - love the Fall arrival of hawks! A bit farther down the road, I see another hawk flying along the road. Perfect start! Closer to the Island, I see this large possibly Heron on the Farmington Bay water's edge. Hard to tell with the sun rising so I grab my camera to take a photo. Oops, I have no memory card! Oh well, I'll just shoot with my phone's camera even though it won't be much help with this shot....

 The drive down from Silver Lake is awesome with the snow covered peak and Fall colors. I arrive at the Willow Lake TH and there's a number of cars. Far less than last week and there aren't 10 people at the TH. I park and head up the trail. The trail is mostly wet and as I get higher, it has snow on it. Love walking to the yellow aspen. The views of Solitude are awesome. As are the down canyon views. Despite the cars, I meet only one person on my way up almost at the meadow. Tells me my timing is good because is the sun up now. When I get to the meadow, wow that's a pop of color. And I'm hearing what I believe are moose calls to my 10 oclock. I hear several and then they stop. Hmm. I continue thru the meadow until I reach trees again. I stop to enjoy the view. Then thru the trees and around to the other side of the lake. As I cross the logs which are snow covered and slippery (and the one I usually use is now bouncy), I slip and end up with one foot in the water. Oops! ...

First snowfall of the season. Of course, I'm heading to the mountains. Wish I could hike to Twins Lakes but since it is closed due to Solitude construction, I'm heading to loop Silver Lake and hike up to Willow Lake. Should be pretty awesome with the snow (7in at Alta, 10in at Brighton) and the remaining Fall colors. Lovely drive up the canyon. There's really no snow along the road until I hit Silver Fork.  There are no moose but I do stop at Mill D South to enjoy this view. Slow going along the road as the dump trucks are working; yes on a Sunday. They most know their time is ticking away. The Fall colors a Mill D and above are still pretty strong. I reach Silver Lake and it's still pretty empty. It's 36 degrees as I start my counter-clockwise loop. The boardwalk is packed snow and ice. Just a few inches here. And it's looks awesome! On the other side of the lake, I see a beaver swimming and he dives before getting to the dam. But another swims out and climbs t...

 Heading up to Antelope Island today to hike the Gravel Pit trail. Forecast is for partly sunny skies with temps near 80. No rain in the forecast to early evening. Well, as I start my drive up to the Island, it looks like storm clouds around the Island even though it's sunny in Salt Lake. I decide to go anyway because I am only going to the Island because I can't decide on one in the mountains. I arrive on the causeway and it's still stormy looking but not raining yet. And it's very windy. Not far from the Island there are bunches of ducks and shore birds and in the middle of all of them is a coyote surrounded with lots of potential food and trying to figure out how to get some. Pretty cool and I watch for a little bit before moving on. I arrive on the Island and head south towards the Ranch passing several bison at the intersection with the road to the west side. Seeing no Burrowing Owls as I pass but there are a few bison stopping for a drink at the spring. As I move ...

 Partly sunny day with temps near 80. Heading to Antelope Island to hike the Gravel Pit Trail. It's a cool morning to start as I arrived on the Island - 59 degrees and mostly cloudy. There's a bison on the lakebed as I arrive on the Island. The Rabbitbrush are now blooming - lovely yellow colors. There are a few bison at the intersection between driving south and west. Passing the Burrowing Owls colony, I don't see any. Perhaps they've already headed south. In the distance, there are, however, are 2 bison grazing. Around White Rock area, the huge herd of bison are still feeding as they were the last time I was here. I continue to the pull-out in front of Frary Peak before turning around back to the TH. I'm surprised on the way back to find a herd of 6 deer (all doe)! As I roll past the Owl colony, I spot not one but three Owls and in different places. Awesome! At the TH, there's only one car and he is shooting arrows. I gear up and start along the trail. Pretty ...

 Got off work a little early and decide to head up for a hike up Lambs Canyon. Maybe I can enjoy some Fall color still. Not planning on going to the top. Why I'm not sure but only heading to the meadow. I arrive around 2:45. Lots of muted color heading of Parley's and the canyon road. It's either past prime or just not very colorful this year. As it's the Lambs Canyon Trail, majority of the color is at ground level. There are yellow aspens but most have lost their leaves already. Lots of bees (not the bumble type) and grasshoppers along the trail. I do find some flowers; definitely not common. Seeing yellow composite, Geraniums (white and pink) and Purple Asters. On either the switchback before meadow or the one before was the surprise of the day. I see a small blue butterfly flying. It's Oct 2 that's amazing. It did land and I got a somewhat fuzzy photo (with my phone as I forgot my camera) of what has to be a Western Tailed Blue! Awesome! I do reach the meadow...