Wasatch Crest Trail – Professor on the Run

Autumn Leaves, 2015 edition

October 19, 2015 professorontherun

Back in town, but with my family still in California I tempted fate and ran 12 additional miles (on top of the 30 I had already done this week). That is pushing it for me, but I wanted to take the opportunity to hit the Wasatch Crest to see the autumn leaves while I could.

I started at the Big Water trailhead where the Mill Creek Canyon Rd. ends. I climbed up to Dog Lake, dropped down to Mill D North, climbed up to Desolation Lake and the Wasatch Crest Trail above, took the crest north to Mill Creek, dropped that down to the Little Water Trail, and took that back to my car. I could fill this with lots of blow-by-blow commentary, annoyance at dogs with muddy paws climbing all over me at Dog Lake while their owners say “Oh…uh…sorry,” NOT seeing any moose like last year on Mill D, the temperature dropping bizarrely cold (and damp) when the sun went down as I came off the Crest and into Mill Creek Canyon, and how I put music on loud on my iPhone while running through scary woods in the dark – hoping to scare off any potential startled wildlife encounters….but I won’t. 😉

Here are some pictures. One great thing about hitting the aspens in late evening light is how the sideways indirect light just sets everything on fire. Already bright colors just explode.

On the Crest between Desolation Lake and Mill Creek – looking Southwest

On the Wasatch Crest, looking Northwest down into Mill Creek Canyon

Also, I hit the Aspen Grove Trail for the first time with a friend who was visiting from Ottawa. The trail is rougher than Timpooneke. I think I like the other approach better.

Autumn Aspen Awesomeness on the Wasatch Crest + Mill D MOOSE!

October 6, 2014 professorontherun

With my family out of town, I took my free evening time to hit up Big Cottonwood Canyon to see some autumn leaves before they were all gone. Some friendly folks from the Wasatch Mountain Wranglers joined in and we had a great run (Thanks Collette, Justin and Tyson!). As it turned out, a lot of the Aspen leaves had already fallen at the higher elevations, but our route eventually took us through a gorgeous band of trees.

We parked at Mill D North and took my car up to Guardsman Pass. The Wasatch Crest Trail goes from there, north, to Desolation Lake. We then turned down Mill D to the cars. about 11 miles total (we took a wrong turn at the beginning and almost dropped down the east side of the Crest, oops!). I would like to think I could have done it faster, but I kept on stopping to take pictures.

So yeah, lots of pictures below. I just couldn’t help myself. The evening sun coming in sideways against the Aspens – wow.