May 17 - Days Fork (just past the meadow)

Boy am I tired of rain! I know we desperately need it but couldn't Mother Nature just leave the week-ends alone!! After last Saturday's rain we were at our monthly average of 1.95 inches. Well, we got another 1/4in this week and 1.5 inches yesterday (all day rain). High elevation got over 1 foot of snow and Avalanche Warnings are active.

And it was still raining this morning. But it cleared up as predicted around noon. (The rain is coming back on Monday.)

Time to head out for a quick hike. My plan is Dog Lake. I've been there once this winter and it would be nice to see the landscape without snow (well after last night, maybe a little snow).

I took off and as I was approaching Big Cottonwood Canyon, I see big dark clouds coming into the valley and it's raining - ugh! Dog Lake is too far in case it rains --- need something shorter. I settle on Days Fork (something new for me).

Days Fork is a long side canyon leading south towards Alta in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Because of the rain brewing in the valley, I'm heading to the "lower meadow" which is 1.5 miles and 850 ft of elevation (8200ft).

The trail continues on to the Eclipse Mine (2.75 miles), Silver Pass (3 miles), etc. I've read after the lower meadow, the rest is prime avalanche territory. That means some big steep mountains! I know there's the Avalanche Warning today for some areas -- not sure if it applies to Days Fork but I still want a peek at the mountains.

I head up Big Cottonwood Canyon trying to beat that valley rain. Still sunny up here -- peeking thru the puffy white clouds.

The creek is sure flowing strongly today. Highest I've seen it this Spring.

I pull into the Spruces Campground parking lot and there's only a couple cars. I get my stuff and try and find the trail head. It's a little hidden back by the campgrounds (which are still closed). I find it and start up the trail.

There's no snow at the start of the trail - just wet. The trail is heavily wooded (pine/aspen) and at the beginning there's a nice steep 300ft  climb before becoming more gradual. Lots of green vegetation but nothing blooming but a couple of hardy dandelions.

The trail continues thru the forest and I do evenutally run into snow. Mostly, leftover winter snow in patches along the trail and then on the trail. As I get closer to the "meadow", the snow fills in from last night. Just an inch or two.

All the human tracks in the snow seem old; no one has been up here in a while. There are animal tracks in the snow - not fresh. On the muddy parts of the trail, I find deer and moose tracks.

I start to see mountain over the trees so I must be getting closer to the meadow. And there it is, A large meadow snowy meadow.

Lots of green plants peeking up thru the snow.

I decide to continue through the meadow - I have to see the mountains. It's not that much further and the skies are still partly sunny.

I make my way to the "avalanche area" and I can certainly see the reason for the warnings in the snowshoe trail write-ups.

Tall and steep. Lots of old fallen trees in this area -- I assume fallen due to prior avalanches. It's beautiful up here. I continue along the trail until it starts heading up towards the mountains. I can see the trail heading up a ridge on its way to the mine.

But that's for another day. I've gone further than planned and its getting really cloudy back towards the trail head.

I stop to enjoy the area for a bit

before heading back.

As I'm about at the trail head, it starts sprinkling. Perfect timing!!

Great day!