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Sometimes good things come in small packages! Although short, both the East and West forks of Big Spring Canyon offer fantastic slot sections The two canyons have different personalities, with the West Fork being more challenging and technical The West Fork is recommended for intermediate or better canyoneers The East Fork, on the other hand, is much easier and suitable for most canyoneers It does not have any rappels, but a short rope is recommended to help beginners over a couple of moderate downclimbs WARNING: F...

A very popular family hike, Grand Wash offers a family friendly outing in a short package The round trip distance is 44 miles, or if you have two cars, it can be done as a one way 22 mile through hike For those wanting something shorter, I would recommend parking at the bottom trailhead on Highway 24 and walking up from the bottom This visits the best narrow section of Grand Wash in a casual 20-30 minutes one way from the trailhead For those wanting something longer, see the [my:linkToObject type="trip" id="543" te...

Secret Lake, or Cecret Lake as it is also known, is one of the premier wildflower hikes in Little Cottonwood The hike is short, family-friendly, and usually bursting with color during wildflower season At about a mile round trip, this is a hike even young children can likely do part or most of and have a good time Older children will love clambering around on the small boulders that line the trail The lake is situated at the base of Sugarloaf Peak and Devils Castle, which provide a stunning background to its crysta...

Cavell Pond is tucked at the base of Mt Edith Cavell The turquoise waters flanked by Mountain Edith Carvell and Angel Glacier make for a stunning spot to visit Visiting the pond is a place where you feel like the magnitude of the Canadian Rockies envelopes you The hike to the pond is on an easy trail, suitable for most, though with some elevation gain For the more energetic, the trail continues from the pond high up into Cavell Meadows and offers even more dramatic views of the surroundings and Angel Glacier The wi...

Sugarloaf Pass is an amazing spot! In the winter, thousands of skiers take in this view when skiing at Alta In the summer, a service road makes for relatively easy access to the pass, and a lovely hike The access road has enough switchbacks to never feel too steep The grassy slopes the road ascends are awash with wildflower blooms in mid-to-late summer It is a nice hike that is not as crowded as Cecret Secret Lake As a bonus, a semi-loop can be made by returning via the ever popular Cecret Secret Lake tucked up aga...

Sugarloaf Mountain is one of the easiest of the Wasatch 11000’ peaks, and a great introduction to peak bagging in the Wasatch Mountains The lofty summit has big views of the surrounding ridges and peaks, while the hike up passes the ever stunning Cecret Secret Lake Sugarloaf Mountain is #27 out of a list of 30 peaks in the Wasatch with an elevation of 11,000’ or more, though just barely with its elevation of 11,051’ Note: The short approach and easy navigation make it suitable for most, with a couple of caveats Fir...

Catherine Pass, allowing easy passage between Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons, is a stunning wildflower hike In many ways, I like this hike better than Secret Lake Because the hike is on the north side of the canyon, it has views of the south ridge of Little Cottonwood, and I would argue more dramatic scenery than Secret Lake In addition, wildflowers, grassy meadows, and views into Big Cottonwood Canyon from the pass make this an excellent outing The distance and elevation gain make this a good shorter hike Those...

Secret Lake sees most of the hiking traffic in Albion Basin, but the Devils Castle Hiking Loop is a nice alternative The loop sees quite a bit less traffic than Secret Lake though it has equally amazing wildflowers and views It is a treat to get so close to the base of the forbidding limestone Devils Castle The distance, and general ease of hiking making this loop very well suited to families or others looking for something short to-do If you are staying at the Albion Basin campground or are in the area, this is an...

One of the most spectacular ridge scrambles in the Wasatch must be the Devils Castle Traverse Looming over Albion Basin, the rugged limestone ridge that makes up the Castle looks formidable The traverse is one that many Wasatch hikers aspire to do and is a classic must-do outing for those with the skills The castle is made up of 3 summits, with the middle summit being the high point Hikers without scrambling experience can usually make it to the first west summit There is little exposure to the first west summit, a...