Near the Colorado-Utah border on I-70 in Rabbit Valley lies The Trail Through Time The 15-mile trail is a stone's throw from I-70, but transports visitors back to the time when dinosaurs roamed the area The trail is part of the active Mygatt-Moore dinosaur quarry that has been designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern As the trail winds its way along the benches, it visits several sites where dinosaur fossils can be seen in the rock This is like most dinosaur exhibits in the wild I have visited in that t...

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...

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...

Point Supreme 10,595’ is part of Alta ski resort and see thousands of skiers nears its summit every winter In the summer, the lift service road makes this an easy summit to reach The 175-mile hike one way from the Albion Basin Campground is easy navigation, with a bit over 700’ of elevation gain It makes for quick access to the ridge where motivated hikes can negotiate the ridge north to Catherine Pass on an easy and well used social trail Heading south along the ridge is much rougher terrain, that crosses East Dev...

Climbing Cleopatra's Chair is something I had wanted to do for a long time The 56 C0 rating made it sound fun, the "shoulder stand" made it sound adventurous True to my impression, it didn't disappoint The route is not for 56 leaders! We avoided the shoulder stand at about 58, but above that move there is a good section of runout climbing A slip would be disastrous, and help a long way off Cleopatra's Chair is a true adventurous desert summit best left to those with a bit of experience The summit is amazing, howeve...

High spur is in many people's opinion the most beautiful canyon in the Robber's Roost area I would agree it is certainly high up on the list It is a photographers dream! Although technical, much of it can be enjoyed by hikers hiking down and returning the same way The technical difficulties are straightforward, making this a good canyon for canyoneers of all abilities It also, generally, doesn't hold much water, making it a good early or late season outing