Well, the highway opened this week so I've taken a vacation day to head there before the crowds this coming Memorial Day week-end.
It's a beautiful day - sunny with highs near 90 in the valley. Similar sunny skies along the Mirror Lake highway but at 10,000 ft, it'll be around 60 degrees.
The drive up is uneventful other than the one deer I pass.
My first stop is the Provo River Falls at 9347 ft. I'm surprised to see that most of the snow has already melted here. But the Falls is wonderful as always.
Lots of water coming down (but much less than last year when we had an over average snow season -- the mist from the Falls could be felt from the observation area); no mist today.
I wander down the trail so above the second falls
and then under it.
I'm happy to find both Glacier Lilies
and Spring Beauties along the way as I missed most of their bloom in the valley this year.
Then down to the final falls and the view down stream.
Awesome!
I continue up the highway passing Lily Lake which is pretty much open water especially near the road. Finally after passing Lily Lake, I'm finally seeing snow! And it keeps getting deeper the farther I go up in elevation.
I stop at the viewpoint just before the Bald Mt Pass (10,700+ ft).
I then continue up and over the Pass and it's all downhill.
Based on the lack of snow at Provo River Falls, I'm hoping to get down to Mirror Lake but as I pass the entrance road, there's still a good 3-4 feet blocking the road.
I continue down towards Pass Lake but the Forest Service folks are there cutting the winter's dead fall so there's no stopping. Besides, the lake is still covered in ice and snow - just starting to get slushy in spots.
I continue pass Butterfly Lake and down to the Ruth Lake trail head. Near the trail head, I find Marsh Marigold in the muddy areas created by the snow melt water.
I continue up the trail but don't make it very far. I don't even make it to the best early view of Hayden Peak. :(
I'm as far north on the highway as I'm going so it's time to head back up to the Pass. I do stop at Butterfly Lake but I'm sinking to my knees in snow so I didn't go far.
Continuing on and just shy of the pass, I stop at the Hayden Peak viewpoint. The short road to the parking is clear but the parking is still buried in snow. I park on the side of the road and visit the viewpoint - here's my Hayden Peak view! Lovely!
The next stop is the Bald Mt parking which again is not reachable without snow shoes -- why didn't I bring snow shoes?!
As I continue down to Lily Lake, I'm a bit stumped at why last year with all the snow, I was able to see open water, get further on the trails, etc. Must be that fact that the road opened 2 weeks later last year. (Need to remember for the future.)
Final stop is to visit Lily Lake -- there's is ice out there!
And a few fishermen.
Since both Lambs Canyon and the Mormon Trail are on my way back home, I'm stopping at the Mormon Trail and hoping the water levels through the woods have receded so I can get to the actual trail and see what butterflies are out.
