The Living Room

Several months ago I overheard my daughter and her boyfriend talk about a place called, "The Living Room."  I didn't take much notice at first, thinking that it was just some imaginary place in the back of someone's mind.  After all, I've done a fair amount of hiking along the Wasatch Front, and surely I would have heard of this place if it was very popular – right?  Well, one day when I had a little time on my hands I decided to research this place to see if it really existed.  Exiting I-80 at Exit 129 onto Foothill Drive (or I-215 from the south), I drove northward along Foothill Drive and then veered to the right (northeast) onto Wakara Way.  Continuing along Wakara Way, I turned right again (southeast) onto Colorow Drive, where I parked alongside the road just beyond Tabby Lane.  Be sure to park before the "No Parking" signs to avoid possible ticketing.  A small trailhead sign sits along the east side of Colorow Drive not far from the "No Parking" signs.

The trail starts in a brief wooded area and climbs to a clearing near the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, where various trails begin to appear.  Basically, you will need to head for the drainage just to the right (south) of the main Georges Hollow drainage.  Be careful not to crosscut areas where vegetation restoration is taking place.  Once at the mouth of the lesser drainage, a well-marked trail ascends this drainage for about 0.5 miles to the top of the ridge with Georges Hollow.  From here the trail continues to climb another 0.4 miles across Georges Hollow to a point known as the Living Room at just over 6,000 feet elevation.  The Living Room is merely slabs of stone made to look like living room furniture, where hikers can sit, relax, and take in the views of the valley below.  Further down the slope lies an old quarry structure, which is part of the Red Butte Garden complex.  With a good set of binoculars, it is possible to watch a Utah football game at Rice-Eccles Stadium.  Distance from the trailhead to the Living Room is approximately 1.2 miles one-way with an approximate elevation gain of 1,000 feet.  Continued scrambling up the ridge above the Living Room will take you to the Red Butte ridge.

The Living Room equipped with
an old television remote

View of the Salt Lake Valley and Oquirrh
Mountains from the Living Room

Length of Day for Hiking and Trekking

Length of day generally refers to the period when the edge of the sun rises from the eastern horizon to when it sets in the western horizon.  It can vary greatly throughout the year depending upon the latitude of the hiking/trekking area.  The further you get away from the earth's equator, the greater the variation in day length throughout the year.  Atmospheric refraction affects the length of day by bending the sun's light, adding a few additional minutes to the beginning and ending of each day-length period.  It makes the sun and other astronomical objects appear higher in the sky than they really are, and often distorts and causes a shimmering or rippling effect to these objects (see photo).  Once the sun does set and before it rises, a condition known as "civil twilight" exists for a limited period, allowing most outdoor activities to continue under clear atmospheric conditions.  Civil twilight is defined as beginning in the morning (civil dawn), and ending in the evening (civil dusk) when the center of the sun is geometrically six degrees below the horizon.  More information about twilight can be found at the U.S. Naval Observatory website at: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/index.php

Distortion of the sun caused
by atmospheric refraction –
Photo credit: www.birdsasart.com

Determining the length of time it takes to complete a hike or a trek depends largely upon a person's health, strength, and walking pace.  One person's travel time may vary much differently than another person's travel time.  This is why I don't usually include times to complete a hike or a trek in my posts.  Another factor affecting travel time is the type of terrain and/or vegetation a particular route goes through.  Level, well-established trails, for example, take a shorter time to travel than areas of bushwhacking, scrambling, and steepness.  With regard to determining day length, most sunrise and sunset tables are based off of time zone longitudinal meridians – particularly the prime meridian (0° longitude).  Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is calculated from the prime meridian, and it is recognized as the official reference for time zones throughout the world.  Most of the hikes and treks listed in my posts fall into the Mountain Time Zone, which is seven hours earlier (-7) than UTC at 105° west longitude.  The table below, however, identifies the time zone meridians throughout the world in half-hour increments.

While most time zones vary in whole-hour increments from UTC, there are a few (such as the Newfoundland part of Canada, Afghanistan, India, and Iran) that vary in half-hour increments from UTC.  Close examination of the table reveals that one hour of time equals fifteen degrees of longitude, or (further divided) one minute of time equals fifteen minutes of longitude.  This is important to know when adjusting sunrise and sunset times from a table to the planned travel area.  Once the time zone and its meridian have been identified, the difference between it and the travel area longitude can be calculated.  Time is added for areas west of the time zone meridian while time is subtracted for areas east of the time zone meridian.  For example, a travel area located at 111° 45' west longitude in the Mountain Time Zone (105° west longitude) would have a difference of 6° 45' longitude, or 27 minutes of time.  Since the travel area lies further west than the time zone meridian, the 27-minute time difference would be added to the sunrise and sunset times in the table.  Another one hour would also be added if the area was observing Daylight Saving Time – making the total added time 1 hour and 27 minutes.  The table below lists the sunrise and sunset times throughout the year for much of the world.

Though the times may vary slightly from year to year (including leap years), it should not be by more than two or three minutes for the next 20 years or so.  Sunrise and sunset times can also be adjusted for travel areas between two latitudes.  For example, a hike taken during August in a hiking location of 41° north latitude; the sunrise and sunset times for both 40° and 45° north latitude are used in the calculation.  The sunrise times for August are 05:13 for 40° and 05:03 for 45°, making a difference of 10 minutes.  Likewise, the sunset times for August are 18:54 for 40° and 19:03 for 45°, making a difference of 9 minutes.  Since 41° is one-fifth of the way between 40° and 45°, two minutes (1/5 of 10) are subtracted from the sunrise time for 40° while approximately two minutes are added to the sunset time for 40° – resulting in 05:11 and 18:56, respectively, for 41°.  Keep in mind that the times listed in the table above denote monthly averages and can vary depending on the day during the month.  Knowing the length of day is an important factor for planning hikes and treks.

White Pine Lake

White Pine Lake is a remote alpine lake situated near the end of the White Pine Fork of Little Cottonwood Canyon.  Near the beginning of the twentieth century a four-wheel drive road was constructed up the drainage to service small mining claims in the area.  Once the mining stopped the Forest Service closed the road to all motorized vehicles, and the vegetation has since reclaimed much of the traveled route.  Today the old road forms the trail leading to White Pine Lake.  Though longer than really necessary, the trail isn't as steep as other trails – taking advantage of switchbacks along the steeper slopes.  In 1978 the Lone Peak Wilderness Area was established under the Endangered American Wilderness Act.  At that time the White Pine Fork drainage was included as part of the wilderness proposal, but lobbyists representing nearby ski resorts succeeded in having this area excluded.

To reach the White Pine trailhead from the Salt Lake Valley, take the 6200 South exit (Exit 6) off of I-215 and turn right (at the light) onto Wasatch Boulevard (SR 190).  Continue south along Wasatch Boulevard past Fort Union Boulevard (7200 South), which turns into SR 210.  Follow SR 210 to the White Pine parking area (about 9.3 miles from Fort Union Boulevard) to the right (south) of the highway.  This same area can be reached from I-15 by taking the 9000 South exit (Exit 295) and turning eastward towards Sandy along 9000 South (SR 209).  The road eventually curves southward and then eastward again as 9400 South – weaving a little more before it terminates at approximately 7.3 miles from the I-15 exit.  At the junction, turn right (eastward) and follow SR 210 the rest of the way to the White Pine parking area (approximately 5.3 miles from the junction).  Since this is a popular hiking area, be prepared to park along the highway should the parking area be full.

Looking across Little Cottonwood Canyon
to Monte Cristo and Mount Superior

The Broads Fork Twin Peaks rise above
the horizon behind White Pine Lake

The trail begins near the restrooms along the south side of the parking area.  It descends about 40 feet to cross Little Cottonwood Creek before climbing the other side of the canyon towards White Pine Fork.  After approximately one mile of hiking, the White Pine Fork is reached and the trail splits – where you will take the left trail to White Pine Lake up the switchback.  An information sign with important guidelines is located at the trail junction.  About 0.3 miles beyond the split at the end of the first switchback (see map), a viewpoint is reached where much of Little Cottonwood Canyon can be viewed into the Salt Lake Valley.  Continuing up the drainage, the trail passes through several meadows where wildflowers abound during the late summer months.  The final mile of the hike is mostly above the timberline and becomes quite rocky in places.  After reaching a pass on top of a ridge at approximately 10,160 feet elevation, the trail makes a surprise descent of about 180 feet to reach the lake.  While a return route is possible to the trail below without having to re-ascend the trail to the pass, be prepared for some scrambling over large boulder fields.  Distance from the White Pine trailhead to White Pine Lake is approximately 5.0 miles one-way with an elevation gain of approximately 2,550 feet (followed by a 180-foot loss).

View of White Pine Lake
near the south shoreline

Looking south across White Pine Lake
with White Baldy in the background

Twin Peaks (Cecret Lake Extension)

The Twin Peaks referred to in this post are the American Fork Twin Peaks near the Snowbird Ski Resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon.  Though not nearly as impressive to look at as the Broads Fork Twins are from the Salt Lake Valley, the American Fork Twins are the highest points in Salt Lake County.  Nearby to the northeast lies Hidden Peak which forms the upper terminus of the Snowbird Ski Tram.  Considering all the traffic this area receives, Hidden Peak is probably the most summited mountain in the Wasatch Range.  Of course, the easiest approach for climbing Twin Peaks with the least amount of elevation gain is from Hidden Peak.  The description here, however, is the route we took from Cecret Lake.

From the east side of Cecret Lake, follow the ridgeline on the right (north) of the lake to begin the route to Twin Peaks.  While climbing the higher ridge northwest of the lake, look for the chairlift and head towards it.  There is an obvious service road below that leads to it, passing very close to Cecret Lake.  Upon reaching the chairlift, follow the route up to the saddle between Mount Baldy and Sugarloaf Peak.  From this saddle two 11,000-foot peaks (Mount Baldy and Sugarloaf Peak) are only short scrambles away – ranging from one-third to one-half mile one-way.  Continuing on to Twin Peaks, we descended a couple of hundred feet into Mineral Flat on the American Fork side.  Here you have a great view of Mount Timpanogos to the south and our final destination off to the southwest.  We then made our way across Mineral Flat towards the southwest and came across a service road which switchbacks up the back side of Hidden Peak.  If you plan the route carefully, you can follow one of the switchbacks for approximately 0.2 miles along the mountainside.  Beyond the service road, we made our way laterally across a steepening slope to the low point of the saddle before East Twin Peak.  Once at the saddle it's a steep scramble with some exposure to the 11,433-foot east summit.  The west summit lies some 0.3 miles further west at 11,489 feet elevation.  Hiking between the two summits is easy with minimal elevation change.  Keep an eye open for explosive casings used for avalanche control, and stay away from them as they may still contain explosive material.  Distance from Cecret Lake to the west summit of Twin Peaks is about 2.8 miles (3.6 miles from the trailhead) one-way with an elevation gain of approximately 2,050 feet (2,510 feet from the trailhead) – taking into account a 420-foot loss.

American Fork Twin Peaks from the saddle
between Mount Baldy and Sugarloaf Peak

On the return route, we hiked to Hidden Peak where we were able to catch a free ride down on the Snowbird Tram.  Fortunately we came across a kind couple who gave us a ride from the base of Snowbird back to the trailhead where our vehicle was parked.

The back side of Hidden Peak
with the top of the Snowbird Tram

The Broads Fork Twin Peaks from
the American Fork Twin Peaks

Cecret Lake

Cecret Lake provides a short, beautiful hike at high elevation that can be taken by the entire family.  Located near the end of Little Cottonwood Canyon, the lake is a small glacial tarn that forms part of the headwaters for Little Cottonwood Creek.  Devils Castle and Sugarloaf Peak rise abruptly to the south of Cecret Lake, providing a scenic backdrop.  Since the area is a vital watershed for the Salt Lake Valley, dogs and horses are prohibited in Albion Basin and the rest of Little Cottonwood Canyon.  Older USGS topographic maps show the lake as "Secret" Lake, and though pronounced the same; the more common spelling is "Cecret" Lake.  All things considered – it offers a great escape from the summer heat in the valley below along with the hustle and bustle of city life.

The trailhead to Cecret Lake next
to the Albion Basin Campground

Alta and the Albion Basin are reached from the Salt Lake Valley by taking the 6200 South exit (Exit 6) off of I-215 and turning right (at the light) onto Wasatch Boulevard (SR 190).  Continue south along Wasatch Boulevard past Fort Union Boulevard (7200 South), which turns into SR 210.  Follow SR 210 the rest of the way to Alta (approximately 12.0 miles from Fort Union Boulevard).  From I-15, take the 9000 South exit (Exit 295) and turn eastward towards Sandy along 9000 South (SR 209), which eventually curves southward and then eastward again as 9400 South.  SR 209 weaves a little more before it terminates at approximately 7.3 miles from the I-15 exit.  At the junction, turn right (eastward) and follow SR 210 the rest of the way to Alta (approximately 8.0 miles from the junction).  About 0.3 miles beyond Alta, the highway forks with the lower right portion leading to a parking area.  During busy times you may be directed to park there and take a shuttle the remaining distance to the trailhead.  If not, continue up the left fork, which turns into a maintained dirt road for approximately 2.5 miles to the Albion Basin Campground.  Parking is available off to the left before entering the campground.

The trail begins near the campground entrance and continues southward, passing underneath a chairlift.  Interpretive signs describe various natural features along the way, allowing brief resting stops.  The steepest part of the hike is the final quarter-mile portion, which switchbacks up the mountainside to reach Cecret Lake at approximately 9,860 feet elevation.  Don't be surprised to see occasional vehicles near the beginning of the trail as private cabins are located in the area.  Distance from the trailhead to Cecret Lake is approximately 0.8 miles one-way with an elevation gain of about 460 feet.

Cecret Lake as viewed from a point
near the north shoreline

View looking southeast across Cecret
Lake with Devils Castle in the background

Mount Superior & Monte Cristo

Shifting back to the Wasatch Mountains, Mount Superior and Monte Cristo are two high points along the Cottonwood Ridge between Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.  These two peaks provide a dramatic backdrop to the north and west of the Alta and Snowbird ski resorts.  During the winter months, this area is often the scene of controlled avalanches in an effort to make the canyon road and ski resorts safe to use.  Upon looking at the official USGS topographic map, what is listed as "Superior Peak" is actually known as "Monte Cristo" by the locals, and the point known as "Mount Superior" sits about one-quarter-mile eastward of "Monte Cristo" (see map).  Since I'm local to the Salt Lake area, I will refer to the area as the locals refer to it.  While these two peaks can be reached from the Big Cottonwood side via Lake Blanche, the easier approach is from the Little Cottonwood side starting in the town of Alta.  Some scrambling is required along the ridgeline with moderate exposure.

To reach Alta from the Salt Lake Valley, take the 6200 South exit (Exit 6) off of I-215 and turn right (at the light) onto Wasatch Boulevard (SR 190).  Continue south along Wasatch Boulevard past Fort Union Boulevard (7200 South), which turns into SR 210.  Follow SR 210 all the way to Alta (approximately 12.0 miles from Fort Union Boulevard).  From I-15, take the 9000 South exit (Exit 295) and turn eastward towards Sandy along 9000 South (SR 209), which eventually turns southward and then eastward again as 9400 South.  SR 209 weaves a little more before it terminates at approximately 7.3 miles from the I-15 exit. At the junction, turn right (eastward) and follow SR 210 the rest of the way to Alta (approximately 8.0 miles from the junction).  Near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon lies a huge vault carved into the granite that stores extensive genealogical records.  Some of the granite in this area was quarried in earlier days for construction of the Salt Lake LDS Temple, and more recently the Conference Center.  While the grandeur of this canyon may be eye-catching, be sure to keep your eyes on the road while driving, and watch out for bicyclists.  Upon reaching Alta, look for the Shallow Shaft Restaurant along the left (north) side of the highway, where there should be parking space available.

View looking southeast towards Alta and
the Albion Basin from Cardiff Pass

View looking west to Mount Superior
from a knoll just west of Cardiff Pass

The route to Mount Superior begins at the road left (west) of the Shallow Shaft Restaurant.  Follow the road as it curves through the structures, keeping to the right for about 0.2 miles.  Veer to the left (northward) onto an unimproved road that climbs westward to a hill towards Cardiff Pass.  At approximately 0.8 miles from the starting point, take the trail extending left (west) of the road and follow it for about 0.6 miles to reach Cardiff Pass.  An effective guide to keep you on course is to generally follow the power lines that lead up to the pass.  Situated at just over 10,000 feet elevation, Cardiff Pass offers a great view of Alta and the Albion Basin below, and provides a great stopping point for those who don't want to hike the whole way.  Continuing on to Mount Superior, follow the apparent trail along the ridge to the left (west) of Cardiff Pass, which will skirt to the south of a point listed as "10277" on the map.  Upon rounding the ridge, Mount Superior comes into view straight ahead, which isn't as daunting as it appears.  Keep following the indistinct trail that traverses along the Little Cottonwood side of Cottonwood Ridge.  While exposure along this part of the route is not particularly high, care should be taken not to slip on loose rock and fall to the steeper slopes below.  The final half-mile of the hike involves scrambling up a rock slope with an elevation gain of about 1,000 feet.  A false summit is passed along the way before reaching the true summit of Mount Superior at approximately 11,050 feet elevation.  Distance from the starting point to the summit is approximately 2.5 miles one-way with an elevation gain of approximately 2,500 feet (taking into account a 1,000-foot gain after a 100-foot loss).  When I reached Mount Superior's summit I had planned to hike the short distance to reach Monte Cristo's summit, but billowing clouds looked threatening and I chose not to chance it.  Monte Cristo is situated another quarter-mile further west along Cottonwood Ridge.  Reaching its 11,132-foot summit involves a 160-foot elevation gain after an 80-foot loss from Mount Superior.

View looking west to Monte Cristo
from the summit of Mount Superior

View looking towards Lake Blanche and Big
Cottonwood Canyon from Mount Superior

Lowe Peak

South of the Bingham Canyon Mine, the Oquirrh Mountains are much more spectacular and offer greater scenic beauty.  In the higher elevations, it is not uncommon to see herds of deer and elk, and watch hawks soar overhead.  Among the half-dozen or so peaks that rise above 10,000 feet elevation, Lowe Peak sits as the second highest point in the entire Oquirrh Range.  From the Salt Lake Valley, Lowe Peak is recognizable along the southwest horizon if you know where to look (see photo below).  As with the northern part of this mountain range, what public land that remains in the southern part is also administered by the BLM.  Ophir Canyon on the west side of the range provides the easiest access to the Lowe Peak area, which allows you to drive through the little town of Ophir.  If you happen to be into mining history and have a little extra time, take a good look around Ophir – it's quite a fascinating place.  There are also a few camping sites in Ophir Canyon located between the town and the trailhead should you choose to spend the night.  Check for camping availability and restrictions beforehand at the restored Ophir Town Hall and respect private property.

To reach the trailhead for Lowe Peak from the northern part of the Salt Lake Valley, take I-80 west to the Tooele City exit (Exit 99).  Take the exit onto SR 36 and drive southward approximately 24.1 miles through Tooele and Stockton.  Turn left (eastward) onto SR 73 and continue for approximately 4.6 miles to Ophir Canyon Road.  Make another left (east) turn onto Ophir Canyon Road and drive for about 3.5 miles through the town of Ophir to reach the trailhead.

From the southern part of the Salt Lake Valley, take Redwood Road (SR 68) southward through Bluffdale and Camp Williams and turn right (west) onto SR 73.  Continue on SR 73 for approximately 31.6 miles through Cedar Fort and Fairfield to reach Ophir Canyon Road.  Turn right (east) onto Ophir Canyon Road and drive for about 3.5 miles through the town of Ophir to reach the trailhead.  The road turns to dirt upon leaving Ophir up the canyon, but most vehicles can make it.

Lowe Peak as viewed from the South
Valley Regional Airport (Airport #2) in
the Salt Lake Valley

Hiking up a drainage on the
southwest face of Lowe Peak –
Photo credit: Aaron Oliver

The trail begins by crossing the stream on logs and rocks to the other side.  This is repeated a dozen times or so for the first mile-and-a-half of the trail in the lower part of the canyon.  During runoff conditions, be prepared to get your feet wet as the stream can be running quite high.  We also came across some grazing cattle and their evidence of "cow pies" along the trail.  At about 1.5 miles, a meadow comes into view towards Lowe Peak (eastward), where you will veer from the trail to begin the climb up the drainage.  This is the steepest part of the hike where over 2,000 feet of elevation is gained in a little more than a mile.  Don't be ashamed to take frequent rests along the way and take in the spectacular views unfolding before you.  Keep an eye out for deer and elk herds on the upper slopes.  After hiking up the drainage for awhile, eventually work your way to the ridge on your left (northward).  When the main ridgeline is finally reached and the Salt Lake Valley comes into view, hike up the remaining ridge to reach the summit.  Distance from the trailhead to the 10,589-foot summit of Lowe Peak is approximately 2.8 miles one-way with an elevation gain of approximately 3,500 feet.  When we descended Lowe Peak, we dropped about 800 feet to a saddle northwest of the peak and followed the upper drainage back into Ophir Canyon, which added another 0.7 miles to our route.  Another option can be to also ascend Rocky Peak (500 feet elevation gain from the saddle) and descend by way of a ridge slightly west and to the south of the Rocky Peak summit.  This adds an additional one mile to the original Lowe Peak route.

View looking south over Flat Top
Mountain (31 feet higher) from Lowe Peak

View looking northwest over Rocky Peak
to the Stansbury Range from Lowe Peak