I did a loop at Alta this morning that was really nice. I started at the bast of Alta and went up through Albion Basin to Catherine Pass. From there I crossed Point Supreme, a point just above the top of Alta’s Supreme chairlift. I went off trail below Devil’s Castle through a field of boulders and then to Cecret Lake. From there it was back down to the parking area.
I started out 30 minutes before sunrise, but the trail was easy to follow all the way through Alta’s Albion Basin. This area is very well known for summer wildflowers, and they are just starting to come out. In 2-3 weeks the wildflowers should be spectacular!
The sun came up and lit up the top of Devil’s Castle and Sugarloaf Peak as the day started to brighten. The trail was easy to follow up to Catherine Pass and the view from here was spectacular. The trail took me a bit above the pass on the route to Sunset Peak before turning toward Point Supreme. Even on the last day of June there were plenty of patches of snow in both shaded and sunny areas, but there wasn’t enough to be concerned about.
I went off trail to explore a bit before getting back on the trail below Devil’s Castle. Part of the trail at this point goes through a large boulder field and I have always seen marmots here. Today was no exception.
Cecret Lake was gorgeous as always. I went off trail again below Cecret Lake and bounced along boulders and granite slabs before picking the trail up again. A bit farther down I heard a marmot chirping loudly. When I finally spotted the chubby critter I was able to get a pretty good video of it filling up on the local grasses.
The path I took was a little over 8 miles and I had a cumulative elevation gain of just over 2,400 feet. Parking can be found above the large parking area by the Albion Grill. Click HERE for a map.
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