This morning was a great time for a hike to and above Desolation Lake. I’ve done this hike many times, but never in the first snow of the season.
The trail I took started at the Mill D trailhead in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Snow fell yesterday and last night and everything was fresh and still when I started hiking. I had the trail entirely to myself and it was fabulous!
There was around half an inch of snow on the ground at the trailhead and the air was so calm snow still coated every branch and leaf. The sky was overcast, but the clouds thinned as I hiked up the trail and the sun peeked out every once in a while.
As I made my way up the trail there was a little more snow on the ground. At Desolation Lake, which sits at around 9,240 feet, there was around 3” of snow on the ground. I walked around the lake and got some really nice photos before hiking higher above the lake.
From Desolation Lake the trail had a couple of switchbacks before getting to a pass. On one side of the pass was Big Cottonwood Canyon. The other side looked down on Park City Ski Resort. The view from the pass was absolutely gorgeous!
My hike was around 9.86 miles long and I climbed about 2,564 vertical feet. Click HERE for a map to the Desolation Lake Trailhead from the Mill D Trailhead.
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