A Beehive State of mind

Rosie took the 6 AM airport shuttle from the hotel on Friday morning, graciously allowing me to sleep until 8 or so. I was planning to take the scenic route to Jackson. Checked out of the hotel, then drove up Little Cottonwood Canyon to see what the fuss is about up there. But not before driving the wrong way for half a block right out of the hotel parking lot down on of the four or five lane streets (this was totally impossible to tell, and someone else did the same thing right next to me. The wave of cars coming at us out of the green light was a good hint that something was amiss.).

Got up to Alta ski area at the top of LCC. It's one of the more renowned ski resorts in the US and mountaineering-level descents are present in every direction out of the resort ropes.

Baldy Peak.

I wanted to go hiking with Sammy, but for watershed protection dogs aren't allowed. A guy told me that technically I could get pulled over and cited just for having him in the car. So back down to SLC.

I didn't take a good picture of the range itself, but it's impressive, and its proximity to the city is impressive. By comparison to Boston, it's as if the Blue Hills, just outside of the city lines to the south, were 11,000 feet tall, several times greater in geographic area, and pulled down 500 inches of continental powder per year. 

Looking down to the city.

Then I figured I should go down to the Great Salt Lake. Mountains right by the lake, too.

Swam in the lake. Actually not that salty, compared to the ocean.

Beach walk.

Then we drove up US-89 into Logan. Motoring up the pass right off the valley:

Heading down into Logan.

 

Driving up Logan Canyon.

Drove up to the Tony Grove trailhead for a late afternoon hike. Here's an apparently natural amphitheater made of rock:

Topped out on Naomi Peak, border of the Naomi Wilderness, tallest mountain in the Bear River Range at 9975 ft.

Sammy is on pika patrol.

Pano from the summit. photosynth Link.

I can has PB&J?

Oh it just got serious.

After dinner in the trailhead parking lot, camped in the back of the Ru on a forest service road a few miles below the top of the pass.