Saturday, February 7, 2026 Bear Canyon Suspension Bridge

 Bear Canyon Suspension Bridge

hikers - Mark and Lecia

distance - about 2 miles

elevation gain - about 400 feet

The weather is warm, no snow on the foothills and this seemed like a good hike to do.

At the edge of the Orson Smith Park the stairs lead to the trail.

Up some switch backs and you are at the Aqueduct Trail. The Aqueduct Trail is mostly flat.

We continued on the Aqueduct Trail to Ralph's Trail this time for our hike. 

There are some switchbacks on Ralph's Trail before you get to the bridge.

It's definitely uphill.

We made it to the bridge.

View of the valley from the middle of the bridge.

On our way back down. You can see there is no snow and it is brown and dead. Not as pretty as it will be later but it was great hiking weather and the trails were good.

 

February 5, 2026 Lower City Creek Trail

 Lower City Creek Trail

hikers: Mark & Lecia

distance: 2 and a half miles

elevation gain: 312 feet

   Today we were on a quest to check out the lower City Creek Trail. We think we'll do our next Grandpa & Nana's hiking club hike here but we wanted to scout it out before doing it with the grandkids. We were in Salt Lake and it was a lovely day so this was a good opportunity. We drove to the City Creek Canyon trailhead and found there is a parking area right before the hair pin turn and parking along City Creek Canyon Road. There were some cars and this was a weekday morning. But still plenty of parking. It could be full on a weekend.

We crossed the road at the Trailhead sign and headed downhill. 

We walked down the paved trail/road for a ways and when we came to a bridge we crossed and on the other side of the creek it is a natural are with a path and you feel like you are in the mountains. You are, but you are just above Memory Grove and there are lots of walkers and dog walkers. It is a well used area. We walked to the bottom and then thru Memory Grove. We walked back up the hill but we realized our grandchildren could probably make it down, but not back up the hill. 

After we got back to where we started, we took the trail next to the City Creek Canyon trail head sign. When we came to a bench and a fork, we turned north and went up that trail for a ways to check it out. It could have been fun to go further but we turned around there. Now we just need to figure out how we'll do this with grandchildren.

I didn't take a lot of pictures but this was next to the parking area.

Saturday, January 17, 2026

 Tunnel Springs

The first hike for Grandpa & Nana's hiking club

Hikers: 7 grandkids, Grandpa, Nana, and Daniel.  There would have been more adults but the kids said it was only for kids, no adults allowed. Since Daniel had Jane, he was required to be there! Besides he was the one that had been on this trail before so we were glad he came.

Distance: a mile or mile and a half? not sure since Strava quit because my phone battery was dead.

Elevation gain: 61 feet. This was a good, flat trail. Part of the Bonneville shoreline trail.

 

   We started at the Tunnel Springs park and followed the trail south.  After a while there was a fork in the trail and we went to the right where it was flatter. 

The trails might have joined up again but we turned back shortly after that so we never found out.

Where we turned around we were able to have a good view of the valley so we stopped there to take it all in. One of the highlights for the 10 year old was the flight radar app on my phone. We were near 2 airports so there were lots of planes. Checking that out was what caused my battery to die! We had fun with it though. 

On the way back we stopped at an area where there were some big trees where you could go underneath and explore. There was a path that went through the "wheat", actually the weeds, and looped back to the tree hideaway. The kids had a lot of fun there. 

Grandpa and Nana would have gone further but this was about the right distance for the grandkids. At the end we had time for the playground and some snacks. Our first hike was a success!

Saturday, November 8, 2025 Little Cottonwood Trail

 Little Cottonwood Trail

hikers: Mark & Lecia

distance: about 5 miles, out and back

elevation gain: 842 feet

The Little Cottonwood Trail starts at the bottom of Little Cottonwood Canyon at the temple quarry trail and goes up the canyon. It is a steady incline but never steep. You come to some houses and then to the first bridge. The trail follows the creek and even though the road is always nearby you don't always notice it but this time of year the leaves are gone so it is more visible. If you follow the well worn trail far enough you come to the turnoff to Lisa falls and after another half mile you come to the remains of an old power plant. We turned around just before Lisa Falls. There were some hikers and lots of bikers this time. We missed the beautiful fall foliage but it was still a nice hike although a little chilly because the canyon is shady and doesn't get much direct sun this time of year. You can snowshoe here in the winter.

One of the bridges we crossed. I think we crossed 4.

This is a well used path.

A view of the creek.

View on Strava, just before my phone died!

Monday, September 29, 2025

 Battle Creek Falls

hikers: Mark, Ethan, Lecia

distance: 1 1/2 miles round trip, out and back

elevation gain: 515 feet according to strava, but I think it is less.

This is such an accessible hike. The trailhead is at a Kiwanis park on the bench in Pleasant Grove. 

This is at the beginning of the trail. It is really wide, like a road.

The trail is in the open, no shade.

Eventually you cross a bridge.

The last part of the trail is steeper. It splits and you can see the falls and you can walk down there or you could  keep going up to the top of the falls. I think the trail goes further but I haven't been up there.

This is the very steep trail down to the falls. Steep, but short.

And then you are at the falls.

There were some people rappelling. 

Because it is an easy and accessible hike, there are a lot of people. But it is still worth it. I would avoid it in the middle of a hot day but you can always cool off in the water!

Thursday, September 25, 2025

  Bloods Lake

near Guardsman Pass

hikers: Mark & Lecia

distance: 1.84 miles

elevation gain: 172 feet

We didn't actually make it to Blood's Lake due to time constraints. You can see it is a little bit further in the bottom left hand corner. At least I think that's it. But we went part way and the trail was beautiful. The aspens are glowing this time of year. 

Even on a Thursday afternoon there were lots of cars in the parking lot and there are now fees to park at the trail head. There is a machine that takes credit cards to pay so that was convenient.

This is where we paid and I took a picture to prove it because it was doing some weird things and I wanted to make sure it was recorded.

The trailhead is across the road from the parking lot.

See how pretty the trail is!

 Then the trail went through some pines.

 Leaves on the ground.

Leaves on the trees!

Some of the trail was open. 

And there were beautiful vistas is some places. It was really much prettier than the photos!!!

We would like to go back when we have time to make it all the way to Bloods Lake. 

Thursday, September 25, 2025

 Silver Lake

in Big Cottonwood Canyon

hikers: Mark and Lecia

distance: 1 mile

elevation gain: 31 feet. Basically a flat path around the "lake".

We stopped here on our fall drive to have the lunch we brought and to take a walk around the lake. The colors were so pretty in the canyon today. We saw deer on our little walk and lots of people too. This is just a walk. Mark ran into someone he knew, not at all uncommon where ever we are.