Back in town, but with my family still in California I tempted fate and ran 12 additional miles (on top of the 30 I had already done this week). That is pushing it for me, but I wanted to take the opportunity to hit the Wasatch Crest to see the autumn leaves while I could.

I started at the Big Water trailhead where the Mill Creek Canyon Rd. ends. I climbed up to Dog Lake, dropped down to Mill D North, climbed up to Desolation Lake and the Wasatch Crest Trail above, took the crest north to Mill Creek, dropped that down to the Little Water Trail, and took that back to my car. I could fill this with lots of blow-by-blow commentary, annoyance at dogs with muddy paws climbing all over me at Dog Lake while their owners say “Oh…uh…sorry,” NOT seeing any moose like last year on Mill D, the temperature dropping bizarrely cold (and damp) when the sun went down as I came off the Crest and into Mill Creek Canyon, and how I put music on loud on my iPhone while running through scary woods in the dark – hoping to scare off any potential startled wildlife encounters….but I won’t. 😉

Here are some pictures. One great thing about hitting the aspens in late evening light is how the sideways indirect light just sets everything on fire. Already bright colors just explode.

Also, I hit the Aspen Grove Trail for the first time with a friend who was visiting from Ottawa. The trail is rougher than Timpooneke. I think I like the other approach better.