another hike with mike, the canyons-adjacent

The local weather forecasters totally got it wrong this weekend - calling for snowstorms both days and instead ending up with clear, dry blue skies and the exit of the inversion - so we were pleased when Captain Mike found time to take us hiking on Saturday.  We met him on the road below the Olympic Park in Park City and followed him up through a swanky housing development in the foothills to the east of The Canyons ski resort. 

We hopped onto the well-traveled Mid Mountain Trail system, climbing up a steady but gentle grade on great single track trails (Captain Mike confirmed that there was fantastic mountain biking to be had along here).  We took a short side trip to look over the base lodges at The Canyons, then continued in and out of the aspens around another ridge which looked over and up to Murdock Bowl.  This trail is along part of the Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run course during which crazy people run from Layton to Midway in early September.

Our hike (not one hundred miles) ended up being a three-hour out-and-back, with lunch looking out over the valley (Kimball Junction, Jeremy Ranch, Park City, etc.), and we ended up bushwhacking down a snow-covered gully back to the car- a shortcut that dropped us in the backyard of one of those mult-million dollar homes.  No wildlife sightings this time, but it was just glorious to be out in the sunshine and fresh air once again.