visitors: alta

The next day was another gorgeous one and we all wanted to stretch our legs a little bit.  We drove up to Alta, where the Summer Road is still open, and parked in the lot near the Catherine's Pass trailhead.  There were several other cars there but while we did encounter other hikers, it was refreshing to not be battling the crowds that had flocked there all summer.

Mellow moose

The trail up to Cecret Lake was a little muddy in spots, a little icy in others, but generally in good shape.  We spotted two moose (presumably a mother and her calf) when we were about halfway up to the lake; they were lying on the snow, in the shade, and cared not a whit for anyone else in the vicinity.

Pensive

Cecret Lake itself was down a bit and ice-free, amazingly.  After some time appreciating the surroundings - and getting some photos without other people in them - we headed back down the way we came.  Some hikers on their way up said there were two different moose just off-trail closer to the parking lot, but we never spotted them, try as we might.

 

H and G on the shores of Cecret Lake

Despite the wind picking up, we paused for a post-walk beer back at the truck.  And it's a good thing we did: we had thought to stop by Snowbird on the way out but it was the final weekend of their Octoberfest and with the gorgeous weather, the place was packed.  We were all incredulous at the number of vehicles heading up the canyon - literal droves of cars, as if it were a powder day instead of a mid-October Sunday.

So we opted to take a pass on Snowbird and instead camped out on our patio with cocktails when we got home.  And if we hadn't done that, we never would have been able to witness a hawk chasing down and nabbing a dove right in our driveway.  Nature can be cruel but it sure is fascinating.

 

Someone's getting dove for dinner