change of seasons

When we did the Emma Ridge hike last weekend and peeked over the ridge into Honeycomb Canyon and Silver Fork, it reminded us that we hadn't done that loop in a while.  Sunday morning rolled around and found us heading up Big Cottonwood Canyon under cool but pleasant temperatures and much clearer skies.  We parked at the first Solitude entrance, not far from where a group of twenty-somethings were climbing out of their vans/trucks and cooking parking lot breakfasts. 

That looks like fall!

The aspens are starting to turn up there and with the quality of the light, this hike was the first time that it's felt like autumn.  We started on the Queen Bess MTB trail (under the Eagle lift), then walked up the paved Silver Fork road.  When the pavement ended, we stayed left on the trail - which ended up reconnecting with the old mining road just a little ways on.  There were a couple of older women coming up the mining road behind us but we were moving pretty quickly, and even though we stopped for a little while to watch the unconcerned mother moose and her calves, those hikers never caught us.

"Keep moving, buddy ..."

We saw two other hikers at the portal mine and then passed two more on the steep section up to the head of the canyon.  With all the mining ruins and debris, it's pretty clear why they named this canyon "Silver Fork."  We followed the trail up through the tailings to Davenport Hill: it was very steep and very loose in spots, but unlike last time, we managed to stay on the trail.

Following the old road

From Davenport Hill, we followed the old mine road down into Grizzly Gulch a little ways until we could turn left onto the trail up to Twin Lakes Pass.  Most of Silver Fork had been in the shade and, with the wind, actually chilly, but out in the sunshine it was extremely pleasant.  After pausing for a snack at Twin Lakes Pass, we kept to the higher trail that went around the hillside to Solitude, coming out a little way below the top of the Summit chair.   Although the access road is our usual route to the top of the chair, it is a horrible slog; instead, we kept to looker's left and scrambled up to the top of Summit chair.  More pleasant and we cut a little bit of distance off.

This bit up to Davenport Hill was so steep

We saw no people for the rest of the hike.  The population had been pretty sparse regardless - six people in Silver Fork, one in Grizzly Gulch and two at Twin Lakes Pass - but now we had the place to ourselves.  Much of Honeycomb Canyon is very steep, including following the old road from the summit and then the portion along the dry creek bed.  Everything was very dry too and H noted that we were walking like Pigpen with little puffs of dust coming up with every step.  

Dark blue sky above Solitude

As the wind blew through the canyon, golden aspen leaves danced overhead and there was no question that we have turned a corner on the seasons, even if it is still getting up to nearly 90 F down in the valley on occasion.  It was a beautiful autumn day in Big Cottonwood Canyon and we were glad to be out in it. 

Honeycomb Canyon trail (flat part)

Hike stats: 7.85 miles; 2:55 moving/2.7 m.p.h.; 3:30 overall/2.2 m.p.h.; 2500' climbinb