exploring millcreek

On Saturday, we slept in a little and headed over to Millcreek with Milton, having promised him one more hike.  It was still early enough that there were just a couple of cars in the parking lot and then we really didn't see anyone until we heading back past the big waterfall.

Less water but still falling

We went up the north fork again (same branch of the canyon that we did last time), letting Milton off his leash once we got up to the creek.  He was really good at coming back when he was called, even when there were tempting lizards to chase.  It was sunny and calm and we could hear the trilling calls of canyon wrens echoing off the canyon walls.

Still pretty wild so close to town

When we got to the pool where we had turned around last time, we rolled up our shorts and boosted Milt up onto the pour-over ledge.  He doesn't hesitate to splash right into the water but he doesn't like it (yet) when it gets deep.  We kept going up the canyon where my jaw dropped with amazement as the canyon widened.  It was just beautiful up there, with the high cliff walls, grassy meadows and the creek plunging through the middle of it all.  We just kept going upstream until the trail faded out in a choke of vegetation.  If we'd had more fortitude - and a machete - we likely could have followed the canyon all the way up to the La Sals.

I was so surprised to see it open up like this

We tried to get Milton to swim on our way back out; he wasn't having any of it, although I suspect that if we were somewhere the two of us could swim, he could be convinced to give it a try.  He did enjoy making big leaps and jumps wherever he could, and seemed to amuse himself by ducking his head under the water as he walked.

Splish splash

There were a few locals at the waterfall and several cars in the parking lot when we got back, but it wasn't crowded like it had been last time.  Milton was so tired from all the leaping and bounding and lizard chasing that he crashed for the whole afternoon.  With temperatures over 100 F, so did we.

Hike stats:  5.68 miles; 2:33 hours total; 790 feet of elevation