It's 29 degrees and clear at my home. Heading to Antelope Island for a hike. I only get a couple of miles from my house (and a couple 100 feet in elevation) and I'm in fog so thick that it's hard to see much in front of me. No Antelope Island for me today. :(
So I few hours later, I'm heading up Emigration Canyon to hike at Little Dell Reservoir. I've done this hike many times when there is snow on the ground and I can't get up Big/Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Heading up the canyon, there is south on the north facing hillsides but clear on the north facing sides. I image there'll be snow at the reservoir but I'll wait and see.
When I get to the summit, the reservoir is ice-free but there's snow on the foothills. Always so pretty! (And hey, there's clear skies and clean air!)
I park in the lot and head over to the trail head.
There's snow/ice on the trail but it's pretty easy to get down to the main trail. I have an animal sighting pretty quickly - a mouse/shrew/vole scampers across the trail in front of me.
I reach the trail and head north. But first I take a detour to the reservoir for a view.
I continue on along the snow packed trail - only a couple of inches. I keep scanning the hillsides for any sign of moose/elk/deer but am unsuccessful. But I do find tracks!
And follow them for about 1/3 of the trail.
Soon I reach the bridge and then the road. (The road is now closed for the winter. I surprised to see snow on the road but only about an inch.)
I cross the road and continue up the trail but quickly find it's blocked with branches. I think it's deadfall but quickly realize that the trail has been re-routed. Not sure why, it wasn't bad just rutty from bikes. The trail heads south and I follow and soon turns back north. I want to continue to follow but I'm hungry; time to head back.
I return on the road. No critters seen on the way back. But still nice to get out and breathe some fresh air!
