Sundial Peak

This photo is from my hike to Sundial Peak in Big Cottonwood Canyon (10-17-14). Although the autumn colors were amazing on my way up the canyon, by the time I reached Lake Blanche (8,900 ft.) at the base of Sundial Peak (10,350 ft.) I had gotten above the Aspen zone and the brilliant fall colors. There are a few small aspen and oak trees around Sundial (the area is mostly pine and fir), but these trees were already denuded at this time of year. I was somewhat disappointed, as the scattering of color adds a lot of drama to photos of Sundial, but the peak is beautiful any time of year.
This is a 5.6 mile round-trip hike, and while that may not sound terribly long, it is very steep and thus not considered an “easy” trail. However, it is a beautiful hike, passing through multiple zones, stands of fir, pine, gambel oak, and aspen, and glacier-scratched red rock surfaces. Once you reach the lake you forget all about the difficulty of getting here. There are two other lakes in the vicinity, Lake Florence and Lake Lillian, though many hikers tend not to travel there. As a result, the smaller lakes are good spots for anyone looking for a bit more solitude in the mountains. A truly remarkable place, you’d be crazy to visit the Wasatch Mountains (or Salt Lake) without taking this hike! Hope you enjoy the photo…
http:--www.utahoutside.com-2011-09-hiking-the-lake-blanche-trail-to-sundial-peak-
http:--www.utahtrails.com-Backcountry%20pages-Blanche.html
http:--www.summitpost.org-sundial-peak-151272
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