Hiking at Brighton - June 19, 2009

So nice to have a day off together and to go hiking! The one beautiful blue sky day in a week full of rain and clouds! We couldn't decide which hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon to do, so we ended up driving all the way up to Brighton and checking the parking at all the trailheads along the way. The Brighton parking lot wasn't too full, so we stayed and decided to hike to the four lakes - Dog Lake, Lake Mary, Lake Martha and Lake Catherine. Then across to Millicent and down to the car. And it MOSTLY went according to plan.

Ski and Hiking Trail Maps.

James is absolutely fantastic: carries all the food and water, remembers sunscreen, hikes slowly so his wife can keep up...

On the way to Lake Mary we encountered snow! Beautiful, cold snow. James went first to test firmness of snow and to punch in foot holds on anything steep.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch (which was attended by local chipmunks):Mt. Millicent behind us - quite a view for a picnic lunch.
James looking over some of our favorite out-of-bounds skiing, with the Crest Lift and Great Western Lift and Claytons Peak in the distance.

He's so sweet to pose for these pictures!

I started down a snowfield toward Lake Martha and ended up straight onto a rock, knee first.

Later, I was sliding down a steep granite rock and snagged the back side of my capris - James really knows how to go bush wacking!

Later, while tromping my own path across the snow, I broke through next to a large rock and scraped and bruised my ankle.

Later, I was following James up a granite boulder field on the far side of Lake Mary and heard my capris RIP APART - from the earlier snag on my backside - RIPPED from waistline to the top of the back of my thigh. Now my hiking outfit was very ventilated - a true wardrobe malfunction.

James didn't even laugh. Just kept an eye out for people so I could implement a modesty preserver.

Finally we reached the car again, with only a few additional scratches and bruises (for me - I think James is part mountain goat).

Now James is shopping for a new pair of capris and a shirt for my birthday. Lucky Me!

The whole thing was so funny to me - started out a beautiful sunny hike and ended up with ripped pants - just like a scene in a movie. And James is wonderful. He did offer to photograph my wardrobe malfunction, but I declined.

After hiking, we drove the 'back way' home - we drove up Guardsman's pass and down through Deer Valley and Park City and back over I-80 through Parley's Canyon and past the UofU and the State Capital. Probably not the most direct route, but more fun to make a big loop.