A sharp cold front rolled through Utah late yesterday. It was still in the low 70s in the Salt Lake Valley today but it was cold enough to snow last night both in the Wasatch and in the Uintas.
At sushi Friday night Bobby Danger, Amy and I decided to hike into the Uintas with my new labrador retriever puppy, Jake, and Amy's lab, Voodoo, once the weather cleared, which was predicted to happen by early afternoon. We arrived in the Crystal Lake parking lot around 1:30 pm.
The 4.5-mile clockwise loop past Cliff Lake, Watson Lake and Clyde Lake, followed by an overland route to connect with the Notch Mountain Trail and return via Wall Lake is one of my favorite day hikes in the Uintas. I just did the very same hike two weeks ago when my sister visited from Boston, but neither Bobby nor Amy had done it before and it provides ample opportunity for the dogs to swim, so it was an easy choice.
Peaks were still dusted with snow from the night before and shaded areas still had patches of snow on the ground. They must've had a couple of inches accumulated at first light before things started melting. All bare ground was still wet.
We headed up the short but steep hill to Cliff Lake, where the dogs had their first swim of the day.
We continued up and beyond Watson Lake to Clyde Lake, where we stopped for a snack while the dogs swam in the lake to retrieve sticks.
As we left Clyde Lake, though, dark clouds were forming over the divide and racing our way. I had a rain jacket along, which is requisite gear any time in the Uintas. However, it soon began spitting graupel which after a time became a full-on snow squall.
Jake got to play in his first snow and I'm thrilled to say that he loved it...like father, like son. :wink:
As quickly as the squall moved in it moved on, bathing the forest with sunlight once again.
The change of seasons has arrived in Utah. It's been a short summer but the best days are right around the corner!
At sushi Friday night Bobby Danger, Amy and I decided to hike into the Uintas with my new labrador retriever puppy, Jake, and Amy's lab, Voodoo, once the weather cleared, which was predicted to happen by early afternoon. We arrived in the Crystal Lake parking lot around 1:30 pm.
The 4.5-mile clockwise loop past Cliff Lake, Watson Lake and Clyde Lake, followed by an overland route to connect with the Notch Mountain Trail and return via Wall Lake is one of my favorite day hikes in the Uintas. I just did the very same hike two weeks ago when my sister visited from Boston, but neither Bobby nor Amy had done it before and it provides ample opportunity for the dogs to swim, so it was an easy choice.
Peaks were still dusted with snow from the night before and shaded areas still had patches of snow on the ground. They must've had a couple of inches accumulated at first light before things started melting. All bare ground was still wet.
We headed up the short but steep hill to Cliff Lake, where the dogs had their first swim of the day.
We continued up and beyond Watson Lake to Clyde Lake, where we stopped for a snack while the dogs swam in the lake to retrieve sticks.
As we left Clyde Lake, though, dark clouds were forming over the divide and racing our way. I had a rain jacket along, which is requisite gear any time in the Uintas. However, it soon began spitting graupel which after a time became a full-on snow squall.
Jake got to play in his first snow and I'm thrilled to say that he loved it...like father, like son. :wink:
As quickly as the squall moved in it moved on, bathing the forest with sunlight once again.
The change of seasons has arrived in Utah. It's been a short summer but the best days are right around the corner!
