Lake Catherine Hike

The wildflowers in Little Cottonwood Canyon are just spectacular right now! We hiked up to Catherine Pass from the Little Cottonwood Side (you can also get up there via Big Cottonwood) on a gorgeous summer day---shifting clouds and a nice breeze kept us comfortable all the way up! It was a long hike, and we didn't set any speed records or anything (it took us about 4 hours to go 3 miles), but it was SO beautiful, and everyone except Marigold made it up on his or her own two feet!

I've never seen so many different colors of flowers all out at once. It was breathtaking! I don't think I've ever been on such a consistently beautiful trail. We hiked Cecret Lake last year around the same time of year, and while it was really pretty, the flowers were mostly just in one or two stretches of meadow. This hike was through flowers the whole way!

 Columbine, Bluebell, Penstemmon, Paintbrush

Mama and Baby Moose!

There were lots of rocks to sit on

I love Seb's expression in this picture

Finally at the top of Catherine Pass---a well-earned rest!

Junie considers her surroundings

Lake Catherine

You can see way over toward the other canyon, too---beautiful views. If you go up a little farther it's even better. That will have to be for another day.

Penguin made it safely up in Daisy's backpack :)

Marigold, out of her baby backpack for a short look at the view

 Lupine

Heading back down

 The variation between colors of Paintbrush was really interesting. From pink to red to orange to rust-colored. I didn't know it could be so diverse!

It's hard sometimes to want to pack everybody up and take them somewhere, but a trip to the mountains is always worth it. Seeing the wildflowers and breathing the mountain air is so restorative! We loved it.