June 9 - Alta Summer Road

 Another 94 degree day. Heading to check out the snow situation along the Alta Summer Road at the end of Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Heading to the canyon I had to stop for a Turkey crossing the road.

Also on the way up the canyon, I had to stop for a doe crossing the road.

LCC Creek is raging right now. (Sadly, 2 people lost their lives in the snowmelt rivers in Utah the last couple of days -- stay away from the rivers!!)

Passing Red Pine parking, it's more than 1/2 full for a trail that is deeply snow covered at the destination. Strange to me!

Passing Snowbird, it appears to be pretty much melted out. Still piles of snow here and there but it's looking good.

Expecting the same thing for Alta but Wow! Tons of snow! I see people tracking up the snowy slopes to get some runs in. I guess I should say, this is for the mountains on the right side of the road and ahead of me. The left side of the road is pretty much melted out except in certain sections.

I arrive and find a Road Closed and newly paved road in the usual parking area. Boo! I though I'd turn around but I can walk over it so I find parking and track over that newly paved road.

Before the gate is a bunch of flowing water - it's not going on the road so it's not an issue.

Around the gate, the road is clear. I find Solomon's Seal and Bluebells in bloom as well as Pussy Willows!

Along the left side of the road is a small stream of flowing water from all the melting snow. And there is feet of snow on both sides of the road. Patchy on the left and solid on the right.

Lots of little waterfalls flowing down the sides of the mountains. Look pretty!

An the views up and down canyon are pretty stunning!

I'm 1/2 way up the 2nd switchback when I hear a "Whoa!" in back of me. I turn to see a guy with skis on a bike spotting and in between him and I is a Porcupine crossing the road and heading in my direction. How cool! 

I crosses and has a few nibbles of a plant before continuing uphill and out of sight. 

How lucky am I? If that guy was not coming up behind me, I would not have seen him.

A bit farther up the road, I find some buttercups.

Guess I should mention, after the few bloomers at the start, the buttercups are the 1st flowers I've seen.

The views are best on the 3rd switchback.

I'm also seeing Marmots now. A total of five until reaching the Catherines Pass Trail head.

I also see ground squirrels, 

chipmunks and "normal" squirrels along the way.

Soon I'm at the trailhead parking. 

The trail is buried in snow so I head for the clear parking lot to check out the views.

I see something dark in the snow on the mountain slope. Could it be a moose? It would be strange but I'm excited. Nope, just a 1/2 buried tree moose :)

Time to head down hill.

On the way, I find a Pika



and a CA Tortoiseshell on that 3rd switchback. Pretty awesome!

Oh, and a Stellar Jay!

Awesome day!

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