Utah Adventure 2020
DAY 1
On Thursday October 8th we road tripped to Utah in search of adventure as well as more fall colors. Due to all of the wildfires occurring in Colorado at this time, air quality has been horrible and outdoor recreation limited, so we decided to head to our neighbor state for the weekend and also spend some time with Scott’s parents who live in Heber City.
The drive to Heber City usually takes us about 6.5 hours, which includes stopping at scenic overlooks and refueling. For this trip, however, we decided to go to one of our bucket list destinations which added 4 extra hours to our total drive. Scott and I both enjoy long car rides, and we’re fortunate enough that the dogs either sleep or relax and look out the window the whole time.
*Please keep in mind we do not share exact locations of the areas we explore, finding these places is all part of the fun and I challenge you to do the same*
The image above was taken at one of the scenic overlooks along I-80. We walked around for about 15 minutes before getting back in the car and continuing our drive.
After an additional 2 hours of driving, we made it to our next destination. This vast area was so unique it felt like we were on another planet. This area belongs to the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) where principles of leaving no trace and respecting nature apply, however there are no rules against walking or driving on the land nor the use of drones, therefore we did all of these things. The white plane is covered in a thick crust of salty soil, hence why Maxi and Zeus are wearing their dog boots here. See images below!
After spending a couple hours exploring this area, we made the 2 hour drive back along I-80 to Heber City where we relaxed with Scott’s parents for the rest of the evening.
DAY 2
On Friday October 9th we got out early for a hike, arriving at the trailhead just as the sun was rising. This trail was recommended to us by Scott’s parents, where we hiked a loop that took us past several lakes and overlooks. The day started out chilly but slowly warmed up enough for us to shed a few layers.
The first lake we hiked to had one impressive reflection!
As we continued along the trail we began to gain some elevation and had a nice view of the surrounding mountains.
At this point we had completed half of the total loop, but we still had many more lakes to pass by.
We hiked a total of 6.3 miles with just over 630 feet of elevation gain.
On our drive down from the trailhead, we made a stop at one of the side roads that was surrounded by a grove of aspens.
After this quick stop we then had lunch at a local dog friendly restaurant!
DAY 3
On Saturday October 10th, we again woke up early to get to the trailhead at sunrise. We were looking for a hike that still had aspens with yellow leaves and this particular location was highly recommended. Though the trail itself was fairly short in distance, the majority of the hike to the overlook was almost completely uphill with some very steep sections. The view at the top was all worth it though.
Just before the last climb, we came across a few curvy aspens, naturally the dogs had to have pictures taken with them.
The next images were taken from the overlook and the colors were breathtaking.
After taking dozens of pictures at the top, we gradually made our way back down. We hiked 3.75 miles with 1000ft of elevation gain.
Once back at the trailhead we took a different route down which gave us views of the valley filled with fall colors as well as the surrounding mountains.
After this overlook we headed farther down the canyon road and stopped at yet another trailhead. This particular trail wrapped around a cascade of natural springs. Unfortunately we didn’t get any pictures here, but it was one pretty and interesting place to explore. We then made our way into a small town and grabbed lunch and ate at a local park.
Day 4
On Sunday October 11th we drove back home to Fort Collins. Due to an incoming snowstorm we didn’t get out for a hike as we wanted to be on the road before conditions deteriorated, though we did get caught in the high winds Wyoming is notorious for and drove in a snowstorm for about half an hour. Fortunately we made it home safely and had some new memories to remember.