Early Fall Hike

Haven't been on many hikes this summer (the overnighter to the King's Peak area in the high Uintahs with Delos and Austin was so short it almost doesn't count. Delos did take a few good pictures though so I need to get them and post them. It was beautiful country.)

Thursday was a nice day so I decided to take one of my favorite hikes - to Red Pine Lake off Little Cottonwood Canyon. It's about 3.5 miles one way and goes from about 7000 feet to 9600 feet, so it is good exercise for an old man. (And, I need to get ready for next weeks hike of the west rim of Zion's with Jared).

I took my new Garmin (GPS) that Carma got for me to see if I could figure out how to use it. I did figure a few things out - how far you've gone, average speed, elevation and elevation change, etc. - but some of what I wanted to do with it remain a mystery. These are great devices. If you think you are lost you can look at the GPS and see right where you are - so then you know you're lost- but the GPS says "you're right here". Gee thanks, I know I'm here - I can see the trees. What I want to know is how to "go where I want to go"? With a PhD in engineering I shouldn't be technologically challenged, but I'm not sure these things are as useful as a plain old-fashioned map.

Anyway, here are a few pictures I took along the way. You can see the fall colors are just beginning. I saw a couple people on the trail, but when I got to the lake there was not another soul there. I do love the solitude and the beauty.