Bell Canyon Lower Falls winter hike - right on!
- Girls Gone Adventuring
- Feb 19, 2018
- 3 min read
So.... sometimes life throws blizzards into your path and you have to go with "Plan B" for your Adventure -- because that's just the way life rolls sometimes !?!? :) Today was one of those days! Our original plan was to hike to Cecret Lake up Little Cottonwood Canyon since it had (finally) snowed last night and we were excited to go see the fresh, new, snow-covered scene up at the lake! As we got closer to the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon... past Snowbird... past Alta.... the road was getting slippery and the snow was Coming Down! We got to the point where the flashing lights warned us that the road was closed beyond this point and it was blizzarding pretty bad! We were definitely not going to make it up to the Cecret Lake trailhead, so we turned around and SLOWLY made our way down the slippery road to Plan B which was Bell Canyon Lower Falls, a trailhead closer to the entrance of the Canyon. (click here for directions to the trailhead)
The beginning of the trail is pretty easy, nothing too steep or intense. About 3/4 mile in you get to the Reservoir, which still had ducks swimming around freezing their little cans off in the icy cold water :)
The next section of the trail was absolutely Beautiful! We were walking in a winter wonderland... literally! (and we may have busted out singing that song once or twice :) The trees were covered in snow, the fresh powder all round was pristine and quiet and breathtaking. It felt like we were millions of miles away from anyone and anything.
Over the next 1 1/2 miles you gain 1,000 feet in elevation and it was KILLER! I was breathing so hard it felt like I'd turned into Mrs. Darth Vader and kept having to stop to catch my breath... It was super steep and just kept going and going... We kept thinking the turn off to the Lower Falls HAD to be just around the bend. And Finally! It was!!
The Falls were mostly covered in snow and ice, which made for a beautiful view. We only stayed at the Falls for a few minutes, admiring the beauty and the awesome "WE MADE IT" feeling of accomplishment after such a steep hike to get there. The mountain backdrop is very rugged and fierce behind the falls, which was stunning covered in a light coat of fresh snow. We did all this without our spikes or yaxtrax, which would have made it quite a bit easier and would have led to a lot less slipping and sliding, especially heading back down that steep of a trail.
On the way down it started SNOWING! Can you think of a more perfect scene? Big, beautiful, fat snowflakes that sealed the deal of the Winter Wonderland. It was sooo beautiful and serene and an incredible way to spend a Mafternoon (morning/afternoon).
Where have your Adventures taken you lately? We hope you're getting out there, taking time to Adventure and feel alive and amazed with the beauty around you - cause it's pretty dang awesome :)
HOW TO DO THIS YOURSELF:
1) Grab your hiking shoes or snow boots and JUST DO IT! If it's winter-time you'll want yaxtrax or something similar to keep from slipping and sliding down the steep path. Borrow them from a friend or grab a pair on Amazon. We found a knock-off brand at Costco for $10
2) There's no fee to enter the area so it's a completely free Adventure - gotta love it!
3) Timing: We started hiking around 10:30 am. We arrived at the Lower Falls around 12:45 pm, and only spent a few minutes at the falls. We made it back to our car at 2:00 pm, much faster heading down! Plan your timing accordingly :)
** Is there an Adventure you think we should discover? Comment below
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