Desolation Lake

I have done this run several times. I enjoy this trail because most of it is pretty easy to run on. I also like the fact that I can run up to a ridge and look down into park city. Like I said, I've done this run before but this is the first time (recently at least) that I actually brought my camera. Here is a picture of the lower part of the trail.

I start this run at the Mill D North Trail head. It starts of by climbing the canyon while paralleling the hwy for about a half a mile or more, then it turns north and heads up the canyon. About a mile or so up the trail there is a little stream that it comes close to and the trail opens up a little bit. It is a nice little spot. Continuing on another 0.6 miles it continues to climb. There is a fork in the trail you can either go to the northwest up to Dog lake (which is a short steep climb of about 0.6 miles) or you can head right (northeast) up towards Desolation lake.

Heading northeast now the trail climbs quite a bit in just a short while, then levels out to a more gradual climb. From that fork in the trail according to the trail signs it is 1.9 to desolation lake and 1.6 back to the trail head. Both up and down I can cover the distance in just about the same amount of time.

It's too bad that all this water is part of the Salt Lake Watershed. It would be nice to take a quick dip in the lake to cool off. It looks so like it would be so nice.

When I am limited on time, I turn around here making the whole trip about seven miles. I really like going up the next 0.6 miles to the ridge that looks down into park city. In this photo you can see part of Park City.

That is usually where I turn around making the whole trip about 8.2 miles. But this time I decided to find a way up to the top of the peak that is right there. It does not have a name on my map but the elevation is listed as 9990, so that sounds like a good name right? I thought that there would be a trail to the top of it since the main trail goes pretty close. But I was wrong. I was on the north side of it and I followed the main trail (which is the Great Western Trail) around to the south of the peak and didn't see any trail that went up, so I had to slow down and just hike the last little bit up. I tend to be pretty cautious with things like this because I really don't want to twist an ankle. So, I've conquered 9990 once and I don't think I need to do it again. Next time, I'll continue up the Great Western Trail until I need to turn around.

Here is a kind of blurry shot of me as I'm coming down off that ridge back towards Desolation Lake.

I really enjoy being able to fly down the mountain coming down the trail. Going up I do about a 12-13 pace and coming down I can do about a nine minute pace. It seems like I should be able to do more than that, but like I said I tend to be really cautious, maybe overcautious, because I really don't want an injury. I am usually by myself up there and wouldn't want to get stuck because I twisted an ankle so bad I can't even walk down. anyway...

Here I am back at the trail head after finishing the run. As much as I love being up in the mountains it always seems nice to get back to the car.