Denied Some Of The Higher Elevation Hikes But ...

I didn't realize the snow pack was still so dense on some of the higher elevations, but I took a few nice snaps anyway.



Then found this trail head on the way back to the hotel. It wasn't in the book but turned out to be a quite nice second option.

Battle Creek Falls - Salt Lake City Utah

Just down the road from the Timpanogos Cave National Monument is number 49 in my 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles Salt Lake City was my next hike. The Battle Creek Falls was only 1.6 miles long but was a very nice introduction to Utah canyons and beautiful skyline views.

Timpanogos Cave National Monument - Salt Lake City Utah

Took a mini vacation / road trip to Salt Lake City last week. Part of the trip included a one day "Nerdtactular" that was a hoot but I really went to check out the area for its hiking potential. I didn't bring Bogie because I didn't know what to expect and he had a nice "staycation" in a house full of cats to admire and try to poke with his nose (which is some game he invented years ago).



After arriving in Salt Lake, I checked out the forums for the conference and there was a hiking related forum thread. The first recommendation was this hike, so I looked it up in a newly acquired 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles, Salt Lake City Utah edition. It looked very promising and there was few other hikes in the same area.



Loved the hike to the trail entrance, it was paved all the way but a nice elevation to get the heart a nice bit of exercise. I didn't take too many pictures in the cave and you can check out their web site.

Our Second Furry 5K Is In The Books

I had almost forgotten about the Furry 5K but we did get our reservation in on time. Although Bogie is going on 12 years young, I think we shaved a few minutes off of last years time. Of course on both occasions, we were not in it for speed. This is a blast of a race with hundreds of well mannered dogs, loving owners, beautiful day and exercise!


We did things a little different this time around. We didn't pickup our race packets on Saturday but opted to arrive to the race about a hour before it started. Remarkably, we parked in about the same spot as last year, picked up our packets, took all the free shwag back to the truck and got a nice long dip into the lake before race time.


As you can see, bogie was really enjoying the pre-race soak idea!


The race starting line was a little different as well, most notably louder! There were a few beagles in strategic starting positions and they all started to yelp at the same time.


This drove many of the other dogs a bit crazy and we were in the middle of a little canine rave!


Just before the two mile mark, I went off the course to let Bogie get another nice soak in the lake. I really think that invigorated him for the remainder of the race because he jogged right along with me until the end!

Lots of folks gave Bogie compliments at the finish line and it was a very fun outing!

Finally, I Decided To Hike Mount Si

I've hiked Little Mount Si a half dozen time or more but I've never ventured a couple miles down the same road to hike Mount Si. Now that I'm living south of Seattle, the drive time here isn't a challenge at all. Weekend hiking traffic however, is a HUGE problem for this popular hike. This is the main reason why I never did it in the past.



So Sunday I arrived at the trail head about 7:45 and there were 20 or so cars already in the parking lot. By the time I returned from this 8 mile excursion, the lot was packed to the point of stupid. Good thing I'm an early riser.



This hike itself reminds me of Mount Dickerman, four miles straight up via switchbacks and four miles back down the way you came. The view at the top of Mount Si is quite impressive but doesn't hold to Mount Dickerman (in my opinion).

A snow break was very nice for Bogie and he couldn't wait to snuggle up with this small patch.






Yet more stunning views!


Yes, Mount Rainer was showing herself that day and hope to do some hiking over there later in this summer. As you can see, still has quite a bit of snow still left.

This was the last stream before the trailhead parking lot. As you can see, Bogie was pretty worn out by this time. The look on his face at this point was almost blissful.

Last Sunday Walk From Apartment To Green River Trail

Here are some snapshots from last Fridays little walk from the apartment.