A lame afternoon turned around as I decided to find a trail without cars parked at the base. Driving up Big Cottonwood Canyon every trail head I passed had 3 to a dozen vehicles. I pondered where could I go. Then passing the lower Solitude Ski Resort entry I saw not 3 but one and this guy was leaving. I pulled over. I've heard the Silver Fork hike begins at the western edge of this parking lot. I jumped the gate and headed for the forest service road. I got lost on private property of the Silver Fork summer residence road. Not wanting to chance anything I doubled back and hit the cat track that wraps around to the Honeycomb lift. Later when I read my guide book I could have stayed on the private road without trouble. Anyways I wanted something short and without people. That is what I got besides one group of mountain bikers coming down, two bull moose in velvet, and a dozen bald eagles flying out of camera range (I only had the 28-80). I passed by groves of quaky aspen still with summer green. I rounded the area by stopping at an abandon mining camp. On the way down caught a brilliant sunset of colors in the clouds and still made it down before dark.
Ah a lovely hike for my only day off this week.
