Summer Solstice

I spent the longest day of the year hiking in Big Cottonwood Canyon. I reconnected with an old friend from my early days at BD about a week ago. He and I share an interest in hiking, so he invited me to spend last Saturday hiking with him. We met at the base of the canyon and headed to Silver Fork Lodge for brunch. For those of you who aren't familiar with Silver Fork Lodge, the view is one of the best kept secrets in Utah. We enjoyed our breakfast of omelettes and huevos rancheros while sitting outside on the deck, overlooking the spectacular views of the canyon. It was really great to catch up and the setting was top-notch.

After breakfast we hiked to Broads Fork, which is adjacent to the Lake Blanche trailhead. It was a beautiful hike, but a bit more vertical than I was expecting. The 96 degree weather certainly didn't help. Quite frankly, it kicked my can! I am a significantly slower hiker than Jon and didn't want to be the one to hold us up, so I did my best to forge ahead. Man, was I feeling it. I guess I need to beef up my game if I'm going to keep hiking with Jon.

The view at the top was absolutely worth it and we had a nice time relaxing in the sun before heading back down the mountain. We reflected on the way down on how spending the day hiking is our idea of a perfect summer Saturday in Utah. I am continually amazed at how therapeutic the mountains are for me. I always feel better when I'm in the mountains. Now if I could just keep up . . .