WANDERING PATHS: MILLCREEK CANYON
Incredible Sights: Big Water to Desolation Lake to Wasatch Crest Loop
by Patrick L Welsh
The vibrant hues of autumn slowly unveil themselves this time of year, blanketing the mountains and foothills with breath-taking crimson and amber patches. It is a sure sign of colder things to come, but for a brief window the Wasatch is cool and comfortable for all outside endeavors, including that long grueling 15 mile loop hike you wanted to do most of the year, but didn't because of the heat and mosquitoes of deep summer.
Fall is certainly one of my favorite seasons for a number of reasons; including the opportunity to be comfortable in pants and a light jacket, plus the fresh crisp smell of summer's passage into winter, and the filtering of golden sunlight as it shines through the foliage. This loop is one of my favorite hikes in the Wasatch any time of year, but fall allows all of us to tackle a lot of mileage without totally blowing ourselves out.
The Desolation trailhead starts 9.6 miles up Millcreek Canyon in a large parking lot next to an outhouse. The altitude at the lot is 8,780 ft. and can often be a good deal cooler than the valley temps, so bring the appropriate layering; an extra long sleeved shirt and a shell, maybe two.
There are a number of approaches and variations of this trail to make it longer or shorter, but the one I'm writing about is amazing, and will give you a thorough workout. On the south end of the lot you will see a sign for the Big Water Trail that heads up a gully through the tall pines. (An interesting side note, as tall and old as some of the trees may seem, at one time most of the trees in the canyon were deforested for the mills, and then later replanted).
You follow this trail for 2 ½ miles as it follows mellow switchbacks up the hill through the pines and firs towards Dog Lake. As you gain altitude you see more and more aspens, bright yellow right now. The trail will dip and take you down to the picturesque Dog Lake, a beautiful body of water surrounded by trees and flanked by Little Water Peak to the North and Reynolds Peak to the South.
You wind your way around the North side of the lake where you will see a trail marker for Desolation Lake. This will take you down a steep path to an aspen-filled meadow, with a trail marker to Big Cottonwood Canyon. At the marker you will hike for another 2 miles up a moderate path that starts to flatten out and head east, past a pond and a handful of open meadows and woods to an amazing alpine cirque around Desolation Lake. There are stunning views the whole way. You will see Big Cottonwood's ridgeline to the south.
Take a while to bask in the splendor of the aptly named Desolation Lake and eat the lunch you were prepared enough to bring. I have had some really deep meditations just looking at the reflections on the lake and listening to the wind sway the surrounding trees at this 9,240 foot-high haven.
From here you will head east on a trail from the lake that switchbacks through the aspens to hook up with the Wasatch Crest trail at 9,800 ft. The stunning views from here are some of the best in the Wasatch. To the West you can see into Big Cottonwood and Millcreek Canyons, to the North is Parley’s canyon, to the East is the Canyons Resort and Park City, with Heber even farther East, and to the south are the towering Granite Peaks of Little Cottonwood and American Fork Canyons. You head North for two miles along the ridgeline trail that will take you past a few rocky sections towards the Canyons Ski Resort. You will start to see evidence of ski lifts and trails as you come up on 9,602 ft Murdock Peak off to the North. At this point, head west down the marked Little Water trail for 3 miles back to the Big Water parking lot. Your feet are probably starting to ache a bit by now and you won’t have any problem sleeping tonight, but you drift off, you will be thinking 'what an amazing hike!'
As with any long hike, proper equipment is a must. Good comfortable trail shoes, a map and compass, plenty of water and food, a headlamp, and warm clothing will make this 15 mile trail a lot more fun. This is also a rare and delicate piece of our local wilderness. Observe leave no trace ethics and make nice with all the other users of these trails, and we will have this treasure for generations to come.
Patrick Welsh, 26, is a native of the Wasatch and an employee of Black Diamond Equipment and Alta Ski Lifts.