Desolation Trail

#10 of 100 hikes in 2015
Salt Lake City has a large group of outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you like to rock climb, hike, backpack, camp, repel and more, Salt Lake has something for you. Doing these things are always better with friends and family, right?! Well, what if you find yourself new to town, newly single, or want to find people like you to enjoy Utah's great outdoors with but don't have anyone? Meetup Groups are all over the country with every interest you could find. Me, I found myself divorced after 21 years and I can't always drag my kids with me, so I joined Meetup. I'm now a member of various hiking groups and starting to venture out with them. (Psst, this is not easy!)

Base of Desolation Trail

The hiking Meetups have been great because they allow me to meet various people with diverse backgrounds and age groups, and we all have the same thing in common, hiking! And honestly, I'm kind of directionally challenged so I don't know that I trust myself hiking alone. I would be that girl the helicopter would have to come find because she got lost on a trail...

The Desolation trail hike was with the "Utah Outdoors" meetup group which I had never met with or hiked with before. So this past Saturday, Feb 1, I joined in - we hiked Desolation Trail up Millcreek Canyon. It was fun. I must admit I was extremely nervous about going; and honestly, I didn't really even feel that well. I think you can see the apprehension on my face in the picture below. But I have to hit 100 days in 2015, right?! So I got my trail shoes on and joined in.

Map of Desolation Trail via Everytrail.com

Meetups typically have an "event organizer." In the Utah Outdoors group from my observation, they are like mini-guides; they have experience with the Utah trails and outdoors. They are not paid or reimbursed for their time - I think the organizers do it out of wanting to meet people who enjoy the outdoors as much as they do. This Saturday's guide was Dave. And he took us up Desolation trail to the Salt Lake Valley Overlook. The trailhead is about 3.4 miles up Millcreek Canyon and located on the right-hand side of the street by the Millcreek Inn. The hike is about 2.5 hours and about 4.8 miles in and out. The trail is marked online as "moderate" and I have to agree. I went there thinking it wouldn't be difficult but the elevation gain was pretty steep and quite a few switchbacks. We didn't get to see much in the way of an overlook because the clouds were so thick. 

Salt Lake Overlook via Desolation Trail

I'm not sure where my other leg is in this photo!

Taylor Creek in Kolob Canyon

#9 of 100 hikes in 2015

The last hike of my Martin Luther King Day adventure was Taylor Creek. Taylor Creek is located in Kolob Canyon just north west of the main Zion National Park. We decided to do this hike on the way home to Salt Lake City. Although it was fairly straight forward and "easy," I actually had more trouble on this hike than Angels Landing or any other hike at Zion because of the slippery mud slopes and melted ice we had to hike through. Stupidly I didn't put my microspikes on until about half way in which was a huge mistake. My back and hips we very achy because there was a constant traction issue in the mud and melting ice packs.  

Although the hike starts out with a brutal climb up and down stairs, there is little elevation change. The hike is about 3.5 hours long and 5.4 miles. It meanders in and around the creek making for a lovely hike. It isn't difficult but one must concentrate on their footing as you are constantly crisscrossing the creek. Taylor Creek would be great for a family hike. Much of the hike was shaded, and although this hike was in mid-January, I didn't need to bundle up too much. 

Double Arch Alcove at the end of Taylor Creek Trail, Kolob Canyons/Zion

A lovely surprise was running into two historic cabins, Larson Cabin and Fife Cabin. These historic cabins were built in the 1930's. 

Larsen Cabin built in 1929

Double Arch Alcove at the end of Taylor Creek Trail

Double Arch Alcove - Taylor Creek Trail