Trip Report: Evening Hike - Willow Lake Moose Ride


Evening Hike - Willow Lake Moose Ride
By Stephen Higgins
HIKE 10/15/2019 NTD+

Tuesday dawned bright and clear, and it was still beautiful many hours later in the late afternoon when we met to carpool to the trail head at the Willow Lake Conservation Area. We had one hiker who was trying her first Tuesday evening hike after being a regular participant of the Monday night Draper hikes, which are a bit more relaxed pace. After the usual ritual hazing with marshmallows and canola oil, we checked her moose harness for proper fit and began up the hill. Fortunately, the trail to Willow Lake is generally gentle, with only a moderate section of real incline, where we used rope and tackle to help the newbie ascend. Once we reached the meadow, the trail is level and lovely all the way around the lake (which is really more of a pond).

This is always such a beautiful hike because of the lovely aspen trees on the eastern fork on the way up. This year the aspen leaves are not turning yellow, because of the early freeze, but the white trunks are so pretty, adorned with dead dead dead brown leaves. We were treated to a herd of deer as we rounded the lake (pond) near the dining spot for the snowshoe social. Night set upon us as we descended from the lake (pond), and a couple of us made it down with just the light from the headlamps of those behind us, spurred on by the screaming of the woodland elves.

Hiking were Sue Baker, Petra Brittner, Liz Copeland, Deb Frank, Stephen Higgins, Jeannie Pfoutz, and Florida John met us at the trailhead.

(Note, was not able to submit from activity calendar, and Petra has already submitted a photo.)