Playing a little bit of catch up! Shane and I had a full weekend off a few weeks ago, so we decided to spend it exploring the outdoors. We have been trying to enjoy as much as possible before everything freezes over.
Our first stop was Brighton. We had originally planned to hike out to several of the nearby lakes, but when we arrived we discovered there was a bike race happening that day. The road was scheduled to close at 1:00 pm and we arrived around 11:00 am, so we decided to keep things simple and take a relaxing walk around Silver Lake.
In the end, it was probably the right choice. The drive back later was already chaotic with bikers and traffic, so trying to squeeze in a longer hike would have been stressful.
Silver Lake is the perfect easy stroll. There is a well maintained trail that circles the entire lake. Half of the path is a wooden boardwalk over the water and wetlands, and the other half winds through the forest.
The wetlands area was especially beautiful. This trail really has a little bit of everything. We saw wildlife, wildflowers, and amazing mountain scenery all along the walk.
We spotted a little duck family enjoying the water.
At one point we saw a mama deer standing just off the trail. She actually had a baby hidden right underneath her, though I could not quite get the little one in the photo.
We also saw another deer along the trail and even watched a bird hunting for food in the wetlands.
And of course, the star of the area is Silver Lake itself, which is absolutely beautiful.
After our walk around the lake, I decided to take Shane to Stewart Falls. I had hiked it a few weeks earlier with my friend Erin, but Shane needed to see it for himself.
The hike was just as beautiful the second time around, and Shane was definitely impressed once we reached the waterfall. It is one of those spots that makes the hike completely worth it.
The water was freezing, but of course I still had to test it.
On the way back down the trail we stopped for our usual “feet photo”, which has become a bit of a tradition for us.
On our way home we also made a quick stop at Sundance. By that point we were pretty worn out, so we just walked around for a bit before heading back to Orem.
Overall it was a great day outside and another reminder of how many beautiful places there are to explore here in Utah.
