Twelve Mile Camp - Day 3

After John & Mary picked us up from our Black Mountain hike, we headed back to Twelve Mile Campground for a much needed rest.  Then it was time for some afternoon fishing before completing our day with a side-by-side ride up Skyline Drive to High Top to watch the sunset.  What a wonderful way to end our three-day Wasatch Plateau adventure - truly an amazing place!  We'll be back!

Arizona Skyrocket

We were curious to see if there were any fish in Twelve Mile Creek
These pools are perfect for Mary and her Tenkara rod

She didn't get any action so she waved her walking stick at the pool!
At least she's a good sport!

Back to camp for snacks and a little time of relaxation

Later we headed back to Blue Lake since the fishing was so fun on Tuesday
(Blue Lake on the right and Henningson Reservoirs in the center)

Kent was having fun watching the Tiger trout chase his grasshopper, but they wouldn't bite

Mary found the perfect place to sit and fish . . . she had so much fun! 

As you can see, she was the winner of the day! John proudly shows off her Tiger trout!

Columbine growing near the lake's edge 

Heading back to camp . . . it was fun watching the clouds build in the afternoons . . .
 Fortunately, we only had one little rain shower during our stay

Allison prepared a 'Thanksgiving' meal for our final dinner . . . yum!

After dinner John & Mary drove us up Skyline Drive to High Top to see the sunset

Wow! Duck Fork is the lake is in the distance where John & Mary fished while we hiked

As our day comes to an end, the sun is setting behind Black Mountain . . .

Twelve hours ago we were beginning our hike up the mountain!

 

Black Mountain

Last year, when we were on top of Mt. Baldy with Tom, we looked north across the drainage at Black Mountain and discussed possibly hiking it "one-of-these-days."  Well, that day was today!  What really added to the enjoyment for this hike was that we were able to make it a "through hike."  John & Mary were gracious enough to drop us off on the east end of the mountain and then pick us up later at a different ending spot.  This allowed us to traverse across the top and come down a side draw that hid a mysterious sounding pond called "The Black Hole."

After breakfast, John & Mary drove us to the east side of Black Mountain where we would begin our hike . . . 
While we were hiking they drove to Duck Fork Reservoir to fish for a few hours

Off we go! We should meet back up on the other side in about four hours

We made our way to the top of the ridge . . .
There was no trail but, thankfully, there were game trails and the bushwhacking was minimal

It's always fun to discover new wildflowers . . . this is King's Flax

Looking to the northeast as we gain elevation

Utah Columbine are unique to subalpine rocky slopes

Up on the first ridge . . . views were amazing!

More fun flowers . . . Mountain Coyote Mint, Ragwort and Paintbrush

Wow!  What a feeling to be standing on the spine of a mountain!

Utah Columbine grow from 2-12 inches tall . . . they covered the slope on the spine

Allison on the other side of the camera for a change!
(She's also on the other side of the spine . . . this is looking back from where we have come)

Wasatch Penstemon

We could see our campground and Mt. Baldy which we hiked last year

Police Car Moth contrasts with this Canada Goldenrod

This is a neat picture that captures three of the peaks we climbed last summer with Tom
Mt. Baldy is on the left, with Peak 11071 (Island Lake Peak) next to Baldy,
and Musinia Peak (Mary's Nipple) to the right

Colorful lichen on the limestone

Wildflower filled meadows covered the plateau/mountain top

We followed this old road across the top and headed for Black Mountain
(The whole plateau is know as Black Mountain, but our GPS labeled
 a specific bump as Black Mountain "proper")

Western Yarrow and Fleabane

We continued up the eastern slope of Black Mountain

From the top we could see the Black Hole, our next stop, on our way down off the mountain

Following a faint game trail, we came to an abrupt cliff edge . . . yikes!

We looked for a better option and started our way down a game trail toward the Black Hole

Half-way down the steep talus slope . . . looking back at Black Mountain (10,743)

The game trail was covered with deer and elk tracks
There were a few springs with water flowing into the pond

We didn't see any sign of fish in the Black Hole . . . just salamanders

Heading towards our rendezvous point . . . Mt. Baldy on the left and Musinia Peak on the right

Back in the aspens, and at the bottom of the ravine, we met up with the road
 that will lead us to John & Mary . . . We have less than a mile to go!

Ah . . . it was so good to see our 'Uber drivers!"

This was a most enjoyable hike!  If walking on the spine of a mountain and enjoying abundant and beautiful wildflowers, along with an alpine cirque that holds a small pond sounds like a fun exploration, then maybe this hike is for you.  Our route came in at about six miles (one-way) with a little over 1,200 ft of total elevation (of which 890 ft was attained on the initial ascent).  If you're in the area, consider this hike that gives you excellent views of the Wasatch Plateau!

Twelve Mile Camp - Day 2

We decided, late last night, after dinner that we would use Day Two to explore some new roads.  One of the things John & Mary enjoy about the Wasatch Plateau are the abundance of roads that are open and accessible with their side-by-sides.  We also wanted to incorporate some fishing along the way by visiting several small ponds that lay alongside our loosely planned routes.  It certainly is a good feeling when your plans come together even better than you expected - I'm not sure we could have had a better day!

Allison's favorite camping breakfast . . . scrambled egg whites with cheese

We spotted this doe with her fawn on our way to Deep Lake

We have arrived at Deep Lake
We are so grateful that John & Mary brought their side-by-sides . . . 
There was no way we would have brought our Tacoma on any of these roads!

John had fun with his fly rod

He also had great success . . . a nice Rainbow trout!
Mary raced over to capture the moment . . . such a cute couple!

Then it was Mary's turn . . . this big Rainbow made her work for it! 

This Dragonfly kept hovering near us

Allison and her Deep Lake catch of the day!

A nice Rainbow for Kent!

Then it was off to explore a series of three small ponds simply known as WPA Ponds
(We assume they were created by the Works Progress Administration sometime in the mid 1930's)
Here, the first pond is framed by the Western Salsify's that were in full bloom

A beautiful spiderweb shining in the sun!

Mary & Allison were looking for beavers but spotted these muskrats instead! 

There's a first for everything . . . ever heard of a Police Car Moth? Now you have!

Mt. Baldy makes a nice reflection in this WPA pond
(Notice the fish rising on the pond)

It didn't take long for Kent to reel in this Brook trout

A beautiful spot . . . the logs appear to act as a dam to filter the water before it heads downstream 

We drove miles of roads . . . this section looked challenging . . . but Mary made it look easy!
(Now you can see why we didn't want to bring our truck on these "roads")

Later in the afternoon we checked out Julius Flat Reservoir
When we didn't see any fish rising, we were sort of discouraged

However, the stream flowing from the reservoir looked interesting
Interesting seems to be an understatement . . . it was a "mecca" for some beautiful Cutthroat's

Allison pulled out 10 Cutthroat trout!
  We released all of them, but Allison kept Kent busy baiting and releasing her catch . . .
It was a lot of fun for both of us!

We had so much fun exploring today
 Now it's time to relax & enjoy the sunset from our camp spot