02/15/2024
The next morning we embarked on a 600-mile journey to Park City, UT after an incredible time with family! Excited for a week of adventures in the mountains. Reconnecting with Aunt Charyol, Glenda, Mindi, Jeff, Miria, and Dylan was one of the absolute best weeks ever!
Our first Utah hike led us to the stunning Lake Mary – a 4.5 mile round trip with a whopping 778 feet elevation gain. Every step was a breath-taking challenge, literally testing my asthma, but oh, the views made it all worthwhile!
Lake Mary, a dammed reservoir that is the largest of the four Brighton Lakes. The Lake Mary Dam was built in 1915 as part of a project to increase the water storage capacity in the Cottonwood Canyon watershed. Originally there were two smaller lakes in the canyon, Lake Mary and Lake Phoebe, but with the construction of the 72-foot-high dam the two lakes became one. Like all active reservoirs, the depth of Lake Mary fluctuates throughout the year, and sometimes in late summer the water level drops so low that the lakes separate again and the ghost of Lake Phoebe begins to reemerge.
Lake Mary is easily the most scenic of all the Brighton Lakes. There is a lot of granite in this area and the lakeshore is bordered by large outcroppings of the attractive white stone. The lake was originally called Granite Lake, but in 1872 it was renamed after the wife of the noted New York landscape artist, Hartwig Borneman. Several granite islands also protrude from the surface of the deep lake, and hikers are often tempted to swim to the islands. Unfortunately, the lake is a source of culinary water for Salt Lake City, and swimming is not allowed.
Caught some epic shots at Dog Lake while Matt flew his drone before our ascent to Lake Mary.These moments took our breath away, in more ways than one!
