When my friends from China came to visit STL

Trip to Utah - Red Pine Lake and Mount Pfiefferhorn

These are photos of my hike up Red Pine Lake Trail. It was a relatively short hike to the lake. It took approximately 3-4 hours to get there, with a pretty significant elevation gain.  I brought about 30 pounds on my pack and set up camp next to the lake. It was an amazing location. When the sun started setting bats came out and kept swooping down to eat the bugs that were near the lake. There were lots of wildlife and the full moon was blazing bright.

It was much colder than I anticipated, and I was shivering most the night. I brought a really light summer sleeping bag and it was not enough. When 5am rolled around I was happy to wake up and start moving. I set a small pack and headed to the next location. First it was a scramble up a huge chute to the upper lakes and then another scramble to the ridge that connected to Mount Pfiefferhorn.
It was so dark, that I completely lost the trail and just guessed my best route up to the ridge.

First Part of the trail was heavily wooded. Really pretty with a lot of good views of the canyon.

Red Pine Lake

This photo is upside down

 

This is moments before the sun punched through the morning clouds

This is moments after the previous pic. the temp went up like 20 deg instantly.

Looking down at red pine lake where i camped.

Knife Blade ridge. this was frightening to cross.

views from the peak

views from the peak

beginning descent

peak

 

How I kept my phones/cameras charged on the trail

While I was camping up at the lake, it rained in the canyon. so much of the trail on the way down had changed dramatically.

Flowers of Little Cottonwood canyon

 

Charming the chipmunks

The following night i went to look at the sunset from a lookout near Park City

Final Morning in UT had a pretty awesome sunrise

Salt Lake