Another successful local G.O.A.T. is in the books!
This past weekend, we entered our Golden Girl Era and completed a hike to Lake Blanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon – just outside of Salt Lake City. The hike was approximately 6 miles and about 2,600 feet of gain, so it was a steep one!
Seven girls joined us for the hike. Our 6am start time was pretty early for most of us, but caffeine and snacks kept us going. Fortunately, the sun was just starting to come up as we started, so flashlights and headlamps were not needed.
We traversed the ~2,600 feet of elevation gain in about 3.5 miles, stopping several times to take water and snack breaks and stretch our legs. Hiking with a group can always be a challenge since everyone hikes at different speeds, but the friendship and camaraderie among the women makes the breaks fun! Before we knew it, we had arrived at the lake!
We stopped at the lake to rest, enjoy the scenery, have some snacks, and soak up the sun. Unfortunately, Big Cottonwood Canyon is a watershed, so we couldn’t swim or get in the water, but the wind made it a bit chilly, so we were all happy with simply relaxing in the sun.
After a short break, we hiked the 3.5 miles back down the mountain to our cars. Our legs were definitely tired! Since we finished around lunchtime, we were all craving burgers and hot dogs. We drove over to Cotton Bottom Inn for a much needed refuel and enjoyed the live music and delicious food.
Huge thanks to Perspire Sauna Studio who partnered with us for this Local G.O.A.T. and gifted us free sauna sessions at their Draper location for everyone who participated. It is going to be a much needed reward for our sore muscles!
Overall, this was a great hike! Everyone was super friendly, and we enjoyed each other’s company hiking up the trail. And huge shout out to Sandy F — this was her first hike! We’re so glad that she could join us and enjoy hiking with our group!
