Salt Lake City
Safety first!
After a frosty night camping along the Snake River and a cool morning exploring City of Rocks, we were looking forward to a weekend "getaway" in Salt Lake City. Driving in, the city and surrounding landscape was surrounded by a yellow dusty haze. We were undeterred -our mission for the night was to shower and keep warm! We stayed in an Airbnb just south of the city and the next morning we woke up early to hike Big Baldy, a popular hike just a few minutes from where we were staying. The 10-mile round trip gained more than 3,000 feet of elevation -the most we had climbed at once since the JMT! The path weaved around rock formations, along creek sides and waterfalls, through grassy valleys, under the shade of pines, and finally up to a rocky peak that overlooked the city below. Autumn colors painted the hillsides along the way. The air was chilly at the top of the peak so we didn't linger and instead hurried back down to our car. We then drove to the city center to explore Temple Square and the surrounding blocks. Finally, we made our way to our next Airbnb in south SLC for another warm and restful evening. The evening was spent casually reading up on Wikipedia about the history of the Church of Latter-day Saints and Temple Square.
Our second full day in SLC was more "luxurious" than the first. We woke up early and drove to the community fitness and aquatic center. After a great workout, we stopped in Liberty Park and enjoyed a peaceful Sunday afternoon walking along the park's paths. We even managed to snap a picture with the safety crossing flags.
Overall our stopover in SLC was exactly what we had hoped for -a place to rest and wait out a few cold nights. We were intrigued by the history, the surrounding mountains, and the curious urban planning. Our favorite cities tend to be walkable, have abundant green space, and great public transportation. SLC didn't quite have those elements but there were neighborhoods in the city we found charming. It was also a great hub for our adventures to the great national parks of Utah.
Getting it done! Big Baldy trail.
The Assembly Hall in Temple Square. If you think this is nice, you should see the building next door...