Thursday at Sunday Gulch

A beautiful day in store 80's and sunshine so we head out early to do our hike at the Sunday Gulch by Sylvan Lake. Not sure what to expect except it is listed as 3 miles, strenuous and crosses water at several points.The trail begins off the Sylvan Lakeshore Trail.

It is full ofsmall waterfalls and rock grottos surrounded by ponderosa pine. Many of the rocks are covered with mosses and lichen. Once this gulch was filled with a stream, but in the 1890s Theodor Reder dammed the mouth of the gulch and created Sylvan Lake.



A squeeze through the rocksIt opens up into a ponderosa pine forestand the backside of Sylvan LakeThen down into the Gulch!and down . . .and down . .

The rocks can be slippery and there is some water to get across but there are railings most of the way down.I don't know how they got themhere!

Once you get down the 800 ft drop in 1 mile the hike goes through the woods.

Thebrown trees on this hill are all dead from the pine beetle.

The end!

We've worked up an appetite so we go to Blue Bell Lodge for a late lunch

Then a drive on the Needles Highway








Till Later,Meanwhile we keep on Trek'n

Melissa and Gary