BRIGHTON, Utah – Imagine spending an hour or so hiking to a pair of stunning mountain lakes, only to find that there’s no water left. You’d probably be a bit upset. Hikers of Utah’s Twin Lakes Trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon have been experiencing essentially exactly that, with the lower lake of the two being completely drained through the week. According to Fox 13, the lake is being drained for summer maintenance on the nearby dam.
The lakes were initially two separate lakes, but the instillation of the dam caused them to more or less become one. The separation between the two was revealed through the draining process, though now the lower lake is almost completely dry.
The AllTrails page marks the Twin Lakes Trail as a 2.3 mile out-and-back with 767 feet of elevation gain. Reviewers for the trail have noted their disappointment over the dried out lake, though several still say the trail is worth the hike, especially for the wildflowers and wildlife.
“Go early. Very peaceful. We went up to twin lakes but they drained it quite a bit recently. We went up twin lake and down solitude. We saw 3 moose on our way in.” – Jeff S. on AllTrails.
Fox 13 states that Salt Lake City Public Utilities will be replacing valve stems and assessing the gates in the valves, requiring dry access for safety purposes. The dam was built in 1914.
“I’m glad they’re taking care of it. I mean, what was it 50 years ago when Grand Teton Dam broke? So we don’t want it breaking down, so that’s a good thing. And it’s a beautiful hike up here whether there’s a lake or not, so I’ve got no complaints.” – hiker Jeff Robertson.
