The Uinta Mountains lie just east the Salt Lake Valley. Well, I guess the Wasatch mountains get in the way first, but then the Uintas start marching west to east for a hundred miles. They are the longest east/west mountain range in the continental USA, and have the highest point in Utah, King's Peak sitting at 13,528 feet. In fact, the Uintas have almost 100 peaks over 12,000 feet in elevation, putting the rest of Utah to shame. And I had never seen them, except from a distance where they looked snowy and inviting. Of course in late September most of the snow has melted for the year and new stuff usually hasn't fallen yet. Rob and I wanted a getaway for a few days, so we packed up for a circuit of the Uinta Wilderness Trail. It's about a 65 mile circle starting out of Neola near Roosevelt, Utah. There's a whole lot of nothing driving to the trailhead, that's for sure.
After a long drive we were happy to be hiking by early afternoon. The trail was gradual and rocky, amd although we kept expecting it to get steeper and harder....somehow it never did. Even as we began to climb away from the river above Sheep's Bridge, the switchbacks were still gradual and we kept up an easy walking pace. The aspen trees were just starting to turn golden, the sun was bright, it was warm, the trail was dry, and it was a beautiful fall day to be out in the woods. What more could you ask for?
All the same, we barely made it to the first flat spot it was possible to camp in before darkness fell...it's coming earlier this time of year. The full moon was rising, though, giving us a gorgeous if chilly evening. Lily Lake proved a great spot to camp, and Rob even got to make a small campfire which is one of the things he loves most in life!
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| The beavers work overtime to flood a section of trail |
Looks like an awesomely beautiful place!
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