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I've never spent much time in the uinta range and would like to this summer. I'm looking for estimates when the trails around naturalist basin and the like (10K') will be passable. I'm sure they won't be dry till August but does anyone know how early Spring hits the range? Is the road closed in the winter?
Usually early July, but snowpack is below normal, so possibly around mid-June. Right after most of the snow melts is when the mosquitoes come out.
Yes, the road is closed in winter. In dry years it opens around Memorial Day weekend. In wet years, much later.
Mirror lake highway opens up unofficially a few weeks before it officially opens up. Watch this forum, people normally go up there and check to see how much snow is on the road. It can be a pleasant snowshoe backpacking trip to go up there as soon as the snow is off the road. However, the lakes are still frozen, but there are no bugs as the nights are still too cold for them.
That would sound perfect, I'll take a little snow to miss the bugs. Maybe I put my snowshoes away too early. Any recommendation for a shorter snowshoe overnighter?
Maybe Yellowpine, but the lower end might be melted out some.
PS, late March and April is when the snow is usually deepest in the Uintas, and deeper than in winter.
One year I went up the North Fork of the Provo River Trail with snow shoes. It was not easy because of all the beaver ponds. The river is normally high early in the season, so it was impossible to cross. That goes for most all rivers and major creeks in the Unitas during snow melt. One year I went to the Naturalist Basin.