(Planning an) August '05 trip

[Sombeech]

Wow, as fast as it's begun, I can forsee summer quickly coming to an end in the near future. I can't believe I'm thinking of an August trip, and it's only next month!!

I'm thinking of a little backpacking trip somewhere up in the High Uintas. A bunch of us loved Bear Lake on the way to King's Peak, and also Alsop Lake treated us pretty good on the East fork of the Bear River.

Maybe 2nd weekend in August? We could head up Thursday night, Friday, Sat, and come home Sunday.

This would mostly be a fishing trip. I think most of the boys want to set up only one camp, instead of moving everyday.

Has anybody fished the Uintas this year? (I'll post this link in the fishing section also)

[accadacca]

Well I would like to do Kings Peak. We could hike to Bear Lake in one day and stay there for several. Use it as the base camp. I would like to hike Gilbert and Kings on that trip. Gilbert is the one of the 29 as well as Kings (they are in different counties) Others could just hang out and fish. They could take day hikes to the river and other lakes in the area.

A few of my fish from Bear Lake (Uintas) I know there are fish in that lake!



However I was talking to a friend on Sunday about the wind rivers. He thinks it is better fishing than the Uintas and a cool place for backpacking. I could find out some more info about that. I have never been there and have only heard good things. Or another place in the Uintas for fishing? BTW....I think towards the end of August would be best.

[KillEmAll]

Count me in! I've been longing for a nice backpacking trip and some good fishin. The bear lake hike was well worth it. The fish in the creek were tiny, but as long as Accadacca takes his secret lure and fishes the lake, I think the eatin' will be just fine!

[Sombeech]

Now that you mention it, I have always wanted to do the Wind Rivers. I hear the fishing is great. I've got a picture of the Wind Rivers in my office. I don't know why I didn't think of that.

The only down side I can think about is the crowds. It is a popular place.

[accadacca]

The only down side I can think about is the crowds. It is a popular place.

Very true. We have to decide what we want I guess. We could be the only people at Bear Lake. Dollar lake is not far from Bear lake either and there are some other lakes close. We could take our poles and camelbaks to those. I will have to look at my map software at home.

[Shan]

The Winds are amazing. We've done a few trips up there, backpacking and canoeing.

Here's from my last canoe trip up there. You start at the Green River lakes, paddle up, then pull the boat up river (current wears you out if you paddle) to the next lake, then repeat until you find a good campsite. You can hike Square Top seen in the back there also. You can fish and we've caught fish, but it'a all glacier tilled waters.

For the backpack trip we camped at Seneca Lake? You can see part of the Continental Divide from that lake. I forgot which drainage it's up. But this view called Photographers Point or something is absolutly stunning.

[accadacca]

WOW!!! That is beautiful....thanks for the picture. Do you have any more on hand? So how crowded was it and what time of year did you go?

[Sombeech]

GORGEOUS!!!! Holy Moly. I've never seen those mountains before, and I have just made up my mind.

That has got to be my destination. That peak kind of looks like Devil's Tower, in Wyoming. You know, the one off of "Close encounters of the third kind".

I know it's not though.

And Canoeing! I haven't thought about that either. I could use an upper body workout.

Got any more pictures from up there?

[shlingdawg]

Post dates up when they're firm. I'll be hitting 5 point/spider/superior lakes in a couple of weeks. I'll post a report w/ pics when I get back.

Kings Peak is about 6 miles from 5 point lake but I don't think I'll be hiking it this trip.....

[Shan]

Thanks! This is a great upper Class I trip. We did it and we were rookies. Some of the turns were sketchy though with snags hanging down. I thinkone of those little peaks is Shan Tower!

I don't have any more here at work, but I have oodles at home if you want more.

Let's see:
Backpacking - July 4th weekend and it wasn't busy! We were the only ones camping at Seneca lake.
Canoeing - I've done the weekend after July 4th, and mid August (low flow). Otherwise the waters turn into mini Class II on those bends. Canoe camping is plush. You can bring everything with you.

There are grizzlies too. Like sighted within 3 miles of where we were. That was scary.

The best part is Pinedale is only a 3 hour drive from Logan. Another 1/2 hour to the Green River Lakes, or any other trailhead. About the same for us to the Uintas. These mountains are HUGE!

[accadacca]

GORGEOUS!!!! Holy Moly. I've never seen those mountains before, and I have just made up my mind.

Yeah it looks hard to beat!!! I guess between now and the trip we need to learn more about this area.

[icthys]

Man I'd like to do this one, my chances aren't very good though. Post a date and location and I'll do my best.

Here's my take on the Wind/Uinta desicion. I've been backpacking in both and they are both spectacular. Each one has it's own beauty but if you ask me they are very similar. I've recentely decided there is no reason to venture outside of the Uintas until I've seen at least 50% of it. There are so many area to go without leaving our backyard.

Fishing will be great anywhere.

[Shan]

I know the Big Sandy area is loaded with bears, because it is the best fishing spot and people camp there and don't even bring dinner because they fry up trout every single night. There's rock climbing there in Big Sandy, if anyone does that.

I'll get my maps out and see if I can generate a trip report.

I think the Uintas feel different than the Winds. The Unitas have that pink rock, rounded domed like mountains - The Winds are jagged spikey mountains, and tons of it. You feel like you're in the Alps. But they both have glacial tilled lakes/rivers, trees and mosquitos and all that.

[accadacca]

I'll get my maps out and see if I can generate a trip report.

That would be sweet! I would like to get an idea of distances and terrain. I am tempted to pack in my float tube.

[Sombeech]

I agree with icthys, in that there is so much area in the Uintas that I have also NOT explored, and I feel that I am ungrateful for what Utah has to offer if I go to the Wind Rivers area.

Although I have spent a lot of time in the Uintas, and I have wanted to do either the Tetons or Wind Rivers for about 4 years now.

I think I would have to go there once in order to have more appreciation for the Uintas. You have to know what else is out there so you can fully appreciate your current destination.

Hey Shan, I'd love to see more of those pictures when you can post them! Thanks.

BTW, my new favorite Emoticon:

[Sombeech]

Sorry to post so much, but Shan, can you tell me more about the canoes?

Are you saying you paddle through the lakes, and then pull the canoe up river? How long would you be pulling the canoe on average? That would sound like a hassle, unless you had a pretty good system.

[Shan]

No prob, Sombeech.

You paddle up the first long lake.
Then you come to where the stream inputs, you can paddle up this in low water, but you'll just waste energy. So we just tie a rope on a drag it. it's all a constant elevations, through wildflower meadows, hardly any trees around it to manuever around either. The stream is always crossable, never too, too deep, so you can walk IN the stream pulling it, but it's ice cold. Upon entering the second lake you can hop back in the boat and start paddling. At the end of the second lake it's like a maze of streams, the all meet up in the end. This is very paddle-able too until it merges back to one stream.

Camping up here makes for a shorter hike to Square Top also.

The pulling is not hard or a pain or cumbersome. Leave everything in the canoe tied down. No portages either unless a tree has fallen since then. You don't pull long either, maybe an 1+ hours total? I can't remember. You can actually paddle/pull up to the campsite I've marked (roughly) and turn around and go back to the put in in 8 hours, with breaks. Going out is fun. Twisty little river with big lakes. Hubby hangs the line off the back of the canoe as we paddle along and has caught fish.

[Sombeech]

Wow, thanks for the info. That would be very fun to canoe back down, and fish off the back!

I think I'm in! Thanks.

Oh, one more thing. Do you need any permits?

[Shan]

Other than a WY fishing license, I didn't find anything that said I needed a canoe permit.

[Shan]

Backpack Route: Trailhead Elkhart Park (Pole Creek Trail) to Titcomb Basin. 15 miles one way.

This was our destination, we were allowing 2 days to get to Titcomb Basin. On the first day we made it to Seneca Lake. I think it's about 8-9 miles in. Photographer's Point is at 5 miles in. Due to storms we didn't make it to Titcomb Basin the next day, only make it to Island Lake. We were so close and could see the Continental Divide. It took 1/2 day to hike to Seneca Lake. I'm slow.

From the internet:

"The trail begins climbing through pine forest, but after only about three miles reaches high alpine country at about the 10,000 foot elevation level, where it stays for the next twelve miles. Absolutely gorgeous country with expansive views extending to the continental divide and many alpine lakes. We passed among others, the very large Seneca Lake, then Island Lake (a popular camping site), eventually reaching the first of the two large Titcomb lakes."

Really good photos of that trip by someone else:
http://www.tezaur.net/photo/wyoming2002/windrivers/

Bridger Wilderness Trailheadsm, Pinedale, Wy
How to get to Elkhart Park
http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/btnf/offices...le-trail.shtml