Uintas 2010

[Scott P]

That looks like a brown bear to me.

It looks nothing like a brown bear to me. The body shape is a dead givaway. What would you say makes it look like a brown bear?

I've got the itch bad to get out in the Uintas but the snow doesn't seem to wana go away?

Snowpack is just above normal for some of the north slope of the Uintas, below normal everywhere else (though by this time of year, the official numbers don't mean so much).

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=134181&nid=149

Usually a fair amount of snow persist until mid-July, but as others have stated, it varies much from year to year. June is still way too early to expect dry conditions in most years. 2002 and 2003 as mentioned above were horribly dry years. In 1995, a fair amount of snow lasted until mid-August and thick mosquitoes lasted through August. Usually mosqitoes are thin by early to mid-August.

[ibenick]

I think I'm going to attempt my first Uinta backpacking trip of the year next weekend. The 10-day forecast is looking prime for massive snow melt between now and then. I was thinking Kermsuh Lake from the Christmas Meadows trailhead. It's the only basin I haven't visited in that drainage and is at a reasonably low 10,300'. Any opinions out there on how that hike would be if there is still some significant snow? The only factors I can think of is that the trail after leaving the main trail is on the east facing side of that drainage so perhaps less melt there?

[asdf]

I may be headed up there to do some car camping and hiking with the fam that same weekend.

[Wasatch Rebel]

I'm thinking of going next week up to Ibantik Lake--maybe. Any idea how much snow is up there, or even by Trial and its vicinity?

[brookiekiller]

I think I'm going to attempt my first Uinta backpacking trip of the year next weekend. The 10-day forecast is looking prime for massive snow melt between now and then. I was thinking Kermsuh Lake from the Christmas Meadows trailhead. It's the only basin I haven't visited in that drainage and is at a reasonably low 10,300'. Any opinions out there on how that hike would be if there is still some significant snow? The only factors I can think of is that the trail after leaving the main trail is on the east facing side of that drainage so perhaps less melt there?

I was up there in late June last year and it was very muddy - suck your boots off mud. The bridge was out and the crossing was scary at Ostler Creek. The Stillwater Fork crossing on the Kermsuh trail was also fun as it is a single log and the water was really raging. There are several creek crossings up on top as well that were fun and needless to say I was soaked - but was planning on it. There wasn't a dry place to be found as it was just a big marshy meadow and snow everywhere on top. There is a lot of water in the basin and last year there was a lot of snow near the lake as it gets very little sun as the cliffs are right around the lake. It is a very beautiful place - probably the most photogenic of all the uintas for the effort. Here is a pic taken last year on about the 3rd week of July:

[ibenick]

That is a beautiful picture! Nice work. I hadn't thought of that crossing over Ostler Creek, that could be way scary with a good flow, even if that old one-log bridge was still there. Perhaps I'll push this one off into July and figure something else out for next weekend. Just curious, I've read that there aren't any good camping spots near Kermsuh, any truth to that?

On a side note, I was up in Empire Pass this morning dropping something off at a client's house and snapped a couple of pics just to let you all know what the snow melt in the Wasatch is looking like. These were taken from the pass just below 9000', both are looking west from Empire, Guardsman Pass is to the right in the first pic. Sorry for the crappy iPhone quality.

[Zep]

For those interested, I hiked into Grandaddy Basin 6/16-6/19. There were large drifts of snow covering roughly 1/4 of the trail in the higher and less sun-exposed areas. It made hiking fairly tedious and probably doubled the normal energy used to hike the same distance.

It was snowing and cold the 1st day. On arrival all of the lakes at 10,300 or above were iced over except the edges. Lakes 10,200 or below were mostly ice free. The following three days were beautiful, the first two being nearly cloudless the whole day - a rarity with my experience in the Uintas.

By the time we hiked out, the 10,300 lakes were melting fast. As an example, Grandaddy was nearly completely frozen on the hike in, while three days later it appeared to be ice free. Drifts were also noticeably smaller. Another week of good weather and most of the drifts should be gone.

No mosquitoes, yet. Fishing fair... didn't spend much time at any lake but caught fish in all but one of the lakes we fished and I think it will rapidly pick up as the melt continues.

A beautiful trip - I'd do it again.

Zep

[ibenick]

For those interested, I hiked into Grandaddy Basin 6/16-6/19....

Thanks for the information, much appreciated!

[ibenick]

Snow melt update. I went for a little drive/hike in the Uintas today. Still a lot of snow up over Bald Mountain pass, not much below 10k. I'm thinking a high altitude backpack trip next weekend is not happening (for me anyway). Here's a few pics from the pass.

[shaggy125]

So Ruth Lake (around 10,300) probably still has a fair amount of snow? Cliffs are probably seeping pretty good still too. I want to do some climbing up there soon, hopefully a couple more weeks.

[JONBOYLEMON]

No pics from a few post up????

[Aaron303]

Hello Everyone,

Noob to the site. Based in Denver, meeting some Idaho friends in Evanston on Friday night, hoping to get into the mtns on Saturday morning, find a dispersed site and use it as a base to do some day hikes. We will have 4x4, a tacoma and FJ, plus 2 German Short-hairs and a Weimaraner. A few questions for you all:

1. What is the best plan of attack for finding a camp site that late into a holiday weekend?
2. What is the best area along Mirror Lake Hwy. to have access to the most hiking? We, like everyone else, are quite partial to lakes and streams ;-).

Any other advice for a first-time visitor to the Uintas would be very helpful!

Aaron

[ibenick]

Welcome to Bogley.

My advice would be to stay away from the Mirror Lake Highway as much as possible. I went through there last weekend and there were just way too many people, don't want to think what it would be like over the 4th. On the other hand, for day hikes that is probably the best area. Most other places you would be hiking in pretty far to get to good lakes. If it were me I would probably camp somewhere off of the north slope road and then drive out to the highway to do the day hikes. If you want a good one away from the crowds and don't mind it just being a stream, try Buck Pasture in West Fork Black's Fork, should be good fly fishing too if you're doing that.

[Zep]

I finally pulled a few pics off of my camera. Here is a view looking south across Grandaddy Lake June 16 and then three days later, June 19.

Zep

[Aaron303]

Sweet, thanks for the advice. I have been reading a ton but have never been to the area so it is nice to have a seasoned perspective. We'll probably follow your advice and hit the north slope road. Stunning pics, guys/girls!

[ibenick]

I finally pulled a few pics off of my camera. Here is a view looking south across Grandaddy Lake June 16 and then three days later, June 19.

Zep

Thanks for posting that. Excellent before and after, did you just get lucky on that or did you plan it? Trip report coming too?

[JONBOYLEMON]

Was that pic of Grandaddy this year????

[ibenick]

Was that pic of Grandaddy this year????

Yep. Original post from Zep:

For those interested, I hiked into Grandaddy Basin 6/16-6/19. There were large drifts of snow covering roughly 1/4 of the trail in the higher and less sun-exposed areas. It made hiking fairly tedious and probably doubled the normal energy used to hike the same distance.

It was snowing and cold the 1st day. On arrival all of the lakes at 10,300 or above were iced over except the edges. Lakes 10,200 or below were mostly ice free. The following three days were beautiful, the first two being nearly cloudless the whole day - a rarity with my experience in the Uintas.

By the time we hiked out, the 10,300 lakes were melting fast. As an example, Grandaddy was nearly completely frozen on the hike in, while three days later it appeared to be ice free. Drifts were also noticeably smaller. Another week of good weather and most of the drifts should be gone.

No mosquitoes, yet. Fishing fair... didn't spend much time at any lake but caught fish in all but one of the lakes we fished and I think it will rapidly pick up as the melt continues.

A beautiful trip - I'd do it again.

Zep

[asdf]

Camped near Trail Lake this weekend .. plenty of people in the area.
Highlight of the weekend was the Lofty Lake loop (TR coming later this week) where there was plenty of snow around Cutthroat pass.

Me@Lofty

[ibenick]

Camped near Trail Lake this weekend .. plenty of people in the area.
Highlight of the weekend was the Lofty Lake loop (TR coming later this week) where there was plenty of snow around Cutthroat pass.

Nice teaser... now bring on the trip report!