Intermediate backpackers with 10-12 days to cover all of Utah -- where to?

[mitchm]

Hi all,

A friend and I have 10-12 days in all to cover the state of Utah (not including the drive out there...from Florida!). We favor shorter overnights (2-4 nights in the backcountry) and preferably loop trails. Definitely going to spend at least one half to one third of our time hiking in the Uintas (15-25 mile loop recommendations appreciated!)

The rest of the time we really have no idea. We definitely want to see Zion but were thinking about doing day hikes there (Angel's Landing at the very least) because we aren't too comfortable with the questionable availability of water sources.

The West Rim trail and other parts of Zion sound great, but is it worth the hassle of coordinating a shuttle and trying to secure last-minute site reservations? Currently we are thinking we'd just do the overnights in Uintas where there are less hoops to jump through in terms of overnight camping.

And of course we also realize that Zion and Uintas aren't the only two places in Utah. Any other areas that we definitely should not miss? Canyonlands does look pretty badass!

Any/all advice is appreciated!

[kniephof]

What time of year?

Random suggestions (may or may not be able to make loop hikes):

Mount Timpanogos - 1 nighter, camp in the meadows, bag the peak.
Canyonlands - if not too hot...Chesler Park/Joint Trail area
Dark Canyon
Coyote Gulch - or others in the Escalante area like Death Hollow, Willow, Davis, etc
Buckskin Gulch??
Boulder Mountain - never been, but...
Halls Creek Narrows in Capitol Reef?
Uintas - Grandaddy, Naturalist, Kings Peak...

[mitchm]

ah, totally forgot to include the time-frame. We are setting out around August 5th.

[kniephof]

In that case, several of the desert ones I mentioned might be too hot. You might hit some bad mosquitoes this year in early August (Uintas). I think they're usually tapering off by then, but the snow has lingered much longer than normal this year.

[gnwatts]

The upper reaches of Dark Canyon are pretty high, and nice IMO in the summer. On Cedar Mesa, Mule Canyon over to North Mule is a good loop (also higher in elev. in the upper reaches), and is pretty cool in the summer, large Ponderosa pines and shade, great ruins. Beautiful pools.
If you are from Florida, I believe you will find the dry heat on the Colorado Plateau pretty tolerable, maybe even enjoyable. If you have shade and a nice big pool, you will be styling.

[mitchm]

Well, we've changed our minds. Definitely want to do at least part of the West Rim trail, starting from the Lava Point Trailhead. We are hoping to hike in to campsite 6, 7, or 8, spend a night there, maybe day trip to Angel's Landing the next day, spend another night (not sure if there is a 1-night limit) and hike back out. That way we won't have to mess with a shuttle, which seems like a pain as we don't want to pin down exactly what days we'll be there.

After that, considering a Uintas - Ryder Lake loop suggested by others on this thread.

Just looking to get a bit of a smorgasboard of the best Utah has to offer for some casual backpackers!

[JONBOYLEMON]

Pop Quiz, how long have you lived in Florida???? Only reason I ask, is that its gonna be a shot to the system to strap on a pack and hike in the Uintas w/o a little acclimitization.

I see the same thing happen at the ski resorts. Healthy People fly in, go to 11,000 and go down a hill 2 times and find they cant breath anymore. Not fun.

Just sayin, be aware that altitude kills, and the sun is wicked mean @ altitude if you are not used to it. Remember you are going to find the air here so dry that your skin feels like its going to split open and your mouth is bone dry all the time.

I only bring this up so you are prepared. My sis flew in from Wisconsin and 2 days later I took her to a 10,000' lake and she about passed out at the end of the easy 2 mile hike. She got altitude sickness and spent the next 2 days of the trip resting and trying not to cry. She was in great shape and could have easily done it, had she not just come from the flatlands.

As for what to do. No trip to Utah is complete w/o a trip up Timpanogos!!!

[mitchm]

Thanks for the altitude sickness advice. That is a concern but I think we'll be fine. We'll probably do a day hike on the first day to get acclimated, and are driving out to Utah over a period of three days, so that should help. My last trip was to Montana where we drove 24 hours straight from Michigan, slept for 2 hours in a Wal-Mart parking lot, and then hiked to 10k feet. Felt pretty lousy, but no altitude sickness!

[spodaddy]

Backpacked up on the West Rim years ago - you'll love it if the busy season doesn't shut down your plans. Angel's Landing will be a zoo, I'm afraid - but worth the crowd if you are not coming back soon. If nothing else the sight of so many ill-prepared people in very exposed environments is eye-opening. You know about the bus system in Zion in the summer, right?

Be careful up there on Angel's Landing.

The Uinta's are spectacular, this big snow year has everyone a little off. Timpanogos is a fun overnight. I recommend using the Timpanooke (sp?) Trail from the north to avoid some crowds.