Highline Trail Cleveland Lake to Hayden Pass

[kwoolley]

My son and I and his best friend hiked a large portion of the Highline Trail August 7-13, from the Queant Lake Trailhead in Whiterocks basin on the East to the Hayden Pass junction at the western terminus of the Highline Trail. We started with one of my friends and his oldest son, but they had to turn around at Cleveland Lake because of family commitments. We camped at Cleveland Lake the first night, and hiked over Fox/Queant Pass the next morning, passing this lovely little fishless lake



We fished at Crescent Lake (no bites) and Fox Lake (several 10-12 inch brookies) that afternoon then hiked across meadows to Kidney Lakes. We met Art and Dan along the route, found out that they were also hiking the Highline, we would play leapfrog with them during most of the trip. No one was camped there, so we set up camp, caught a mess of fish, and ate them. Slept in the next morning, then got up and hiked at top speed to Painter Basin



Saw a rescue helicopter right by this particular creek, actually saw them almost every day. Found out later that there was a missing hiker that week. We crossed some snow near the top of Anderson Pass

Then hiked up to the summit ridge of King's Peak, but "bonked" about 200 feet from the top, and high tailed it back down to the pass and in to the upper Uinta basin to camp, crossing another small but slightly scary snow patch on the south side of Anderson



Next morning we got up early and fished Tungsten and Northstar, catching a lovely Arctic Grayling on the way, along with many other brookies at both lakes.


Hiked up over Porcupine Pass. The trail on the west side of the pass is in atrocious condition and badly needs grading.



The long hike across Lambert meadows took the rest of the evening and we stopped just short of Lambert Lake. We ran into Art and Dan again the next morning, and recieved word that Dead Horse Pass still had significant snow. I had two teenagers in tennis shoes with little snow travel experience and no ice axes, so decided to detour south to Cleveland Pass, thanks to Art and Dan for the advice and pictures of their map that enabled this detour. It appeared on the map to be only 18 miles, but by GPS it ended up being 24 long hot miles from the Lambert Meadows junction to Cleveland Pass and then north to Ledge Lake, in short, a huge bypass. The first day we hiked south and down to about 9600 feet, crossed Lake Fork, and hiked up to Cleveland Pass, then rested, exhausted, before hiking down to Squaw Lake.



Next morning we were up at dawn, hiked up to Ledge Lake, pausing to catch and cook and eat lunch at Anderson Lake, which was fast fishing for brookies and one very thin cutthroat, then hiked the Highline across the river to the ponds just east of Rocky Sea Pass. The trail from Ledge to Rock Creek was the worst trail I've ever hiked, the trail is at least 100 yards from it's GPS location, and is completely unmarked for several hundred yards, good luck to anyone doing this section without GPS, come on Forest Service!! After camping at the ponds, we hiked over Rocky Sea, avoiding the large snow field on the east side



Hiked out and took a dip in Scudder Lake

Then made it to the trailhead in time for my dad to pick us up , thanks dad!



Then we stopped at Granny's in Heber per tradition. Sorry my pics are all at the end here, I've not used this site before and am not that computer facile. What a great trip!

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[gloo]

looks like a good time. I took a friend out earlier this year and all she had was tennis shoes, hopefully those guys didn't suffer for their mistake as she did. yikes. Rocks make incredible beds when backpacking...

[rcrockett]

Thanks for the report. Looked fun.

[ibenick]

Sombrero for a hiking hat... hmmm.. nice TR.

[accadacca]

Dig the hat!

El Surfo approved: http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthre...ers-Gonna-Hate