By the way, what’s your water filtration system looking like these days after that blowout with your Sawyer bag? Banging sunset in Henry's Fork, looking northwest towards Castle Lake. Then, two more goat herds on the five-mile climb to 11,700-foot Gabbro Pass, from which we flush 100 elk on the far side. Either by choice or by accident, Robinson ended up crossing Allsop pass, where the ridge is a convex slope that slowly rolls over before becoming vertical cliffs. The only downside is that … Awesome view into the West Fork Blacks Fork from Red Knob. Bigger, more beautiful, more wild mountains. There are remnants of an old constructed trail on Allsop on the east side, but the west side is far less obvious, any trail that may have once existed is pretty well gone. The Highline Trail is a 100-mile trail through the little-traveled Uinta Mountains in northeast Utah. Uinta Highline Trail - Day 5. The pass between Red Castle and Little East Fork. Ascending from Priord is not particularly difficult, but it is very steep, a bit loose up top, and picking the right saddle can be a chore. Heading north along the ride on Allsop Pass. The Uintas are a unique mountain range compared to its siblings in the Rockies – mainly because the crest runs predominantly east and west, rather than north and south. Both have their charms, Oweep is certainly the easier of the two, but less adventurous. Highline Trail is a 101.6 mile heavily trafficked point-to-point trail located near Kamas, Utah that features a lake and is only recommended for very experienced adventurers. We decided not to tempt the massive dogs, and took the long way around to avoid them. Years ago I had probed a few of the passes between Allsop and Priord hoping to find a reasonable way to make a lollipop loop out of the two, when I discovered the remains of an old ranching trail that had been built. There are multiple route options from Amethyst to Middle Basin, including tagging the very cool summit of Ostler Peak – but you are also very close to an actual trail, so just jumping on the Ostler Fork trail, and wrapping around onto the Stillwater Fork is still probably the most appropriate option. Solo or with another person? Oweep Basin. Within those parameters, this trip was about as good as it gets. Most of the … After just 10 miles of hiking, we’ve had about one animal encounter per mile. As the route continues west, the intensity of the off-trail passes increase as well. Intersect the Ron Coleman Trail near McKelligon Canyon saddle at mile 5.6, and scramble (use chain handrail) past The Window, a 40-foot cliff. I made a pitch to our friends Kevin and Julie, trying to lure them to the Uintas for their first time. It is, however, one of the coolest pieces of the puzzle in linking up the North Slope drainages. 13,000 foot peaks ring the entire basin, and make for amazing sunrises and sunsets. Deadhorse in particular held snow well into August, and it caused trouble for aspiring Highline hikers. .At Rocky Sea Pass, the trail crosses onto the Ashley National Forest. Climbing up the Gilbert Shoulder from West Fork Beaver. A little farther to the south there is a series of ledges that you can negotiate, with the biggest drop being about 6 feet. The rooftop of the Uintas - Henry's Fork. The next morning, in Oweep Basin at mile 52, thick frost makes the bouldery trail around Mt. Fortunately, the High Route does not cross at Deadhorse, but instead crosses west over Allsop Pass. This will be ideal for trips like the Uinta High Route or Wind River High […]. Hoofed locusts. I do hope that one day the actual wilderness boundaries will exclude livestock so these areas can recover, at least as close to their natural state as possible. Start at Carney Springs Campground (abandoned) and end at Lost Dutchman ($8/night for parking). ... Red River Packrafting - Completed. When approaching the pass from the trailhead at Hayden Pass, the route is far more easy to see and pick a clean line. My hike on the Uinta Highline Trail will cover 65 miles over 5½ days. This amazingly remote run takes adventurers through the heart of the High Uinta Wilderness. Makes for great solitude though, as Kevin and Julie found out when I went ahead to shoot a few photos and lost them entirely, which made for an hour of random wandering trying to find each other. But for twice the drive up to Big Sandy in Wyoming, rather than try to hook Cathedral Lakes into a route through the Towers, I’m now thinking of another impressive looking Wind River route that would probably be more plausible over 4 days with more bang for the buck: Big Sandy>Pyramid Lake/Desolation Valley>Hailey Pass>Baptiste Lake>Ranger Park>Valentine Lake>Lizard Head Plateau>Papoose Lake (maybe)>Cirque of the Towers>Big Sandy where everything along there would be all new for both of us. Red Knob Pass on the right horizon. on the North, basically every drainage flows south to north, with cirques at the head of each. The next night, we camp at Fox Lake in a bowl not far below 12,710-foot Anderson Pass, at mile 33, the trail’s highest point. Dan, Excellent! How one defines “elegant” is totally up to the individual, and as such every route should be different than someone else. Add cameras, and I’m right about 35 pounds to start, which is pretty much perfect. In late July, an Australian man named Eric Robinson set out to hike the Highline, but he missed his check-in date a week later. “A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where … As we made our way along the ridge above Allsop Lake, we could hear another group at the base of the cliffs below us. Jumping over the ridge from Smiths Fork to the Little East Fork is fairly straighforward, and puts you into a seldom visited drainage compared to Red Castle. Alaska. Baker - Completed Shenandoah Natl. And if you do cliff out, be prepared for rotten and terrifying rock. Turn back at the first summit.) Read more about my first glacier climb. (Alberta) Nihahi/Compression Ridge, Kananaskis Country Discover the wild Canadian Rockies. Year after year, I’d look forward to that week-long trip – even as a teenager it was the highlight of summer break. I tried to find someone who was up to the challenge and could take a week off work to go with me. I could see an argument where the Uintas aren’t large enough with enough complex terrain, but the concept of a high route here does resonate. My partner, Pete Rives, an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker from North Carolina, brought a fly rod, and I’ve packed my camera, the tools of our stop-and-play hobbies. And that’s just counting the obvious ones. I actually have carried a regular squeeze a few times since. Walking into our first night's camp at Island Lake. I want to feel a sense of accomplishment but not make it so hard I can’t get my wife or a few friends excited to join. I’ve done that route a few times now, and every single time I seem to take a different variation, depending on conditions. Sweet camping option: the pond and small spring near the start of the ridgeline stretch. Much of the original search focused on the Highline trail and Yellowstone drainages, where he was last seen. You are above 10,000 feet for almost the entire trip, so altitude will have an impact. There are countless lakes, cascades, and meadows to explore. Sheep. That said, with a little careful routefinding, it is entirely possible to descend in Class II terrain (albeit very loose!). On this trip, we decided to take Oweep Basin. After passing several moderate cliff bands, you’ll reach Nihahi’s 7,800-foot northern summit at mile seven. The Uintas have notoriously dark skies for great stargazing, so don't forget to check them out. While I am not sure exactly what caused Robinson’s death, I think one plausible scenario is that he arrived at the base of Deadhorse Pass in 2011, and saw how much snow there was. Which means taking 5 days off work, adding two weekend days at each end for a grand total of 9 days. It only crosses to the north for one drainage – the West Fork of the Blacks Fork between Red Knob and Dead Horse Pass. After you fill your memory card with the stunning centerpieces of Mt. I’ve always considered the Uintas my home range. Thursday, August 13, 2009 Destination: Uinta Wilderness, Utah Today 's Miles: 0. Once you are above 10,000 feet going up the West Fork Beaver, the scenery turns on in full force. Three small calves play on a snowbank, spinning and bucking like rodeo bulls. I like to describe the Uintas as a mountain range of crescendo. In heavy snow years like 2019, the passes between Henry’s Fork and Middle Basin all have potential to hold significant snow late into the year, possibly even through the entire season. If something seems totally dumb, I wanna know about it. HIGHLINE is a feature-length documentary that follows the journey of five friends on a 10-day thru-hike of that namesake trail. “I love wildlife, but this is getting ridiculous,” Pete laughs, after a coyote wail scares the bull moose we’ve been watching just outside of camp. Killer views looking east towards Red Castle on the climb up to the pass. These are some of my favorite drainages in the entire range, primarily because they feel more remote, they get less livestock grazing, and the views are outstanding. Perhaps he wanted to avoid Deadhorse altogether and began looking for alternatives, or given the conditions he may have mistaken Allsop Pass for Deadhorse Pass. The walking is generally fast and painless, with some cruiser high alpine walking on Kabell Ridge and over the very scenic Thompson Pass, with big views to the north into Wyoming. We’d only hiked a half mile from the trailhead near Hacking Lake on a warm August day when we stopped to ogle a herd of 35 mountain goats. Budget: $500. From here on out, off-trail passes are the norm, and we’d get our first taste of afternoon thunderstorms, as we’d try and time crossing between storm cells. The 11.7-mile loop starts from the end of Dellinger Gap Road (15 miles from Woodstock). The Uinta Highline trail was so awesome but the trails on the passes were so harzardous. First time I ever watched a hungry trout chase a poorly presented dry fly, only to snap my rod back so fast it sent the tiny 6 inch brookie flying over my head. Another half mile, and Pete stumbled two spotted elk calves lounging near timberline. This very remote … The logistics involved with my recent hikes of the Uinta Highline Trail and the John Muir Trail—both necessitating flights and hotels—were very inefficient. There are other pros and cons to each route. Skurka has also written extensively about what a high route is, but ultimately it is still somewhat nebulous, which is exactly the point. Once down, it’s a good place to chill and breathe a sigh of relief. It’s also where I experienced the high of a “week-long” backpacking trip. Good luck capturing a photo that can truly do the place justice, the views are 360 degrees in every direction, and a wide angle just doesn’t seem to convey the scale of the place well at all. Quite a mouthful. One, I like to stay at or above tree-line as much as possible, because I simply think that’s where the magic happens. The Wind Rivers. “Was this the most beautiful line I could come up with?”. This is a more wild, more intense, and more scenic alternate to the Highline. While I can say the Uintas were my first, I’ve had something of an on-again, off-again relationship with them over the last 25 years. This is a very popular zone, and it’s not uncommon to see horsepacking camps in the area, as access from the East Fork of the Bear River Trailhead is pretty convenient. Follow cairns along the spine and painted dots over boulders on the descent. The way Though this trail is within striking distance of Salt Lake, you’ll need to add one day to your itinerary for the 224-mile (one way) shuttle. Beginning at McKee Draw in the east and ending at Hayden Pass on the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, the official length of the Uinta Highline trail is 107 miles. The more I studied the High line trail on the map the more enticing this idea became. If comparing the two options from Deadhorse Lake, Allsop does looks more inviting, as it is much less steep and unlikely to hold snow on that aspect. If all went well, we’d see Bryon exactly four days later. It also illustrates the risks associated with both high snow years, and off-trail navigation. Make no mistake, the Highline is incredible. I’m disappointed I didn’t make it into the background of any shot through Oweep there before we crossed paths with you. And in high snow years, it might be impassable without an axe and crampons. You have two choices. Massive search and rescue operations lasted several weeks, and flyers were pasted on every trailhead. We can’t help but take another long pause, this time to yak, snack, and scratch ourselves lazily in a state of high-road aboriginalism. I spent more time and money getting to and from the trail than I think was necessary. However, because they are farther from Salt Lake, they seem to get a lot less visitors and are fairly overgrown and easy to lose. Pacific North West Volcanos . A day full of hurry up and wait looking for weather windows to cross into Henry's Fork. Nepal. So many sheep. I’m also keen to scout out the pass between Priord and Rock Creek at some point. From the end of North Stanton Street, follow the Thousand Steps Trail and turn left (north) along the crest. Some lakes will allow fires, and some do not. You’ll enjoy gorgeous alpine lakes and specular mountain views, and the … The concept of a High Route is something that has been getting more traction in the lexicon of mainstream backpacking. All the water draining from the Blacks Forks drainages goes into the Green River, to the Colorado, and eventually the Gulf of California. This route is often used to summit Hayden Peak from Highway 150, so there is a pretty good social trail along the ridge between the road and the pass. This hike is well signposted throughout. If the best scenery comes last, so does the most challenging pass. Around sunset, a very protective pyrynees sheepdog made its way up to our camp, and made it pretty clear he wasn’t very happy we were hanging around. But heading west from Red Castle, you can make the argument that Oweep is the more scenic route, while the East Fork Blacks Forks drainages are less so. We didn’t take a month to do it we did it in … Watching the range evolve as we walk the alpine tundra between Thompson Pass and Middle Fork Beaver. Turns out backpacking isn’t always the sexiest vacation to sell during the prime of summer. Deadly!! To the east the dramatic Queens Cirque is also super photogenic. He has a point. One trek across Utah's Uinta Highline Trail. By comparison to other published routes, the Uintas are probably not as physically demanding as options like Roper’s Sierra High Route, or trips that Skurka and Dixon have published. Minutes later, a weasel darted upon our track with a mouse hanging in its mouth.

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