Wasatch and Uinta Mountains hikes.
I took a break from my slow progress on the Appalachian Trail so that Marci and I could drive crosscountry to return Erin to BYU and visit with Marci's family in Utah. While in Utah, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for some hikes in the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains.
On Friday, August 28th, Erin and I hiked to Stewart Falls in the Wasatch Mountains not far from the Sundance ski resort. We were accompanied by my niece-in-law, Macie, who is hanging out in Utah while her husband (my nephew) Brandon is hiking the John Muir Trail in California. The Stewart Falls trail starts at the Aspen Grove trailhead and ascends gradually before descending to the base of a beautiful cascade. The hike was just under four miles. We had fantastic weather and really enjoyed the hike with Macie.
The "high and beautiful" Uinta Mountains are one of only three mountain ranges in the Western hemisphere which run East/West. The Uinta Highline Trail is on my bucket list of trails to thru-hike some day. The Highline Trail traverses the entire range and is about 108 miles in length with an average elevation of 10,700 feet. I didn't have time to attempt a thru-hike on this trip, nor was I prepared to attempt it on my own yet. However, I wanted to experience a piece of the trail. On Monday, August 31st, I completed a very pleasant day hike which started at the Hayden Pass Trailhead, the western terminus for the Highline Trail. I hiked several miles on the Highline and then took a side trail to Wilder, Wyman and Packard lakes - three beautiful alpine lakes in the Uinta Wilderness. The highlight of the trail for me was the unexpected terminus near Packard Lake right on the edge of a canyon overlooking the East Fork of the Duchesne river. Again the weather was great and the 8.5 mile hike just convinced me even more that I need to hike the entire Highline Trail one of these days!
I took a break from my slow progress on the Appalachian Trail so that Marci and I could drive crosscountry to return Erin to BYU and visit with Marci's family in Utah. While in Utah, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for some hikes in the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains.
On Friday, August 28th, Erin and I hiked to Stewart Falls in the Wasatch Mountains not far from the Sundance ski resort. We were accompanied by my niece-in-law, Macie, who is hanging out in Utah while her husband (my nephew) Brandon is hiking the John Muir Trail in California. The Stewart Falls trail starts at the Aspen Grove trailhead and ascends gradually before descending to the base of a beautiful cascade. The hike was just under four miles. We had fantastic weather and really enjoyed the hike with Macie.
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| On the trail to Stewart Falls with Erin. |
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| Erin and Macie. |
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| Stewart Falls |
The "high and beautiful" Uinta Mountains are one of only three mountain ranges in the Western hemisphere which run East/West. The Uinta Highline Trail is on my bucket list of trails to thru-hike some day. The Highline Trail traverses the entire range and is about 108 miles in length with an average elevation of 10,700 feet. I didn't have time to attempt a thru-hike on this trip, nor was I prepared to attempt it on my own yet. However, I wanted to experience a piece of the trail. On Monday, August 31st, I completed a very pleasant day hike which started at the Hayden Pass Trailhead, the western terminus for the Highline Trail. I hiked several miles on the Highline and then took a side trail to Wilder, Wyman and Packard lakes - three beautiful alpine lakes in the Uinta Wilderness. The highlight of the trail for me was the unexpected terminus near Packard Lake right on the edge of a canyon overlooking the East Fork of the Duchesne river. Again the weather was great and the 8.5 mile hike just convinced me even more that I need to hike the entire Highline Trail one of these days!
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| Panoramic view of Wyman Lake. |
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| En route to Hayden Pass. |
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| Packard Lake & Mount Agassiz. |
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| East Fork of the Duchesne River canyon. |
Where Eagles Dare - Iron Maiden
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