Its been a couple of weeks since I have been out in the Uintas. I spent a week on the Oregon Coast to start August off. I did a little bit of hiking there, but mostly just some rest and relaxation, and some good quality time with my family. Coming home from Oregon to the fire smoke was awful, not to mention the perpetual heat we have had here all summer. Those Pacific Northwest coastal temps were great relief from the heat wave we have had in Utah. After a long week at work I knew I was going to need to get out there and see how things are doing. This was going to be an overnight solo trip as I only had Saturday and Sunday to get out. I arrived to the Crystal Lake trailhead packed as usual, but got a spot within minutes. I put on the pack and made my way in. The clouds looked ominous as I made my way past Washington Lake. They at one point made Mt Watson look like a volcano erupting. I then moved up the trail into my favorite section the boggy forest. Not so boggy this year, it is really dry out there this summer. I arrived at Tail Lake, then moved up the final section of this hike. This is usually a boggy, swampy mess with rocks, but because of the drought we are in the trail is dry. After making quick business of this trail I arrived 47 minutes later to Shadow Lake.
I had the whole place to myself. I was in disbelief with how busy the trailhead was, and it was a Saturday, that no one was camped here. The last person I saw on the way in was at Tail Lake. It was pretty windy when I arrived, so I got to camp set up and set out my camera for a time lapse. While that was running I put the finishing touches on my spot. I was kind of over the wind, it was a north wind and was very chilly and decided to go for a walk with no intention of a destination. I just wanted to wander to the area south of my camp that I have always wondered about. I put on the pack and grabbed my camera and just headed into the woods. Lots of game trails in this section. Made avoiding all the dead fall a breeze. I then topped out half expecting a lake, but instead ran into a huge boulder field. I could see a clearing in the distance and I was counting on there being a lake. I crossed a big section and landed on what I would say was better terrain which you could walk on. I'm thinking this is great, a fun little adventure. I stopped in a grove of trees in what you could call an Island of trees in this boulder field and ate the Thimble Berries that were growing everywhere up there. Yummy! I realized my headlamp was at camp so that got me looking at the time. I moved on to where I finally could see a lake, but not sure which one it was. I pulled out my phone and saw that it was 7:30 PM. I knew I had to route fine my way back to camp and cross this boulder field. Making your way through a boulder field which has car sized rocks and black holes in it is daunting in daylight. Do it in the dark with no head lamp is a death wish in my opinion. I made the smart and safe decision to turn around and headed back to camp.
Coming back to camp, I shot another time lapse and took a break for a bit after doing about a mile of off trail hiking and boulder hopping. The wind was cold, and I decided to get on the warm layers for the evening. While in my tent, I got to try out my new Sierra Designs Cloud 800 20 degree down zipperless sleeping bag. First impression is that it easy to get in and out of this bag. Way warmer than you would expect for the UL nylon fabric on the body of the bag. The pad sleeve really gives the bag structure and keeps you on your pad. For being under two pounds and this warm with all the features it has is amazing! I have been looking at quilts to shed the weight of a traditional sleeping bag, but was worried that they would not handle those temperatures that can fluctuate in minutes in the alpine. This is the best of both worlds. You have all the options of a mummy bag, but it closes with a top quilt that is great for side sleepers like myself. Even has a feature to vent your feet without getting out of the bag. After testing out the features of my new bag, I got things going for the evening. I made dinner, had a Twix for dessert, then got my fire going. I was kind of worried that the skies would not clear for the evening due to the fire smoke this wind had blown in. As soon as the sun set, the stars were bright in the sky! The Big Dipper was floating over Haystack Mountain. I set out the camera for a star trail and settled in for a very nice night by the fire! I love some good alone time. Helps me think about things and clear my head. A few beverages by the fire does not hurt either. Once the camera was done I took some shots at camp and just soaked in the view. Eventually wound things down, coaled out my fire and turned in.
I must have slept pretty well in my new sleeping bag. It was in the low 40's when I turned in. It was 8:30 AM when I opened my eyes and rolled out of bed. The winds were calm so I threw on the sandals and headed out to fish. I landed a couple of small brookies, but alas the lunkers in this lake that I have caught before eluded me. The winds started to kick up after a bit so I headed back to camp to make some coffee and breakfast. After enjoying a cup in my chair by the lake, and having breakfast, I packed it up. Soaked my fire pit, and I was packed and on the trail by noon. I ran into some cows at Tail Lake on the trail including a bull with big horns. At least there was no cow pies everywhere on the trail. Out past Washington Lake and found my self about an hour later standing at the Jeep. When you are short on time but wanna get out this is a great place to go. It was a great weekend and nice to be in the mountains again! Enjoy the pics and time lapses. More adventures to come!
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