Alexander Lake, Uinta Mountains- June 2019

I returned to the Uintas over the weekend for an overnight trip with my friend Jared. We had originally tried to meet up with some friends at another location, but the snow from the car to the lake they were at was a bit more than we wanted to get ourselves into. So we opted for Plan B which was to hike from the road into Alexander Lake. This by no means is a technical hike nor the hardest trip I have ever done. But with a lot of snow to still come off the desired areas of The Uintas, we have to make the best of things this year. We arrived to the spot we would park the car and we headed up into the woods. It was a short but steep climb then the terrain levels off and you actually drop down to the lake. As soon as we were lakeside it started to snow. We hiked around quickly until we found a good spot isolated away from others that were camped at this lake. Once we got to our spot is really started coming down and it got us in our tents and we waited out the storm.

We had a break from the weather long enough to get camp situated and the storm came in even harder than before. It put us in the tents for nearly four hours before it broke around 9 PM. We quickly got up and got a fire going. I went out and took the title shot of this post. It was amazing to see the fog roll across the lake and to see the trees with a new paint job. We settled in for some hobo dinners consisting of bell peppers, onions, jalepenos, olive oil and chorizo wrapped in tinfoil. Jared made them and I am telling you they are so good and effortless meals backpacking. We let them simmer on the coals as we enjoyed a nice night by the fire. Once we dug in, they were so good, especially on such a cold night! I went out later and captured a nice shot of the remnants of the storm that pummeled us with some stars and some solstice sunlight tickling the bottom of the clouds. Eventually we decided to turn in as the temps were dropping and both of us were longing for a warm sleeping bag and some shut eye.

Sunday came with much warmer temps, and the snow that had once decorated the landscape had melted into oblivion. The snow was melting off the trees and it sounded like rain fall on the rain fly. It kept me in bed till I heard the drip stop letting me know things were drying out. We crawled out of the tents around 10 AM and made coffee and had breakfast. What a difference a day makes. By noon it was too hot for a jacket and if you had not been there the day previous you would have never known winter made a brief June appearance. The hike out was quick and we enjoyed the walk. The last image here I shared is a time lapse of the fog on the lake after the sun was up. I have also included an 3 minute edit with video and pics from the whole trip. Enjoy the post! We survived the cold to be rewarded with the sun and warmth the next day. It was great to be in the mountains again even on such a short adventure. Thanks for stopping by! More adventures to come!

Alexander Lake 6.22.19 from CPPhoto on Vimeo.

Shingle Creek, Uinta Mountains- June 2019

After one hell of a winter, and a very cool and wet spring, I was finally, after eight months able to get out backpacking once more! Our mountains here in Utah received anywhere from 600" to 700" of snow this past winter. Leaving most of the high terrain buried far past when they usually melt out. The high terrain is still melting off, and it looks like the earliest we will be able to access that without winter gear is July. But that is not the only place to go in the Uintas to get some solitude. I have wanted to visit this area for a while, but there is so much terrain in the Uintas that it just has not been on my priority list. But with the season we had this winter, it was a good choice for this adventure. Bonus, I was able to get out with my best friend Jared who just 90 days ago had a TBI from a work accident. He has come so far, and this was his first trip out since the accident. I am grateful to be able to spend some time in the woods with him. We have a long history of adventures from Alaska to Utah.

We arrived at the trail head with only a couple of cars in the lot and put together our packs and headed in. The temps were cool thanks to a dry cold front that had moved over the state the previous day. The hike starts up a short but steep section then winds its way down to the river. This is where the first bridge is. The river was raging and you could literally feel the bridge move from the force of the water as you crossed it. Then the trail heads into the drainage. It passed some really nice meadows, then parallels the river as you climb. Parts of the river had flooded its banks but the trail was dry. Everyone was telling me that there was going to be deep snow but I did not see any on the way in on the trail. A few piles in the trees but nothing to navigate through. As we continued our hike, we passed many beaver ponds and the views just continued to get better as we continued up the trail. We stopped quite a few times to take some photos as we were just loving this area as we were hiking. There were a couple of water crossings further up the trail that were a bit sketchy, but we navigated them without incident.

Eventually, after about three miles, we found a incredible spot that was just too good not to pass up to camp. I did not want to push Jared too hard seeing as he was just coming back from a pretty rough injury. So we decided on this camp I call Three Beaver Ponds. We dropped the packs and set up camp. After camp was set we put together our firewood for the night and settled in just enjoying the views, shooting photos, and letting it all go which is why I do this in the first place! We had an amazing evening in camp and we watched as the sun set behind the ridge and we got ready for the darkness to fall.

It was a great evening, a bit chilly but nothing a good fire and some dry layers would not make more comfortable. I decided to get some photography and figure out where I was going to shoot once pitch set in. Around 9 PM the temps started to drop and we bundled up and got the fire going after dinner. I put out my camera for a star trail and settled in next to the fire. We spent time catching up and talking about future trips we would like to take this summer once the snow finally melts out. It was a great time with such a good friend. After my star trail finished I nabbed a quick Milky Way shot that I am really happy with. My new D810 is so much fun to shoot with! A great evening in the mountains!

Falling asleep to the river raging was wonderful. I slept really well. The temps dipped into the upper 20's overnight but I was toasty warm in my sleeping bag. Morning came and I got up, made coffee and breakfast and decided to pack it up and head out. We took our time then hit the trail about noon. The hike out was warmer than the previous day and the flowers were starting to bloom in all the meadows. It was such a nice hike and we were taking our time just checking everything out and enjoying the sound of the mountains. Eventually we found ourselves at the Jeep and that is where our adventure came to a close. It was so nice to be back in the Uintas! I missed it so much! A few more weeks and the upper terrain should start to open up. Until then more adventures are on the list in the next couple of weeks. Enjoy the pics and videos! Glad to be back! More adventures to come! Cheers!