This is an area that I have wanted to visit for years here in the Uintas. With fall rapidly approaching, I wanted one more deep adventure into the High Terrain before the nights grow long and the temperatures begin to get cold. We set out on Friday afternoon to set up a dispersed camp so we would be near the trailhead when we got up so we could head right in on trail. The drive in was pretty traffic free and we made good time to get in there. We found a nice spot with a river running in the back of camp and it was far enough off the road to not hear passing vehicles too loudly. We set up shop and settled in for the evening. The stars were bright, but the temps were chilly so we had a nice fire and enjoyed our evening under the stars. We eventually coaled out the fire and turned in.
We awoke to clear skies and much warmer temps. We situated the packs, had breakfast and tea and made our way up to the trailhead. We put on the packs and began our hike into Beaver Lake. The first section begins in a meadow, then makes its way to a small ridge through a very dry forest. The trail meanders up and down through what looked like an area that has begun to regrow after a forest fire. Saplings were growing everywhere in this area. I have never seen so many. It then drops you into the first of six water crossings on this trail. There is no water for the first two miles on trail so make sure you pack accordingly if you attempt this hike. At the two mile mark you will do a huge climb that is gut busting for sure. The trail gains elevation, then descends, only to climb again all the way in. At the five mile mark you will reach a junction with the North Side High Line Trail. This gives you your first view of this amazing place. This meadow is one of the largest I have seen in the Uintas. The trail traverses this meadow on the east side and then returns to the pines where it meanders to the Beaver Lake Junction. Just a quarter mile from this junction you have to cross a river to get to Beaver Lake. We found some logs to cross on, but it was tricky, and I suggest caution crossing this river. After some hair raising log crossing we made our way up to Beaver Lake. We found a nice camp site and got things set for the weekend. The wind was howling and it was a bit chilly so we put on the jackets and got a fire going for the evening. I was able to get a very nice Milky Way shot then we turned in to get some rest and to recharge.
Morning came with the same wind just blowing, so we got up and made breakfast, had some tea, then packed up the day packs to make our way up to Coffin Lake. We made our way up to the inlet to Beaver Lake and we found an old sheep herder trail that would fade in and out as we made the climb. There was a bit of bushwhacking as this area had a lot of deadfalls and is really overgrown. eventually we arrived at Coffin Lake. This is a beautiful lake set in an alpine cirque. The wind was blowing up here and spent some time fishing here. We wound our way around the back side of the lake and we fished for a while and I shot a time lapse. After a few hours we made our way back down to our camp. We were both pretty exhausted so we made lunch and just hung out for a bit. I decided to go fish the river in the meadow to see if my luck would improve and wowza! I landed about 17 fish in an hours time one cast right after another. I got a really nice spawning male Brook Trout and a fat female Brookie were the highlights of this fun time casting with the current and stripping it up stream. We then walked the river probably for two miles looking for more action. My friend Jared had never fly fished before and I set him up and he landed his first fish on a Fly Rod! I think he is hooked no pun intended! What a great way to spent Sunday afternoon!
We returned to camp in the evening and made dinner and got in the warm clothes and got our camp ready for nightfall. We had another amazing clear night with a really warm south breeze blowing. I went out for another Milky Way shot. We had a nice night by the fire just listening to some music and enjoying the fire and the stars. Both of us went to bed around midnight as we knew we had a long walk out on Monday. The wind blew all night and the temps dropped quite a bit. Warm in my bag I enjoyed some very nice sleep in the symphony of silence.
Monday morning came and we got up, had breakfast, packed up our camp, and said our goodbyes to Beaver Lake. We made our way down to the river, then out on the trail. It was much cooler on this day, and we had a very nice walk out. We really pushed it out of there doing 24 minute miles. 2 hours and 43 minutes later we were once again at my Jeep bringing to an end another glorious weekend in the High Uintas Wilderness! It was very nice to knock off a bucket list destination out there, and to see more of this mountain range that I so dearly love! Fall is right around the corner, so we are on the tail end of another season. There is still more backpacking to come before winter reclaims the high terrain. Enjoy the pics and videos! More adventures to come!
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