September is a fine time of year to backpack the Uintas. The bugs are pretty much done, the crowds get thinner as the month goes on, and the nights are long and great for photography. It's been a few years since I have been into Marjorie Lake. I decided to solo backpack in there over the weekend and set up camp, fish, and have a nice night by the fire with the moon high in the sky. I made the drive into the range early Saturday morning. It snowed for the first time in the range earlier in the week so I did not know what to expect on trail and at the lake. I found a spot and put on my new Vasque Breeze III GTX boots. My old boots wore out on the last trip so this was the maiden voyage in these. All I can say is wow! Right out of the box comfort, great traction, waterproof, and are 1 lb lighter than my previous boots. Once I was laced up and the pack was set I put on the gear and headed in. The temps were mild, not cold, but not hot, perfect hiking weather. I made a pretty quick push to the pass in about 26 minutes I was heading into the North Fork. No snow on the trail at all, just a few muddy spots. A quick descent to the Long Lake junction, then another quick hop down to the Marjorie Lake junction, and then the best part of this hike began. I love how this trail takes you through the pines.
About a mile later I was looking at the Marjorie Lake sign which is on a tree about a 1/4 mile before you actually get to the lake. Seems odd to put that sign there. Why not at the lake? I wonder how many people just walk by that tree and not even see the sign? Another Uintas mystery. One last downhill and I was at the lake. 1 hour and 24 minutes from car to lake. There was a family group hiking out I talked to that said there was another group camped on the other side of the lake. I thanked them for the info. There were 4 people on the other side fishing, and a dad and two little boys fishing on the dam. But I did not see any other tents or campers. I wandered the east side looking at camp spots. There were some nice sheltered ones if there was weather, but would have been cold in the morning until the sun moved higher in the sky. I meandered a bit more and found a spot that I just love! I set up camp, got my water situated, and my fire ready to go for the evening. That way if I was out fishing late I could come back to camp and just light it. I sat in my chair and soaked in the view from camp and put together my fly rod.
A buddy of mine told me about a few spots in the area to check out, so I figured I would fish Marjorie for a minute, then wander off in that direction. I landed some small pan fry size brooks at Marjorie to start off the day. I then moved on for a little adventure. I'm not gonna say where I went other than it was a beautiful and I will go back there. After fishing there for a couple of hours I decided to head back to Marjorie Lake and fish there until evening set in. The lake started to boil with fish rises! The action was on almost every cast as your fly would be savagely attacked! They were Graylings and I landed 16 of them in about two hours time. This Grayling in the picture doubled over my rod and was the best fight of the day! Dusk started to set and the day hikers left. I looped around the lake fishing until the sky started to turn orange then pink. I did not see anyone else camped at Marjorie Lake! I had it all to myself!
I got my fire going as the last of the sunset faded out and the night grew dark. I made dinner and then settled in waiting for the moon rise with a nice fire. It was the usually chilly at night in the Uintas. But the skies were clear and the stars were bright. I set out my camera for a star trail with the moon light painting the foreground. I had a really nice night by the fire. Solo backpacking is very therapeutic. Having a nice fire while solo backpacking doubly so. I let my camera run for a little over 3 hours. The image turned out very nice and the time-lapse is fun too. The moon was so bright as long as you were not in the shadow it was as bright as day. I took a walk out to the lake as my camera was finishing up its shots and what a wonderful view that was. I returned to camp, wrapped up things for the night, coaled out my fire, and turned in for some good sleep.
Sunday Morning greeted me with the howls of a pack of Coyotes somewhere across the drainage. They carried on for quite a bit, and I actually fell back asleep for another hour to the sounds they were making. When I rolled over about 8 it said 39 degrees. I got up and made tea and found a spot on a back porch like ledge overlooking the North Fork of the Provo River. There is a big meadow in the bottom of the drainage that I could see two moose in. I sat and enjoyed my coffee watching the moose do their thing. After breakfast I decide to pack it up and head out. I was on the trail by 10 AM. Once again the comfort and function of my new boots on the way out made it such a wonderful hike! I got to the Jeep in about 1 1/2 hours. I packed up the bag and changed out to my sandals and headed into Kamas for Tacos at Tacos De Sombrero. The Sweet Pork Tacos with Habanero Salsa are delicious! I am hoping the weather will hold out the next few weeks so I can finish out the season. This is a tricky time of year where everything can turn on a dime in an instant. The shadows run long from the trees and the days grow shorter. It can snow at anytime in the Uintas. I'll keep my eye on the weather. Hoping to get out on a couple of more trips out there! Enjoy the images! More adventures to come!
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