Uinta Mountains, Utah
|
Lofty Lake Loop Uinta Mountains, Utah |
August 1, 2012 — Day #3
After spending the night in Heber City, Utah, I head up SR-150, the
designated Mirror Lake National Scenic Byway. It being cooler this
morning, my car's radiator isn't complaining as it did yesterday in the heat and
on the horrendous grade out of Salt Lake City. I must proceed slowly in
any case, because deer are jumping all over the roadway.
Provo River Falls
Just beyond Pass Lake is the aptly named Pass Lake Trailhead. I opt to do the loop clockwise, leaving some options open.
At the trailhead
The destination
After bypassing a nice meadow, the trail heads more or less straight up the hill. As I pass a pair of male backpackers coming down, one of them remarks about how relatively poorly engineered this section is. I am having no difficulty with it, however, because I have yet to stop to rest or even sip some water.
Daisies
Rainier Pleated Gentian
Reids Meadow and Reids Peak, 11708'
Please pardon me if some of the photos seem 'warmer' than others. I am experimenting with camera settings today.
Bluebells
Fireweed
It is only about a mile up the path to the first good photo-op.
Kamas Lake
Richardson's Geranium
Giant Red Indian Paintbrush
Looking back
Just north of Kamas Lake is a little pass, where the view is pretty nice.
The slope of Mount Marsell
There are more than a dozen unseen lakes between here
and Hayden Peak, 12480'
Cutthroat Lake
New Mexico Thistle
Colorado Columbine
Researching these flower names later will be more difficult than usual,
because my best sources are California-intensive; but I'll do what I can.
These runners get around faster; but they don't see as much
A giant thundercloud has been hanging just above me for some time now. Although no rain is in the weather forecast, one never knows about such things. In any event, the lack of sunlight is not enhancing my photographs.
Approaching Lofty Lake
A lone fisherman waves as I pass by the shoreline; no one else is around here at the moment.
Climbing out of the little basin
The sun simply will not come out over here, so I must shoot photos in the shade.
Final view of Lofty Lake
When researching this hike on Google Earth, scaling the peaks on either
side of Lofty Lake seemed eminently doable. One look at the southern
slope changes my mind, however; for it would be a total boulder-hop
all the way up, and I deem the scene from the top not to be worth the effort.
Peak 11113 to the south
Most of those unseen lakes would be on view from the northernmost summit, but the going looks even rougher in that direction. Wimping out, I decide not to attempt either one.
Peak 11168 to the north
Once atop the next little pass, Scout Lake comes into view. It is no surprise that that area is dominated by a huge Boy Scout Camp.
Scout Lake
Hairy Arnica are all around
Near the bottom of the descent, I encounter an interesting sign warning
me to beware a four-inch electrical conduit running along the
ground. Doubtless it supports the cabins at the Boy Scout camp;
after all, we wouldn't want them to have to 'rough it' up here.
Is there a merit badge for cooking by electric grill?
This cable seems to come from the direction of the mountain top
Scouts on the trail
Scouts at the lake
Interesting trail segment
Another lake lies down and to the left, obscured by trees. Perhaps there is a good photo down the trail. Yes, a nice view opens up at the far end of the lake; but I no longer can see the whole thing.
Sneak preview of the next attraction
Picturesque Lake, in two parts
After taking the last photo, I seem to be too busy watching some
hikers to pay attention to my footing. Tripping on a sharp boulder,
I fall forward and bump my noggin on a rock for the second time in a
month, which also happens to be the second time in my entire life.
The resultant ten-inch gash in my left shin is nothing to brag
about either. A couple of tender ribs and a sore left arm round
out the listing of known damage.
It is just as well that the trailhead is but a ten-minute scamper from here; and it's a good thing that the shin injury is not on my 'driving' leg. Even though there are a lot of miles to cover yet, I opt not to change out of my hiking attire. I would rather that these pants be bloody than any other ones.
Is this what getting old is all about?
The lump on my head isn't this photogenic
§: This was a nice, fairly easy high-elevation trek in an area
that is rather different from anything else I have visited. Of course,
that is why I came here.
Several other nice walks are available in this scenic area. Watch out for those diabolical lakeside boulders, though.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality |  |
| Solitude |  |
