Mrgskier was in town from Vermont with his 18-year-old daughter Jenny. They just finished a weeklong bicycling tour through southwestern Utah and had a weekend in SLC before flying home. We've talked for years about a summer overnight in the Uintas and this time we had the opportunity to make it happen.
I brought Jake along, and AmyZ and tcope joined us. Bobby Danger had to work Saturday morning but was going to hike separately in to our camp by dinnertime.
After our Friday night planning meeting over sushi at Suerhiro in Cottonwood Heights to dish out loaner gear for mrgskier and Jenny, we were ready to go. We stopped in Kamas for mrgskier's fishing license, and at the Samak Smoke House for sandwiches and parking permits before pulling into the Crystal Lake trailhead, where temperatures were in the low 50s after a thunder shower had pushed through much earlier in the day than is normal for the western Uinta Mountains. Jake's backpack was filled with his dog food, bowls, a liter of water and poop bags. Mine felt like it had everything in it but the kitchen sink.
Regardless, reaching the Three Divide Lakes is an easy hike, under three miles each way up past Cliff Lake, Petit Lake, Watson Lake and Clyde Lake before a short trail-less route westward along the north side of Mount Watson to reach the Three Divide Lakes at ~10,700 feet. It remained overcast and cool in the wake of Saturday's thunderstorms, and the rainfall seemed to prompt every mosquito in eastern Utah to hatch. They were relentless.
We set up camp on the west side of the furthest Divide Lake. Tcope went fishing in the Divide Lakes and Booker Lake, and mrgskier and Jenny did the same at Clyde Lake. I filtered water for the evening, then AmyZ and I went to take Jake swimming.
Tcope came back with two cutthroat trout. Mrgskier came back empty-handed.
By 7:30 p.m., though, it became clear that Bobby Danger wasn't showing up. We cooked dinner, which consisted of freeze dried backpacking food accompanied by tcope's fresh trout, which were wonderful. I much preferred mrgskier's and Jenny's chicken fettucine alfredo to my thai chicken that I shared with AmyZ.
I didn't bother taking any photos in the dull overcast, but skies finally cleared around sunset, which provided some phenomenal photo opportunities at the Divide Lakes.
The sky filled with stars from horizon to horizon after the sun disappeared but before the moon rose overnight. We all laid out on a flat area of bedrock and stared at the sky. Others saw multiple shooting stars. I saw none, but we all caught several satellites streaking across the night sky before calling it a night at 11.
It was chilly overnight. I'm guessing that temps dipped into the upper 40s.
After some hot coffee this morning we decided to scramble up the scree field on Mount Watson to reach the top of the lower snowfield.
After descending we broke camp and headed home. Jake had depleted much of his dog food supply so he carried out all of our trash for us, too. AmyZ got separated, and tcope and I backtracked a mile to find her while mrgskier again fished, this time in Watson Lake. Skunked again.
I brought Jake along, and AmyZ and tcope joined us. Bobby Danger had to work Saturday morning but was going to hike separately in to our camp by dinnertime.
After our Friday night planning meeting over sushi at Suerhiro in Cottonwood Heights to dish out loaner gear for mrgskier and Jenny, we were ready to go. We stopped in Kamas for mrgskier's fishing license, and at the Samak Smoke House for sandwiches and parking permits before pulling into the Crystal Lake trailhead, where temperatures were in the low 50s after a thunder shower had pushed through much earlier in the day than is normal for the western Uinta Mountains. Jake's backpack was filled with his dog food, bowls, a liter of water and poop bags. Mine felt like it had everything in it but the kitchen sink.
Regardless, reaching the Three Divide Lakes is an easy hike, under three miles each way up past Cliff Lake, Petit Lake, Watson Lake and Clyde Lake before a short trail-less route westward along the north side of Mount Watson to reach the Three Divide Lakes at ~10,700 feet. It remained overcast and cool in the wake of Saturday's thunderstorms, and the rainfall seemed to prompt every mosquito in eastern Utah to hatch. They were relentless.
We set up camp on the west side of the furthest Divide Lake. Tcope went fishing in the Divide Lakes and Booker Lake, and mrgskier and Jenny did the same at Clyde Lake. I filtered water for the evening, then AmyZ and I went to take Jake swimming.
Tcope came back with two cutthroat trout. Mrgskier came back empty-handed.
By 7:30 p.m., though, it became clear that Bobby Danger wasn't showing up. We cooked dinner, which consisted of freeze dried backpacking food accompanied by tcope's fresh trout, which were wonderful. I much preferred mrgskier's and Jenny's chicken fettucine alfredo to my thai chicken that I shared with AmyZ.
I didn't bother taking any photos in the dull overcast, but skies finally cleared around sunset, which provided some phenomenal photo opportunities at the Divide Lakes.
The sky filled with stars from horizon to horizon after the sun disappeared but before the moon rose overnight. We all laid out on a flat area of bedrock and stared at the sky. Others saw multiple shooting stars. I saw none, but we all caught several satellites streaking across the night sky before calling it a night at 11.
It was chilly overnight. I'm guessing that temps dipped into the upper 40s.
After some hot coffee this morning we decided to scramble up the scree field on Mount Watson to reach the top of the lower snowfield.
After descending we broke camp and headed home. Jake had depleted much of his dog food supply so he carried out all of our trash for us, too. AmyZ got separated, and tcope and I backtracked a mile to find her while mrgskier again fished, this time in Watson Lake. Skunked again.
