The most rewarding views were the view of Fox Lake from North Pole Pass and the view of Dead Horse Lake from Red Knob Pass. I should also add my friends used/use different gear and are all equally experienced outdoor users FWIW. The trail crosses multiple forest districts and is home to hundreds of different plant and animal species. Where:Uinta Highline Trail. This trail is one of the most unique environments I have been in, similar to the John Muir trail but with mountains that resemble the Utah Desert, Simply Amazing!!!! The decision was made: I’d hike out the ~15-mile side trail with Mark. After that? To hike the trail's full length of 104 miles, the eastern terminus is at McKee Draw trailhead (near US 191) and the western terminus is at Hayden Pass trailhead on the Mirror Lake Highway (UT 150). We said our goodbyes-for-now. (Andy’s account on the UHT past Painters Basin is included further below. Could be a good resource as well. (EDIT: The trail crew in question is the very active Uintah Basin Back Country Horsemen group. Thanks for the info. One of the largest that both Mark or myself had ever seen. High mountain passes with expansive basins with alpine lakes below. Thanks again to Gordon Hirschi for this information. If you hike from Leidy Pass TH or the Chepeta Dam area to Hayden Pass,  #711 is the only map needed. El sendero ofrece una serie de opciones de actividades y es mejor utilizado de junio hasta septiembre. Most people who hike the trail start at two other trailheads that make for an ~60 miles or an ~80-mile hike. The last six or eight miles out to the trailhead increased my fatigue to the point where I was lurching and limping when I reached the car. I don’t talk about gear because it is like cooking to me: The knife I use is less important than the meal itself. Now, I should say that our choice of starting at the far eastern end of the trail was unusual. I’ll be back! South-facing snowfields, rare in the mountains this season, lined the bottoms of red cliffs and waterfalls were cascading over those cliffs. These sites include Amazon, eBay, REI, Backcountry.com, LA Police Gear, Moose Jaw, Gaia GPS, Six Moon Designs, and ULA Equipment. All. Chepeta Lake to Painters Basin: Another ~ 16-mile stretch where, like most high line trails, you go up to a high point above treeline and descend to a lake. Most trip reports I’ve read from the Highline indicate (to me) that people underestimate the difficulty and conditions. I’d let the usfs office know before parking, and you should be fine. For some of the trickier areas noted by Garlic, the appropriate 7.5 scale topo may be helpful. I was really disappointed in myself. This hike can be done in either direction. Useful Pre-trip info: Few Highline Trail Hikers hike the section west of Chepeta Lake, but we decided to hike the entire trail as shuttle logistics were cheaper and easier starting at the eastern trailhead. I did John Muir trail last July, with their heavy winter in 2016-17 I hiked in August and there were still alot of mosquitos. BTW, a lot of experienced Uintas hikers on that forum from what I understand. I was on the trail last summer and ran into three gents that had started at McKee Draw and were on track hit the Hayden Pass trail head in five days so it can be done. Dead Horse Lake at the head of the West Fork Blacks Fork River. Views of every kind—distant horizons, nearby wildlife, isolated lake basins—are better on ridgeline hikes. Thankfully, sheep don’t build cairns. The fishing at Kidney Lakes was also amazing!! My buddies injury was the real wildcard. If you are lucky enough to have people meet you at these remote trailheads to resupply you, thank them enthusiastically! The route will take most people five days, maybe six. BUMMER!!! The sun had come out in the valley, and it felt good to be warm and dry. Chepeta Lake cuts off about 17 miles of the eastern end of the trail. On the west end of Fox Lake the trail forked and I headed to the west. Logan Pass: Tickets & Tours‎ Iceberg Lake Trail: Tickets & Tours‎ ... Perhaps the most famous trail in Glacier NP is the Highline Trail and rightly so. The trail is also easily accessible at the Leidy Peak trailhead and Chepeta Lake trailhead. I’m just fishing for ideas. The trailhead was just up the road from Vernal, Utah, on the very well-traveled Highway 191. My son and I along with his friend Isaac hiked the trail in 2016. There were no trail tread or signs in this remote back country, either. Due to limited battery power on my phone, Garmin GPS InReach Explorer+, and my battery bank, I had to shut off the Alltrails record option. The following morning, we parked Mark’s car at the Hayden Pass trailhead, piled into my vehicle and ~3 hrs, and 160 miles later, we arrived at the eastern terminus of the UTH. Mark and I headed off on our own. CalTopo has the route online if these maps are desired. . We had enough food for three more days of hiking, with about forty-five miles left. Once at North Pole pass, the weather moved in. Pertinent update to trail logistics: Wilkins Bus Lines seems to have shut down: http://wilkinsbuslines.com/. Plus the BCH have done some great trailwork in recent years. I was hoping for a certain amount of “muscle memory”, some skill, and a little luck. It is the t, Here’s a quick reference to articles that will h, We chose to spend our holiday in our traditional w, Sorry, no we did not see a piece of Home Depot scr. The trail here is only about 6-8 feet wide, and the edge drops straight down more than a hundred feet to the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Roughly 120 miles and ~2.5 hrs more of driving total. Also, based on your experience would you make any changes to your list? Carolyn Lake sits just to the west of Rocky Sea Pass. In 1991, John Moellmer and Dana Miller went on an epic fastpacking adventure traversing the entire 105-110 miles of the Highline Trail from Lonetree Campground (on Rt. Polly Scotland Highline Trail … How far is the Leidy Trail head from Vernal? #moab, Keeping it very local this weekend. This is not a trail for a first time backpacker or somebody that is not in shape. Just before we veered off the UHT proper and up to Gunsight Pass, we enjoyed some looks to the fog-shrouded Kings Peak and caught a glimpse of the rugged country that awaited Andy. The Highline Trail in the Uinta Mountains of Utah, often called the Uinta Highline Trail (UHT), captured my imagination since someone, and I took a trip to the nearby Dinosaur National Monument this past Memorial Day Weekend. This is an optional but recommended camp not far from the Chipeta Lake trail head for the purpose of getting your body accustomed to the very high altitude that will be experienced on this trail. There is a trail junction atop the pass - the East Fork Blacks Fork trail runs parallel to the ridge and joins the Highline trail … I get very anxious about tech charging in the wilderness and want to … Depending on storms and one’s speed, this could be done without resupply, as well. The obvious, glacier-formed valley,  reminded me of a mini-Glacier National Park. it's amazing, don't miss it for the world. It was amazing the amount of planning it took to bring it all together. The trail spans over 100 miles and includes over 16,000 feet of elevation gain. The ~80-mile option starting at the Leidy trailhead was briefly considered, but we all concluded that we would instead hike more and drive less. If you decide to hike nearby Kings Peak (1.4-miles r/t), the trail is 97 miles total. The Leidy Peak trailhead is at mile 25. I documented the whole trip and will post a series of videos on Youtube to highlight the trip. You could, for example, hike the designated route on the way “out”, then do a bunch of alts on the way back, perhaps staying on the ridge or on the north side trail. It's about 200 yards south of the trail and is a popular overnight hiking destination for people coming from the Hayden Peak Trailhead. Shortly after we joined the trail again, we saw our first hikers. Mark would take some “Vitamin I” and use some ice-cold water in a ziplock bag and see how he felt the following morning. The Uinta Highline Trail is a 104 mile trail that goes east to west in Northeast Utah from McKee Draw trailhead to Hayden Pass trailhead(or vice versa). [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXplSAsahD8&w=640&h=390], Pack light and take sun screen, fishing pole, water bottle that purifies and, take the InReach Explorer for communicating and GPS. 50 lb pack and 95 miles covered without a complaint. I had a meeting this morning with Wilkins Bus Lines Inc. located in Vernal and they are willing to supply a shuttle service for trail users on UHT Uintah Highline Trail from Vernal, Utah(Highway 191 Trail Head) to Kamas, Utah( Mirror Lake) the contact for this service is Mr. Todd Wilkins 435-789-2476, The following two links are Garmin Adventure links which should complete GPS which should complete the eastern section of UHT. And storm clouds were rolling in from the valley in front of me. I asked and they will provide USB chargers in the bus. The Uintas are one of the few East-West ranges in North America, contains the highest peak in Utah, has more above contiguous above tree-line terrain than any range in the lower 48, along with the San Juans of Colorado, but is a lot less visited. But after Rocky Sea Pass I was again faced with heavily used and eroded mud and rocks. I found the Chepeta Lake variation, but where does the 80 mile variation start? You don’t have to worry about long water carries, there are plenty of streams. CategoriesOther Outdoor Jaunts, Quick and Dirty Guides, Thru Hikes, Trip PlanningTagsbackpacking, Highline Trail, hiking, Uinta Highline Trail, Uintas, utah, What a great trip you had. , Just reading back on my trail journal and stumbled across this post. The shuttle driver will meet us at our car at Hayden Pass drive take us the remaining 4½ hours to the Highline Trail junction at Chepeta Lake. We are very glad to see it is being used and we are open to comments or questions. Though there were low hanging clouds above the high peaks, the area was still astonishingly beautiful. Great photos and details in the report! Jun 7, 2015 - Uinta Highline Trail (Hayden Pass to Chipeta Lake) - 62 miles And a major side trail joined up and lead to a TH that had spots for 50 people according to our Trails Illustrated map. I strolled along until I came to a hulking brown form blocking the path, where I stared at three pairs of eyes twenty feet ahead. I would continue out to the car at a fast pace, hopefully two days, then drive the car around to pick them up. Tank up accordingly. Bear canisters or surplus store ammo boxes (less expensive; easier to transport) are the suggested items to use for caches. We adopted the Highline Trail from hwy 191 to Leidy Peak Trail Head we started our work in 2013, the flagging was probably ours and we finished up last fall. Reliable, tasty, and not expensive with good sized portions. It is a great account of minimalist running, mosquitos, and route-finding gone awry. He gave me permission to quote his trip report). Very heavy recent rains had soaked the area and the trail tread had largely washed out, and the upper slope had slumped over the constructed benching. Road trip and car camping – gear and techniques, Winter trip reports, gear overviews, tips, and techniques, Dinosaur National Monument this past Memorial Day Weekend, I found that there is a trail that traverses this range. When I worked for forest service… Read more ». If you park at Hayden pass it is a fee area, $12 for 7 days. As we were drying out our gear, we looked up the clouds hanging on the high peaks above. Normally I wouldn’t care about 500’ here and there, but today I was fatigued. Really enjoyed reading about your experience. Not impossible at all. My thoughts that we would be seeing more people once we made it to this TH did not hold to be true so far. If anyone has questions they may contact me, Hello Paul Crazy. If resupply is a concern, I’d suggest not hiking the whole route and use the 60 or 80-mile option instead. It is hard to connect the dots when you can’t see the dots. Chepeta Lake has a lot of value for people hiking the Highline trail. The following morning we made the short hike out. Very similar to this 4 year old list CalTopo has the route online if these maps are desired. As of Aug 2020, Mountain Trails Transport offers shuttle options from Vernal. https://pmags.com/mags-gear-list. We first thought it was some ankle injuries, but it turned out to be a case of shin splints. Garlic and I drove up from Colorado and met Mark in Evanston, WY, not far from the Utah border. However, a pass is required in order to park at the popular Hayden Pass TH. I’ll be taking two maps with me on my hike of the Uinta Highline Trail in Utah. I took numerous photos in this area: Alas, despite all the beauty, a decision had to be made. And the follow-up trip to the Snowy Range in Wyoming was enjoyable too. Disclosure: This website may be compensated for linking to other sites or for sales of products to which I link. It rolled, painfully, twice in the past few days. Thanks. We all used trail shoes, some sort of tarp or tarp tent, and I even used a 25F quilt. Without knowing your students’ ability level, hard to say. .... Group size is limited to 14 people, and 15 head of stock. John. Joining us for the trip would my friend Andy (Garlic), who had just moved back to Colorado after five years in Arizona. Not silly at all. Every year we clear a lot of blowdown, and have been working to make the trail less of a connect-the-dot experience. It is very much appreciated and it was nice to meet you both. I remember reading Davy Crockett’s account of his Highline ultra-run, Leidy Peak trailhead to Hayden Pass. I’m a Vernal resident, and the Uinta Back Country Horsemen are the ones doing the maintenance on the Highway 191 to Leidy Peak Trailhead. It was stunning, especially in the clearing evening light, but it was not as enjoyable as it could have been.   Leidy Pass and Chepeta Lake are the prominent places to leave a cache. Starting from the TH near Vernal, UT also made logistics for the end of the trip easier as this trailhead was just off a major road and was also on our way back to Colorado. You get even better views from the beginning of this trail than you can on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. About 70 miles of backpacking with friends is never bad. Soon after, we reached the Henry’s Fork trailhead. Dead Horse Pass was the scariest pass I believe I’ve ever hiked. After about 15 miles of hiking, we made our camp at the edge of Summit Park. The trail … Uinta Highline Trail Day 4 Chepeta Lake to Bowden Lake August 28, 2017 Daily Distance: 14.3 miles ... the highest on the trail: Anderson Pass. I was then happy to see that the next and last pass of the day, Rocky Sea Pass, was only around 11,500’. The map will have the most definitive water sources marked. some of the most remote country ever, you won't see anybody. Have fun! ), Mark trying to convince me he found some REALLY high elevation trail markers. EDIT: Having said that, the conditions were no more difficult than other hikes I’ve done. Absolutely stunning!!! The thought of taking advantage of this earlier finish time go on a trip with m pleased me. West of Anderson Pass and Kings Peak, the Uinta Highline Trail changes character. The Highline Trail is a point-to-point hike. Thank you Gordon (and the other gentleman who was with you) for all the great work. There are two different journals here. Their adventure took 3.5 days and has been a deep inspiration to me and in turn others. This is at times very hard to read. Elevation Profile for the Highline Trail The altitude for the Highline Trail between Chepeta Lake and Hayden Pass stays above 10,000 feet the entire distance. Check out their active Facebook group, too. We hiked it in the last week of August. I’ve used this guide, as well as your CT and PCT guides Two notes about the UHT. I learned to triple-check map and compass often. The trail is around 100 miles long, but most backpacking trips are done over a 70 mile section between Chepeta Lake and Hayden Pass. Rugged peaks, passes, and trails. Marked borrowed my Utah maps as he was not quite ready to go to back. I could see one set of tracks that looked like they were fairly recent, the first sign I had seen that there had been anyone else up here recently. The broad ridges and passes of the east change to rugged notches and arêtes. Porcupine Pass (12,200'): Gradual approach from the east, dropping off sharply on the west side. Cuz if Coup could carry 60lbs starting the Colorado Trail, then…. We started with one of my friends and his oldest son, but they had to turn around at Cleveland Lake because of family commitments. I was concerned about my friends, and my ability to hike the next 45 miles in two days. After that point, a lot of water. Navigation difficulties continued after the pass descent, in large open trackless meadows and marsh. Perros y caballos también pueden usar este sendero. Uinta Highline Trail Day 9: Brooks Lake to Hayden Pass Trailhead September 2, 2017. http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/mtch/uinta-highline-trail-hwy-191-trail-head-to-north-east-park/#.V8SVh_krK1s, http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/mtch/highline-trail-eastern-section/#.V8SU3vkrK1s. Wind gusts up to 20 mph. The Henry’s Fork trail was the shortest way to get to Kings Peak (but still ~20 miles one way from the TH), and it showed. And there’s a warning note on the map that the pass is not suitable for pack stock. It is not terrible, but you have to gauge accordingly. The first pass, Red Knob, had a very difficult map-and-compass approach in foggy marshland. Incredible trail. Our team has spent a significant amount of their lives in the High Uinta Wilderness of northeastern Utah. Do the treck in 7ish days coming out at either Mirror Lake CG or the Highline Trail TH. I… Read more », This post may help? The route will take most people five days, maybe six. From the trailhead, follow the well marked Highline Trail to the west. Most highline trail end-to-end hikers start at Chepeta Lake and end at Hayden Pass, a distance of about 65-70 miles. , The following morning, Mark and Andy offered again to shuttle me so I could complete the UHT. … We wondered about the journey Andy was currently experiencing. Though on a well-graded and improved dirt road, there were hardly any signs of widespread use. I’m planning on doing the hike around the start of July (3rd,4th,5th). He was now was finishing up his Canadian climbing/hiking/backpacking adventures by driving down the Rockies back to his Colorado home. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until September. Andrew was packed up in record speed. About right for my annual week-long vacation, I get to take for myself. He was pleased to see us, take a hot shower, and relax after all his hiking. Great scenery and such an interesting wilderness. We were happy to see him. From this point forward, there would be no road crossings on the UHT from now until Hayden Pass. WATER: With over 2000 lakes in the Uintas, water is not a problem EXCEPT in the first stretch up to Leidy Peak TH. Much easier logistically. I was further amazed by the Yellowstone Creek valley below. Uinta Basin Back Country Horsemen will finish clearing the final 4 milles of Uinta Highline Trail this weekend with last winters extra snow load and last spring’s high winds which blew down a lot of trees blocking this trail 100 at last count. Elevation Profile for the Highline Trail The altitude for the Highline Trail between Chepeta Lake and Hayden Pass stays above 10,000 feet the entire distance. It out at about six pm, the trail start at one of the Lake and also abandoned... 20-Mile approach trail just to get a ride to Evanston where we d... Our way back home without incident trail is a north-south trail connecting UHL Flaming... 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