10 years ago when I got back into backpacking I had late 80's gear and a parcel of other gear. I also photocopied a map to use. I came out on the Highline Trail to Rocky Sea Pass went south tying into the Duchense. That trip I walked myself off of my map. This weekend I decided to do the reverse of most of it. I camped at the confluence of the North and East Forks of the Duchense at the bridge, a place i noted then it would be good for camping. I came up past Pinto Lake, cut over to Four Lakes Basin, then up to the Highline. For some reason everytime I pass the Pinto Lake cut off on the Highline the trail drags. I got a second wind when I came to the Naturalist Basin trail. I forced myself to take short breaks to drink water. I found a spot that I'd identified as a good spot on a different trip.
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My last few rucks are about tying in other trips into new trips.
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Last weekend I was at Crystal Lake area. I tied in my Smith Morehouse trip of last year with one I did in the fall of 2013 of going to the Notch.
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Right now I'm comfortable, no mosquitoes, and full. When I got here I was wiped. After an hour of resting and airing out my quilt, I headed over to the upper basin.
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The upper basins in the Uinta's seem to stretch for miles with intermittent clusters of trees, rock bands, and wide open sky. This one is split with a narrow section above Jordan Lake. I chose not to check out the west basin.
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Got back and fixed a Knorr side with a pack of tuna. I'd have tea but I ran out so I had a few packets of hot cider. Both satisfied me. With low mosquitoe population I didn't need to pace or wander about.
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I've got my tiny Baofeng UV-3R cranked up listening not to any hams but to country music sine it was the first station that came up. I listened to 162.550 which is the area'vs weather frequency. Mostly cloudy tonight, expect late day rain on Sunday. Perfect for me. I've got 9 miles to the car since I parked at Mirror Lake and not the main trailhead for this area.
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Love it up here, wish I could stay longer yet, I know I've got a great hike ahead of me shortly.
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Hike on, hike wise.
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Post hike notes. I reflect on this hike of a few weekends ago, what amazing country I live near. I research other destinations and know there are other place just as grand in neighboring states. One thing I am reminded of as I hike is the frailty of the wilderness. Please aim to minimize impact of the visit to the wild aggressive by promoting "Leave No Trace" by taking only pictures, leaving only foot prints, and sharing with others by not broadcasting one's presence. Also be situationaly aware of what is around. Here is a link to current wild fires burning... https://maps.nwcg.gov
There is a lot we can do and even more that we can do that we should not so that others can enjoy the experience too.
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