Uinta Highline Trail 2021
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I had been wanting to hike the Uinta Highline Trail in Utah for a couple of years. It’s a ~104 mile alpine trail that often remains above 10,000 ft for much of it’s length. The advantage over many of the Sierra Nevada trails is no permits are required.
Normally, it isn’t recommended to start the trail before the 3rd week of July, but given the extremely low snow levels in 2021, I headed out in early July.
July 2:
I arrived at Hayden Pass around lunch time and waited for my ride to the other end at McGee Draw. Arriving there around 6pm after grabbing dinner along the way, another hiker and myself headed out for the short 4.5 mile trek over to East Park Reservoir, often hiking along ATV trails and through meadows. We arrived around sunset.
July 3:
The trail the next day was along trail, dirt roads, and following large cairns. New tree growth often hide some of the cairns behind them. We continued the trend of hiking through meadows and forest, contouring next to a handful of peaks along the way.
We found water off trail in Manila Park after 8 miles. I had learned about this water source the previous year where it was reported to have good flow even in late August. After lunch, I got up to go grab my gear drying out in the sun, but stumbled and fell over the log I had been leaning against. I fell on a short sharp branch that ripped my pants and cut/bruised my inner thigh next to my crotch. I fortunate it was a shallow wound. Though my pants were ruined. I had been meaning to hike most of the trail in a Kilt, having been dared to wear on by an acquaintance as I had bought one a few years ago and never really wore it. So I now had no choice to embrace it.
In the early afternoon, I would see that other hiker for the last time after a short shower, and I would not see another soul until I reached Leidy Peak the next day.
July 4:
A hike through more meadows and forest brought me to a dirt road up to Leidy Peak, where I found 2 cars at the trail head there. I spent a few hours hiking around the peak and got caught in a thunderstorm while hiking on the exposed terrain on the far side. I met a family on the south side and a pair of backpackers on the far side. The trail then dropped down to a lake where I then climbed my first pass of the trail (Gabbro Pass). There was still a snow bank in the middle of it that I had to go through.
The far side was a long gentle descent down to another lake. This is where I left those 2 backpackers behind. I climbed above the lake and did another descent to yet another lake called White Rocks Lake which is a lie, as the rocks are brown.
Youtube Episode 1:
July 5:
I woke up 40 minutes early to it sprinkling on me while I was cowboy camping. It didn’t want to stop so I threw my tarp over myself waiting for the sun to come up. The morning through a series of meadows led to several wildlife encounters with elk, moose, and deer.
I soon came to Chapeta Lake where there were several cars parked at the trailhead. I met a family there and then a group of 3 backpackers who passed me on the long way up to North Pole Pass. I passed a couple out backpacking just shy of the pass and they gave me a recommendation for an alternate route along the Jack & Jill trail through the Rock Basin which burned last year. I would hike there the last day of the trip.
I once again had a thunderstorm going over the pass but made it safely down to Fox Lake where I camped. This time I set up the tarp so it could dry out from this morning. Some horse riders came in a dusk with headlamps who almost camped where I was, but noticed my tarp and moved further down the lake.
July 6:
This would be a short day, where I only went 12.5 miles. I had time to make it over the trail’s high point at Anderson Pass, but I wasn’t sure I would have time to make the scramble up to King’s Peak which is Utah’s highest point. Though only a 0.7 mile side trip, it takes 2-3 hours to do as there isn’t a trail and it’s a rock scramble.
I had a leisurely hike through a few meadows, forests, and some real creek crossings. While I was having lunch a group of hikers passed by. I stopped in the Painter’s Basin near the trail junction to Gunsight Pass and camped behind some brush in case there was wind during the night. I had a gorgeous sunset and what seemed like the entire basin to myself for the afternoon and evening.
July 7:
I got up early and was on the trail by 5:30am. I wasn’t as alone in the basin as I though as I passed a tent on the climb up and saw a pair of hikers ahead of me. I also noticed some below me on what seemed like a long climb up, but it was more that I was just going slow in the high elevation over 12,000 ft.
I made it to the top of the pass at 8am where I met a trail runner whose blog I had read previously as he had attempted to run the whole trail. I was soon joined at top by a backpacker and 2 people who based camp somewhere below. Occasionally there was an obvious path to the top of King’s Peak, but it was mostly a choose your own route and scramble using your hands climb to the top. You pass a false summit or two along the way. I met 2 other hikers coming down that gave suggestions on the best way up. After a short rest at the top, I headed back down, getting back to Anderson pass 2.5 hours after I left. A boy scout troop came along as I rested. They spotted a mountain goat, but by the time I came over, it was gone. I drank the remainder of my water at the pass and had to go 2 miles before I found more below.
I had lunch under a tree while a thunder storm passed through, followed by another boy scout troop doing the pass the opposite direction. I summited over Tungsten and then Porcupine pass in the late afternoon, having dinner on top of the last pass. It was then a long descent down a meadow that went on for miles until I found a small grove of trees to camp in a mile pass the junction to Squaw Pass at 8:30pm. This was by far my longest day hiking.
Youtube Episode 2:
July 8:
I continue hiking through meadows until I came to Red Knob pass, passing 2 late teenagers coming down the other direction. The scenery from the top of this pass was excellent. I felt it was better than any other I saw on the trail, even though the pass itself was pretty easy.
I dropped down into a basin where the temperature hit the high 80’s at one point (I thought I was above 10k ft, so what the?). Every time I tried to stop for lunch I was swarmed by mosquitos so I dragged myself to Dead Horse lake around 2:30 where I finally stopped for lunch. 2 woman were camping nearby and I saw a solo woman hiker head up the pass as I took a multi-hour break as I was worn out.
Dead Horse Pass was the sketchiest pass I would go over on this trip. It was very eroded so the path was very narrow and not very flat. I got up on top around 6pm and started down the other side soon after. The other side was definitely easier. I soon hit the edge of last years large fire zone, which made finding a safe campsite a challenge.
July 9:
You could tell that the fire burned along several fingers rather than a continuous wall, as the forest were often mixed in what burned and what didn’t. There were also several long meadows allowing great views as the sun came up. Unfortunately, I missed the trail junction with the official trail through Rock Basin, as I assume it must have been under some of the compound down trees I went around.
The official trail stays in mainly forest (that often burned) dropping down into the basin before climbing back out. I was on a trail that took a twice as long route along the tree line, avoiding the elevation change. It reportedly offered views of the mountains and a few lakes along the way. The Jack & Jill trail was another route that shortcutted the trail I was on so the extra mileage was only half, but having some minor elevation change, but still passing several lakes and a few meadows.
When I came to the junction with the Jack & Jill Lake trail, I decided to follow that couples advice (that I met near North Pole pass) and took that route through the basin. It was faint to begin with where I lost it a few times, but it got better as it went along. It did go through some sections that completely burned, but also passed several nice lakes.
On the far side, I rejoined the official trail and started to last climb up to Rocky Sea Pass. On top, I could see a hazy horizon and smelt faint smoke. I’m guessing a fire in the far distance was burning. On the way down, I had a short snow bank to hike through and stopped for lunch at Pigeon Milk Springs. I started to run into several backpackers heading into the wilderness for the weekend. First was a group of 5 middle aged men who were the first people enthusiastic about the kilt. I passed more and more people the closer to the end as the day got later.
Between the 80’s temperatures and the accumulated mileage, I was really dragging for the last 3 miles or so, taking several more breaks than normal. I got back to my vehicle around 7pm, 7 days + 1 hour, after I started the other end of the trail.
Youtube Episode 3:
Conclusion:
Overall, I think it’s a beautiful trail that I was surprised it wasn’t more popular. The trail needs some work in places as I did resort to using my GAIA GPS app a few times when I lost the cairns (assuming there were some). Several places where rocky where my feet where often on angles they weren’t use to, leading me to feel more beat up than normal for the mileage I was doing.
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