Uinta Highline Trail Guide
The Uinta Highline Trail is a 104-mile trail that runs along the Uinta Mountain Range in Utah’s Ashley National Forest and Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The trail is noted for its expansive views and varied terrain, which includes lodgepole forest, glacial valleys, alpine lakes, and high mountain passes. The trail has an average elevation of 10,700′; it crosses eight mountain passes that are over 11,000′, requiring 16,700′ of elevation gain end-to-end. The trail’s highpoint is Kings Peak at 13,528′.
Observing Transition Season
Leopold is arguing that the first four grades with their inherent dissociation from the land, and the relative nonexistence of the fifth among recreationists, pose a huge threat to the lands on which we recreate. The lower recreation grades,
“consume their resource base; the higher grades, at least to a degree, create their own satisfactions with little or no attrition of land or life. It is the expansion of transport without a corresponding growth of perception that threatens us with qualitative bankruptcy of the recreational process. Recreational development is a job not of building roads into lovely country, but of building receptivity into the still unlovely human mind.”
Good Gear Lets You Be Present
Then my attention turned to the pack I was wearing. I was 11 miles into the first day of testing the YAR Gear Mountain Drifter 38 Liter pack and needed to pay attention to whether or not it was working. Suddenly aware I hadn’t spent all that much time thinking about it during those first 11 miles, I promised myself I would try and pay better attention from then on out. I hadn’t noticed undue pressure on my shoulders, hips, or back. All I really did remember from the last 11 miles were the large volcanic stones in the trail, prickly pear, agave, alligator juniper, piñon, yuccas, and countless birds. I remember the looming blue triangle of the Mazatzal Mountains dusted lightly in snow creeping slowly closer to me like one of the pyramids of Giza chained to a winch and cranked heavily across the ground. Is that how they were built? With that thought came a flood of associations. “When the great – pyramids – dragged themselves out to this spot – sickness sank into the little one’s heart,” I sang loudly, remembering the beautiful and dark Jason Molina song.
Take This Poem on Your Next Trip
“The road seen, then not seen,” begins the poem “Santiago” by David Whyte.
The road seen, then not seen, I think, walking down Woodenshoe Canyon in Bear’s Ears National Monument in late November. The red trail below my feet leads into piñon and juniper and turns and disappears within them. The path seen, then not seen. It dips into a willowy wash and is nearly gone, only seen where snake grass is occasionally matted down by past feet. The road seen, then not seen.
Gryphon Gear Aries 20 Quilt Review
The Gryphon Gear Aries 20 Quilt (25.7 oz / 729 g, MSRP from $327) is a three-season quilt with a differential cut, draft collar, an edge tensioning system, and 17.5 oz (496 g) of down fill. Its price puts it a little under the cost of similarly rated Nunatak and Katabatic quilts – its closest competitors. It is the warmest 20 °F quilt I’ve ever used.
The Anthropology of a Trail (Backpacking Light)
Who or what makes a trail?
I’ve often wondered this when veering off the Bonneville Shoreline trail that skirts the edge of Salt Lake City to investigate less distinct deer trails. The Bonneville Shoreline trail is a human trail today, no doubt, but when Lake Bonneville lapped at the shore between 30,000 and 13,000 years ago, bison, deer, and later Shoshone, Ute, Goshute, and other Native people surely walked the edge of the water. Then when the lake receded, it left a clear line, an obvious promenade just asking to be walked. So, who or what created this trail? Did the lake itself make it? After all, today’s trail is named after the lake. The existence of this question seems to speak of its own futility, or maybe trail-making or path-making are just more complex than they appear.
Frozen Tracks: Monument Restoration and the Fate of the Upper Paria (Backpacking Light)
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was designated in 1996, with its original size encompassing 1,880,461 acres. President Bill Clinton famously signed the proclamation on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, several miles and a state away from the southern border of the new monument, an act seen by many local Utahns as cowardly, a slap in the face, and more proof that only outsiders wanted this land to hold monument status. A little over 20 years later, Trump pleased these same folks by reducing the size of the monument by about half. Now many who lamented the shrinking—locals and nonlocals alike—are anticipating President Joe Biden’s restoration of the monument to its original size. On his first day, he signed an executive order for the review of the monument boundaries. With all of this in mind, I decided to walk through an area that could be affected by whatever Biden decides to do to see if there was a story inherent in the place itself, one separate from the political division that accounts for most monument discussions.
Backpacking in a Time of Uncertainty (Backpacking Light)
Throughout the summer, despite the ongoing pandemic, an uncertain relationship, political division in the U.S., the impending election—and the possibility that it wouldn’t go smoothly—I somehow completed several multi-day backpacking trips and even the Uinta Highline Trail. I even said out loud on multiple occasions that I was actually enjoying quarantine, that I was enjoying my work routine at home, and that I liked cooking every meal every day. But by mid-September, something shifted in me.
Crossing the Water (Dark Mountain)
Just outside the town of Strawberry, Arizona we found the dirt road that would take us to Twin Buttes trailhead, where we would be leaving the truck. A creek flowed across the road, but when we drove into it we found it was shallow, demure, and proceeded south unimpeded. The road took us through junipers and oaks in the bright sun and, when we parked, I stowed my wallet somewhere in the truck and my hiking partner Jesse did the same. We’d later come to regret this decision.
The Overlook: Othering in the Outdoors (Backpacking Light)
The Overlook is Backpacking Light’s new monthly column where hiker, writer, and thinker Ben Kilbourne will explore backpacking from many different vantages. He will try to climb up to a high place with a view, an overlook, where the myriad issues intertwined with backpacking can be seen. This column will challenge the reader to embrace complexity and engage in thoughtful dialogue with other readers. Join us at The Overlook!
An Encounter
After a long workday, I closed the computer, switched from jeans to running clothes, drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon just outside of Salt Lake City, and parked on the side of the road behind a long string of cars. On a Friday afternoon, hordes of people had the same idea as me: get some exercise in the woods. It’s a common pastime for Salt Lakers of all kinds, an activity with no apparent common denominator. The Wasatch Range is a place where different people are brought together through a shared love of the outdoors.
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Borah Gear Bug Bivy Review (Section Hiker)
The Borah Gear Bug Bivy is a reasonably priced bivy for use under a variety of tarps when there is mild to medium bug pressure. It can add a few degrees of warmth to your sleep setup and is also great for cowboy camping. It weighs between 5.5 – 6.5 oz, costs $85, and can add a lot of versatility to your shelter system. There are other similar bivies out there, but none of them hit such a remarkable price point.
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Six Moon Designs Haven Bundle Review (Section Hiker)
The Six Moon Designs Haven Bundle is a lightweight (34 oz), two-person, double-wall, tent that includes the company’s Haven Tarp and Haven NetTent. It checks a lot of the same boxes as comparable tents, and the price point comes in below many of them. The Haven Bundle is exceptionally easy to use, with effortless modularity and effective toggles for rolling back doors. These features paired with high-quality materials make the Haven Bundle a great choice for people who like the ease-of-use of traditional dome-style tents but want something lighter and more durable.
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Warbonnet Diamondback 0 Quilt Review (Section Hiker)
The Warbonnet Diamondback Quilt (stock model, sewn footbox, 0 degree model) is a very lofty quilt for use either in hammocks or on the ground. It has a 15D shell and liner, comes in a number of sizes, and several color configurations. With 19.36 oz of 850-fill down inside, it should be good for winter use or three-season use for cold sleepers. Personally, I have found it to be quite warm in temperatures ranging from 34 degrees F to 12 degrees F. The quilt’s pad attachment system left me wanting but is somewhat forgivable due to its excellent side-elastic system. It costs $375, which is significantly less than some comparable premium quilts.
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Western Mountaineering Versalite 10 Sleeping Bag Review (Section Hiker)
The Western Mountaineering Versalite 10 sleeping bag is the sleeping bag I would choose if I could have only one. It can be used very comfortably between 10 and 40 degrees and pushed a little further in either direction. I’ve taken it below 10 wearing some layers and have draped it over me quilt style when temps are warmer than 40. The Versalite is pretty pricey, but worth it if it’s going to be your primary or only sleeping bag. I’ve owned mine for six years, during which time I’ve owned a number of other sleeping bags, but the Versalite has remained in my possession for longer than any of the others. The reason I’ve kept it around is that it’s a truly versatile sleeping bag.
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"Why I Walk" (Backpacking Light Blog & Podcast)
I pull my truck into a packed trailhead across the street from the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, park, and again look at my phone. I check my messages, scroll briefly through Instagram again, and then turn it off and tuck it under the seat. It’s four-thirty in the afternoon and I’m feeling a sleepiness only caffeine, napping, or walking can fix. English tea time. Spanish siesta. Utah amble.
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Seek Outside Eolus Tent With Nest Review (Section Hiker)
The Seek Outside Eolus Tent with Nest is a 36.9 oz-tent that pitches with two trekking poles. It is very large for such a lightweight two-person tent, making it extremely livable and comfortable, especially for taller individuals, or people who have to pack a lot of gear. The tent has a unique zipperless door that opens and closes by sliding it up and down a guyline. This design makes it perfect for desert environments where zippers often fail as a result of sand. As is usually the case with Seek Outside products, the design of this tent is above and beyond what anyone else in the industry is doing. I salute their creativity as it pushes the backpacking industry forward.
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Desert Water Purification (Section Hiker)
Purifying water in the desert can be a unique challenge. Often, it’s hard to even find any water to begin with, and when you finally do, it’s opaque with silt or full of swaying algae or tiny worms. Much of it is frankly unappealing. In this article, I will discuss pathogens, purification methods, challenges unique to desert environments, and solutions. Most of what I cover saying pertains to the dirty, filthy, sandy, silty, muddy water sources that transect the Colorado Plateau, including Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument, Bear’s Ears National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, The San Rafael Swell, and Grand Canyon National Park. Although the lessons learned can also apply to the Sonoran Desert, the Mojave Desert, and the Great Basin Desert, as well.
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Zpacks Pocket Tarp w/ Doors Review (Section Hiker)
The Zpacks Pocket Tarp w/ Doors is a one-person tarp weighing 6.1 oz with guylines attached. It is constructed from 0.55 oz/sq. yard Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF), a fully waterproof material that doesn’t stretch or sag when wet. I purchased this tent primarily for use in the desert southwest where shelters aren’t often needed and where zippers often clog with sand. My hope was that the Zpacks Pocket Tarp w/ Doors would feel like almost nothing in my pack and provide enough protection for those short-lived summer storms or light spring drizzles. Read on to find out if it lived up to my expectations.
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Backpackers Should be Amateur Naturalists (Backpacking Light)
Out of my backpack, I pulled the small nylon sack that contained my tarp and began scanning the meadow for a flat place. My pack fell over and my pot and stove spilled out. I walked away from the mess toward a mostly flat, mostly rockless patch of meadow. Perfect. I pulled the tarp out of the sack and draped the rectangle over the grass and the tiny white and purple flowers. Before I pounded in a single stake I noticed a dead lodgepole about 50 feet (15 meters) away and 60 feet (18 meters) tall. Halfway up the tree split into a schoolmarm, one side bare and the other side impossibly supporting a mess of dead branches. The whole thing leaned generally in my direction. This spot will not do. I gathered the tarp and continued the search.
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