Summer may be drawing to a close, but there is still time to collect one last snow-free summit. A1 Peak in the Uinta Mountains checks in at 12,377′; certainly a worthy elevation to top off your season with. The easiest summit route is from Hell Hole Basin, an oft-forgotten area that is usually devoid...
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Hiking in the Uinta Mountains is like a craps game where you win on every roll. It seems that no matter where you decide to go, you will be rewarded with eye popping views of amazing Utah scenery. Packard Lake is just a short hike off of the Highline Trail and makes a worthy...
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Backpacking in the Uintas brings to mind an exploration of the mountain range’s most postcard-esque landscapes, requiring heavily-laden packs chock full of enough supplies to last a month outdoors. But sometimes you just want a quick getaway for the weekend, yet demand an escape from the crowds at established campsites. There are many small, remote lakes...
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Hike, hike, hike. Damn my pack is heavy. Hike, hike, hike. Take a picture. Hike some more. That about describes a backpacking trip to Naturalist Basin in Utah’s Uinta Mountains. Oh, and the scenery is ‘effin’ spectacular. So much so, that Naturalist Basin is one of the most popular backpacking areas in the entire...
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Shhh… don’t say it out loud, but every now and then it’s nice to get out of Utah. The Snake River Mountain Range in southeastern Idaho is largely below 9,000′, so if the Uintas are still melting out and the desert is just too stinking hot, a road trip could be in order. Make...
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Earlier this year we reviewed the Windrider, an ultralight backpack made by Hyperlite Mountain Gear. The good review was music to the company’s ears, but there was a sour note. In the review I mentioned that I insisted on carrying my dome tent, while true ultralighters go with only a tarp or bivy sack....
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Backpacking season is in full swing, and for many of us that means the chance to upgrade our gear. If it’s a tent you seek then you are likely hoping find something lightweight, durable and easy on the wallet. Too tall of an order? Not a chance, thanks to the folks at Kelty. The...
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Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a vast region within the Colorado Plateau that contains some of the best canyon country in the world. It’s quite a haul to get there from northern Utah, but well worth the trip. Hikers and backpackers flock to the region in springtime but there’s so much ground to...
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Backpacking in Bryce Canyon NP is a hybrid experience. It’s not quite a desert, and not quite a pine forest. And to be completely fair, Bryce Canyon really isn’t a canyon at all. It’s more like a handful of canyons with similar terrain. Hybrid, indeed. The fact that Bryce can’t be easily summed up...
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Backpacking has no equal alpine venue in the state of Utah than the Uinta Mountains. From classics like Kings Peak and Naturalist Basin, to lesser-known destinations such as Hidden Lake, late summer sees thousands of people humping their heavy packs into the rock strewn peaks and pine forests. But for the beginner backpacker, the imposing faces...
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