Hidden Lake

My son and I were planning on checking out one of the many hidden lakes in Utah. The Hidden lake we choose was the near Wall lake and Mount Watson in the High Uintas. Every time I have been to that trailhead I have always passed it by on my way to other lakes. Well with this being the last major weekend of the summer and an upcoming surgery, I thought I better hit the trail one more time. I wanted to see another set of lakes! After my week long trek in the Wind River range of Wyoming I wanted to lighten my pack, so I laid everything out and using my postage scale I weighed it all. Below is the contents of my pack with corresponding weights.

Osprey Atmos 50 size large 3 LBS 8.5 OZ
High Peak Extreme Pak 3 LBS 3.6 OZ
Nalgene water bottle full 2LBS 11 OZ X 2
Fly creek UL2 tent 2 LBS 10.7 OZ
Emergency kit 1 LBS 14.6 OZ
Big Agnes insulated core sleeping pad 1 LBS 8.3 OZ
MRS Mini Works water filter 1 LBS 1.7 OZ
Lure box 14.1 OZ
Spinning rod and reel 13.4 OZ
Jet Boil SOL 12.2 OZ (15 OZ with rag, Salt/Pepper, and two spoons)
Bear Spray 12 OZ
Fly rod and reel 12 OZ
Coleman Fuel Canister 11.3 OZ
Rice Dinner (Two cups rice and 1 Lipton soup packet in a Ziploc bag) 10.1 OZ
Fleece pull over 10 OZ
Sherpa base layer shirt 8.5 OZ
Coleman BIO wipes and shovel in Ziploc bag 8.1 OZ
Outdoor Products Silicone tarp 7.8 OZ
50' rope 7.8 OZ
Repel Bug spray 6.7 OZ
Memory foam pad (protection for my Big Agnes sleeping pad) 6.8 OZ
Rain top 6 OZ
Fly box with large Flies 5.4 OZ
GPS 5.2 OZ
Base layer pant 5.1 OZ
Head Lamp 4.6 OZ
Pack cover 4.4 OZ
Rain pants 4.4 OZ
Mountain House Breakfast 3.3 OZ
Tooth brush, hand soap, sun screen 3.3 OZ
Fly Box with small flies 3 OZ
Wool socks 2.9 OZ
Silva Ranger Compass 2.6 OZ
Snack and drink mix bag 2.6 OZ
Gloves 2.1 OZ
Watch cap 1.8 OZ
Sit pad (small section of an old sleeping pad cut to 12") 1.7 OZ
Underwear 1.3 OZ
Bug net .7 OZ

A grand total weight of 31 LBS 6.3 OZ, man, I am still taking too much stuff. So far I just can't help it, I could loose about a pound from my emergency kit but I like having it in a self contained bag. I just move it from pack to pack. My emergency kit contains everything I think I would need if my Son and I were lost or injured on a day hike; I just can't leave home with out it. So now you know the extent of the pain I subject myself to on each trip. As I continue to do these small trips I will start to wean myself off of my "over prepared" items. Friday night I was discussing the trip with my boy and he started to flake on me, so I decided to go myself. This will be my farthest trip, on my own.

 I left the house at 1 pm and pointed the car towards Kamas, Utah. I arrived at the trail head right at 4 pm, I shouldered my pack and hit the trail. As I was driving into Kamas the rain was falling, I decided to press my luck and kept going. I am glad I did, it had rained that morning but it was stopped and was pretty well dry when I arrived.

To shake it up a bit and practice my off trail skill I decided to go to Wall lake first.

Menacing clouds.

The outlet of Wall; they aren't letting out much water!

Wall Lake.

After Wall, I laid plotted my course and grabbed a bearing and started my bushwhack. Now it isn't much of a bushwhack but I needed the practice.

I came out above Cliff and found the trail I wanted. As I hiked along the trail I passed Petite and linear lake just before passing Lake Watson; that is Mount Watson in the background.

The trail is quite confusing after Watson and evidently I took the wrong junction. So out came the map and I bushwhacked into Cliff Lake.

After passing Cliff, I passed by Booker and the two other Divide lakes. After leaving the last Divide lake I Bushwhacked up to another lake north of the last Divide lake. There isn't a name on the map and it looks like fishless pond, but it sure is beautiful.

After leaving the dead pond I followed the outlet down to Hidden. To my dismay I found it wasn't hidden enough because there were five campers there already. So much for my new secret fishing hole! Well I was hoping anyway, it isn't really that far in so I shouldn't have expected it! A boy can dream can't he?

I said hello to the fellas that beat there and walked to the other side of the lake. After crossing the outlet I ran into this beautiful doe and she was nice enough to let me take her picture.

My view from the camp site!

My secret weapon for warm water! Two of these in a Nalgene are yummy and help with silt taste from some of the glacial lakes I have filtered water from. Even the best filters can't keep all of the bad taste out.

I tried fishing that evening after dinner and nothing, there were a few boils in the middle but they didn't want to play. I hit the bag around 9 pm and slept on and off until 6:30 am. which is very late for me. I slept pretty good considering that this was my fisrt solo trip this far in.

This is the view I awoke to, absolutely no wind! Perfect fishing weather except the rotten fish didn't want to cooperate!

This Divide lake is on the Weber drainage side, the divide lakes are cool because one of them drains into the Weber river and the one next to it ends up into the Provo river. These lakes have fish but they didn't want to play either!

Weber side.

 

Provo side.

The third lake is Booker.

Next to Booker is Clyde lake, a few fish were rising so I tried my luck. I saw this fella rise and threw my fly and bam fish on!

Not a very big fish but very pretty, he ended up being the only fish of the trip.

My parting shot of Clyde Lake.

Unknown lake below Clyde.

Watson again.

Cliff Lake.

One of the cliffs at Cliff lake.

One of the Lily lakes, I wonder why they call it lily?

The trail marker.

Tragedy! Did it get broken defending myself from a charging black bear? Nope. Did I break it defending my self from a sword wielding rabid squirrel? Nope. Did I break it fighting a the new world record Brook trout? Nope, as I was coming down the last set of switch backs before Lily lake I slipped onto my rear end and when I came down the tip snapped! As I picked myself up off the ground I noticed the broken rod. I composed myself after the blood cuddling scream,wiped my tears and sulked all the way back to my car! What a horrible way to end an awesome trip, I was able to keep from breaking down completely long enough to make it to the car. I sucked my thumb the whole way home!

The final picture says it all!

Keep you lines and boot laces tight.