Micro Trip Reports

[Curt]

Seeing your pictures from Island In The Sky really spoke to me. I think its in my DNA. When my dad came home from WWII he met and married my mom and they moved to the area on the flats south of Island In The Sky. My dad prospected for Uranium mostly along the Colorado River basin between the Needles and Island In The Sky. They actually lived for an extended period at Dubinky Well in a small travel trailer that they were able to pull there behind a pickup. My arrival in the world precipitated a move to a more settled life in Grand Junction. I've never actually, in my memory, been to Dubinky Well and its in my bucket list to go see where my parents lived. Pictures from this area are really compelling for me and I think its one reason I like this web site so much. I really enjoyed seeing your pictures. Thank you for your mini trip report.

 

[Jackson]

Seeing your pictures from Island In The Sky really spoke to me. I think its in my DNA. When my dad came home from WWII he met and married my mom and they moved to the area on the flats south of Island In The Sky. My dad prospected for Uranium mostly along the Colorado River basin between the Needles and Island In The Sky. They actually lived for an extended period at Dubinky Well in a small travel trailer that they were able to pull there behind a pickup. My arrival in the world precipitated a move to a more settled life in Grand Junction. I've never actually, in my memory, been to Dubinky Well and its in my bucket list to go see where my parents lived. Pictures from this area are really compelling for me and I think its one reason I like this web site so much. I really enjoyed seeing your pictures. Thank you for your mini trip report.

Thank you! That is an awesome connection you have with the area, and it really does sound like it's in your DNA. Reminds me of those sections of Desert Solitaire when he talks about Uranium mining in the area. Such an interesting topic. I'd like to read more about it.

 

[Curt]

Thank you! That is an awesome connection you have with the area, and it really does sound like it's in your DNA. Reminds me of those sections of Desert Solitaire when he talks about Uranium mining in the area. Such an interesting topic. I'd like to read more about it.

My dad did do some mining work for others to pay the bills while he searched for his own big discovery - which never came. All through my childhood he had a collection of "yellowcake" - very high grade Uranium ore, very radioactive - sitting out in the garage. A few years ago he told me that he had given it away. He finally decided that it was dangerous having something so radioactive laying around the house. He didn't tell me who he gave it to, but its hard to imagine anyone else wanting something like that.

He also said that he did some work for an oil company drilling exploration wells. They used a WWII landing craft on the Colorado River to move their equipment around. I always thought thought that was fascinating.

 

[Jackson]

They say that going out when the weather sucks is a good way to prepare yourself for future trips. So I went out today to go up Neff's Canyon. I got rained and snowed on, and it was pretty miserable, just as I had hoped. The weather and the snow up high also made it so I had the trail all to myself. It eventually got really foggy, and the way up to the ridge was not too obvious (and perhaps covered in deep snow), so I headed back down. Good times!


Heading into the fog.


These were everywhere. Glacier lily?





This is when it started to rain/snow pretty hard. I got what I asked for. I don't know if you can really tell from the picture though.


The fog moved in and turned me back. Didn't feel like losing my way. I suppose I would have had my footprints to follow though.


Foggy trail.


Lots of cascades along the way. I took the opportunity to play around with the new camera settings on my phone. Pretty cool that you can change the shutter speed now.

 

[Artemus]

They say that going out when the weather sucks is a good way to prepare yourself for future trips. So I went out today to go up Neff's Canyon. I got rained and snowed on, and it was pretty miserable, just as I had hoped. The weather and the snow up high also made it so I had the trail all to myself. It eventually got really foggy, and the way up to the ridge was not too obvious (and perhaps covered in deep snow), so I headed back down. Good times!

View attachment 42528
Heading into the fog.

View attachment 42529
These were everywhere. Glacier lily?

View attachment 42530


View attachment 42531
This is when it started to rain/snow pretty hard. I got what I asked for. I don't know if you can really tell from the picture though.

View attachment 42532
The fog moved in and turned me back. Didn't feel like losing my way. I suppose I would have had my footprints to follow though.

View attachment 42533
Foggy trail.

View attachment 42534
Lots of cascades along the way. I took the opportunity to play around with the new camera settings on my phone. Pretty cool that you can change the shutter speed now.

Building toughness, Jackson. You go! In climbing we say you should practice your belay left handed, in the rain, in the dark, in the freezer, with gloves on.

Yes those are glacier lilly's - the first flower out after the snow leaves the surface.

 

[slc_dan]

They say that going out when the weather sucks is a good way to prepare yourself for future trips. So I went out today to go up Neff's Canyon. I got rained and snowed on, and it was pretty miserable, just as I had hoped. The weather and the snow up high also made it so I had the trail all to myself. It eventually got really foggy, and the way up to the ridge was not too obvious (and perhaps covered in deep snow), so I headed back down. Good times!

View attachment 42528
Heading into the fog.

View attachment 42529
These were everywhere. Glacier lily?

View attachment 42530


View attachment 42531
This is when it started to rain/snow pretty hard. I got what I asked for. I don't know if you can really tell from the picture though.

View attachment 42532
The fog moved in and turned me back. Didn't feel like losing my way. I suppose I would have had my footprints to follow though.

View attachment 42533
Foggy trail.

View attachment 42534
Lots of cascades along the way. I took the opportunity to play around with the new camera settings on my phone. Pretty cool that you can change the shutter speed now.

I love Neffs, one of my favorites to explore in the Wasatch, close to home. I spent a night up there once even.

I too have been stifled by snow at the higher elevations. Thanks for posting the pic, I'll hold off for a bit.

 

[Jackson]

I love Neffs, one of my favorites to explore in the Wasatch, close to home. I spent a night up there once even.

I had tried it a few years ago, but I went with people unprepared to go very far, so we had to turn back. Been thwarted twice now.

I too have been stifled by snow at the higher elevations. Thanks for posting the pic, I'll hold off for a bit.

Looking forward to seeing it!

 

[Kullaberg63]

Did a fun solo bike ride a few weeks ago, exploring the area between the Orange Cliffs and the Dirty Devil: Went down Poison Springs, crossed the DD (trenched by a 2000 cfs flood a few days prior; no jeeps could ford) and continued on the other side.

Veered off an some abandoned spurs to the south to find a couple of good springs in south Hatch before looping back to Sunset Pass for the night.

Next day up the Flint and out to near the end of the Big Ridge, on the way checking Two Pipe and Dripping Springs (both flowing nicely). Roads out there past the Orange Cliffs NRA are fatbikes/MC only. No recent tracks. Give it another decade and it will all be gone. Did at least 25 miles of very hard to follow roads. Phone GPS with good old 7.5 quads helped tons. That place is out there!

Camped on the rim of the the Big Ridge near the top of an abandoned mining track, which I took the next morning back down thru the Wingate to the road I came in on. Then back across the DD and up Poison Springs.

About 130 miles, 3 days, saw only people in the busy Maze region near the Flint/Teapot corridor.

IMG_0953 by jan nikolajsen, on Flickr

IMG_0995 by jan nikolajsen, on Flickr

 

[Artemus]

Did a fun solo bike ride a few weeks ago, exploring the area between the Orange Cliffs and the Dirty Devil: Went down Poison Springs, crossed the DD (trenched by a 2000 cfs flood a few days prior; no jeeps could ford) and continued on the other side.

Veered off an some abandoned spurs to the south to find a couple of good springs in south Hatch before looping back to Sunset Pass for the night.

Next day up the Flint and out to near the end of the Big Ridge, on the way checking Two Pipe and Dripping Springs (both flowing nicely). Roads out there past the Orange Cliffs NRA are fatbikes/MC only. No recent tracks. Give it another decade and it will all be gone. Did at least 25 miles of very hard to follow roads. Phone GPS with good old 7.5 quads helped tons. That place is out there!

Camped on the rim of the the Big Ridge near the top of an abandoned mining track, which I took the next morning back down thru the Wingate to the road I came in on. Then back across the DD and up Poison Springs.

About 130 miles, 3 days, saw only people in the busy Maze region near the Flint/Teapot corridor.

IMG_0953 by jan nikolajsen, on Flickr

IMG_0995 by jan nikolajsen, on Flickr

Very nice Jan! That area IS out there. The limiter was always water - at least in my mind. Doing it by bike helps connect those dots since you can do such big mileage. Well done.

 

[slc_dan]

Love it @Kullaberg63!

 

[John Goering]

A few photos from our near daily "stay-in-shape" two miler from last week.


Hit the "orchid season" in full stride.

Bog orchid.

Richardson's geranium.

Canadian violets.

Spotted corralroot.

Sticky geranium.

Stripped corralroot.

Un-identified corralroot-first time we have observed it.

View to south towards Bozeman & Madison Range. Arrow leaf balsamroot.

Baldy Mountain, Bridger Range.

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

Whoa nice @Jackson, @Kullaberg63, @John Goering - All of these are definitely trip report worthy imo.

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

Cascade and Porter Mountain, Adirondacks, NY, June 10th and 11th

A few shots of the trail and summit on Cascade Mountain. It was raining pretty hard by the time I summited Porter so most of these are from Cascade. Joey did well in Vermont a few weeks earlier, so I wanted to take him on something a little more challenging and he did really well. My wife thinks it's the glucosamine supplements.

Some of the rocky trail

Steep at times


Finally getting above treeline


Gothics and Saddleback in the back left, Big Slide Mtn in the front right

The low clouds in the distance are over Lake Champlain. On the other side of Lake Champlain in the distance are the Green Mountains of VT.

Mount Marcy on the left, Algonquin on the right

Big Slide in the foreground again, Saddleback, Basin, Haystack, and Marcy in background from left to right.

View of the whole great range, Marcy, and part of the McIntyre range (Algonquin)

Looking north to Canada. Not as interesting.

The ridge of Porter Mountain.

Roaring Brook Falls on the way back

 

[Kullaberg63]

A fun afternoon in the La Sal's:

DSC05101 by jan nikolajsen, on Flickr

 

[Kullaberg63]

..and one from last weekend:

Yet another recreational release on the Dolores. 1000+ cfs for three days, Slickrock to Bedrock. Packrafts and a ducky. Super fast, averaged 7-8 miles.

Image 6-14-16 at 21.20 by jan nikolajsen, on Flickr

 

[Nick]

..and one from last weekend:

Yet another recreational release on the Dolores. 1000+ cfs for three days, Slickrock to Bedrock. Packrafts and a ducky. Super fast, averaged 7-8 miles.

Image 6-14-16 at 21.20 by jan nikolajsen, on Flickr

That seriously deserves a full trip report. Please? Pretty, pretty, pretty please?

 

[Kullaberg63]

Yeah.. not sure. A brief description at least. The Dolores is a tricky one. McPhee reservoir and dam dictates the flow, and usually during boating season that's not much. If anything. I should mention that once the river joins forces with the free flowing San Miguel in Paradox Valley the last run in Utah to the Colorado River is mostly a go.

This year however, for the first time in ages, McPhee had enough water to do a 'recreational release'. This took place on Memorial Day weekend, and was well publicized. Also well attended!

Now, water kept coming out of the mountains, and the dam managers realized they had enough to do another run. This took place a little later, and since most regional boaters had already shot their wad on the Holiday, the crowds had subsided a bit.

This 3 day run, Slickrock to Bedrock, is surprisingly wild, easily shuttled and decently long. Enough low key white water to get wet (and needing to bail undecked packrafts now and then), and pretty fast with flows around 1k cfs.

Many beaches were underwater, as were also a lot of willows and other greenery. We found cows stranded on rapidly diminishing islands!

 

[Jackson]

Headed out Friday night to Cliff Lake in the Uintas. Met up with a few friends and tested out the new tent.

Got to the TH around 7 p.m., so we were happy we hadn't planned on something any farther in. Spots were a bit difficult to find because there were still quite a few patches of snow, and most areas were still pretty soggy. After we had gotten in and set up the tent, I realized I hadn't put my America the Beautiful pass up in my car, so I ran back to the lot, put it on my dashboard, and ran back. That sure made up for the short hike.

We hiked out in the morning because we had a busy Saturday ahead.

The new tent (Tarptent Stratospire 2) was great. Spacious, stayed taut, and it's far lighter than my REI Passage 2. The Tyvek footprint made a bit of noise once the wind started blowing, so I'll have to run it through the washing machine or make sure it's folded underneath the edges of the tent next time. Of course, I thought a bear was stepping on the corner of the tent when I first heard it crackle.

Out of curiousity, has anyone here actually seen a bear in the Uintas before? I've hardly even heard of sightings.

 

[Parma]

I've never seen a bear in the Uintas. I do seem to see a moose every time I go though.

 

[Nick]

Out of curiousity, has anyone here actually seen a bear in the Uintas before? I've hardly even heard of sightings.

That was definitely full trip report-worthy. I've never seen one myself, but I've seen scat and tracks at lower elevations around 8k feet. I've seen a photo someone else took of a nice fat brown black bear around the area of the Duchesne Tunnel.