Bogley

[peripatetic]

Hey!

Who's done the whole thing?? I'm having a hard time finding info about it online. People state very different distances for it.

I'm interested in doing the whole shebang late July. I'm a very fast hiker, but I only have six days to do it, including driving time. What's the story with the shuttle? It seems super long (4 hrs) and impossible to do without two cars.

:rockon:

[James_B_Wads2000]

I have never done it but I researched it a little bit. It would be an epic trip! In my opinion I think weather would be your greatest enemy. Assuming the passes (and what are there like nine of them) are free of snow, you would be spending so much time above the treeline in the lighting zone. It just seems like you would have to descend into the valleys for water and to camp.

Four hours for a shuttle seems to short. I have driven to the end of the Highland trail near Chepeta Lake. At least this is the first time the Highland trail touches a road since Mirror Lake Highway. The drive to Chepeta Lake took forever after leaving Highway 40. After Whiterocks the road becomes a rough dirt road. I would guess it would take more that 4 hours to drive there and back.

One of my guide books just casually mentions that the Highland trail is over sixty miles from Mirror to Chepeta. Six days plus a shuttle doesn’t seem very doable. Unless you are a ultra-marathon runner with high altitude training. Even then if the weather turns to crap, which happens a lot in the Uintahs, you could loose a day waiting out a storm.

If you go be sure to post lots of pics!

Scott Patterson should chime in here in a little bit. He is the resident expert on the High Uintahs. I bet he has already done this before.


James

[James_B_Wads2000]

I found some links:

http://www.summitpost.org/area/range/297350/highline-trail-high-uintas.html

http://www.go-utah.com/Highline-Trail-Mirror-Lake-Trail-083/


James

[brookiekiller]

I have hiked every square inch of it, but never in one trip. It can be easily done in 6 days. Most people that I know do not go over to Chepeta as that is a long ways to shuttle - the most popular ending is Browne Lake, or even Spirit Lake on the North slope. Browne Lake coming off of Leidy Peak or Spirit Lake via Fox Lake. Leidy Peak is the official ending/beginning of the trail. Browne Lake from the Mirror Lake Highway can be driven in 4 hours. I find the highline trail to be fairly fast going as so much is above the tree line. I camped above tree line twice. It is great to camp above tree line. If you are smart about where you place your camp then Lightning is no problem. There is a ton of water above the trees as well, in fact the chances of finding a spring are very good. The trail gets a little hard to follow in upper Lake Fork and near Leidy Peak.

I think the biggest key is to get over Rocky Sea Pass the first day, and have a huge second day by going over Dead Horse and Red Knob in one day into Lake fork. The distance isn't that great, but hammering the two passes in one day would cut a day out of the trip. Another two pass day is the next day by hitting Porcupine and Tungsten Pass. Tungsten is easy, but then you can camp in the shadow of Kings Peak that night. Once into Painter Basin the miles just go by.

I have never been so scared in my life as when I was on top of Red Knob. The thunderstorms started popping all around us, and there was no sufficient cover to be had for a long ways. As I was running across the Tundra in the Upper Lake Fork area, I would see a flash and couldn't even count to one before the thunder would hit.

[Scott P]

Quote: People state very different distances for it.

There are reasons for that. There are actually two Highline Trails in the Uintas and people have different ideas of what the Highline Trail actually covers.

Most people saying they hiked the Highline Trail are speaking of doing the hike from Hayden Pass to Chepeta Lake. As Brookiekiller points out, the Highline trail actually extends much farther east to beyond Leidy Peak.

There is also a "Highline Trail" that stays on the North Slope from East Fork Blacks Fork to near Spirit Lake. Many refer to this one as the "North Highline" to avoid confusion.

Quote: I'm interested in doing the whole shebang late July. I'm a very fast hiker, but I only have six days to do it, including driving time.

Six days is good for Hayden Pass to Chepeta Lake. Personally I wouldn't plan on going all the way to Leidy Peak from Hayden Pass in six days since there are so many things to see along the way (peaks to climb and lakes to visit).

Quote: What's the story with the shuttle? It seems super long (4 hrs) and impossible to do without two cars.

Basically as you say it is super long and takes four hours or more. Going all the way to Leidy would likely be even five or six hours for the car shuttle (each way). Unless you really want to spend a couple days hitch hiking, you need a shuttle.

If you want a long hike without a shuttle, here is one suggestion. The Uinta Loop going over Chain Lakes, Lake Atwood, Trailrider Pass, over to Kidney Lakes along the Highline and back down the Uinta River drainage is almost as long as doing the Highline Trail Hayden Pass to Chepeta Lake, plus there are many side trips along the way (such as the isolated Painter Lakes and Gilbert Creek drainages).

[vamedtech]

I would love to do that trail. I was thinking it would be fun to take Llamas or a mule. It would make life easier.