Although the Uintas were not affected by the shutdown it makes me wonder what other points our government may have to "prove" by the shutdown of National Parks across the US. As someone who enjoys the outdoors and makes a living by doing so, I am concerned about the direction we are headed and encourage everyone to go outside and enjoy it while we still can.
Despite the new snowfall on Thursday night we still decided to head out to the Uintas on Friday morning, the drive up looked inviting enough, but when we arrive at the trailhead for Bald Mountain, we were faced with ankle deep snow for most of the route. Since it was such a beautiful day, neither max nor I thought to bring snow boots, just our regular hiking shoes which usually suffice. Because of the new snowfall we were unsure of where the trail actually started, probably due to the fact that we were the only ones with the idea that day to summit Bald Mountain. We started walking on what appeared to be the "right" way and quickly picked up the trail and were off to start the switchbacks up the mountain.
Patches of gray skies, sunshine, and harsh wind from the exposure up there gave us a feeling again of how quickly the weather can change at altitude, and that you always respect the mountain. We reached the summit about an hour of slowly meandering up the slope, carefully placing our feet, and taking photos every 10 steps.
The view from the top was breathtaking, vast valleys leading to the foothills of other mountains in the Uintas, a very up close and personal view of Reid's Peak, and the colors of the fall leaves popping through the white snow in bursts of yellow, orange, and red. Needless to say, it was worth it.
Exposure
Misty Mountain
Cairn graveyard...
Mirror Lake (Birds Eye view)
Across the valley from the summit of Bald Mountain
Nicely framed Reid's Peak on the way up..
Max and me on the summit!
The biggest Cairn i've ever seen
Reid's Peak from the Ridge of Bald Mountain
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