From: owner-utahoutdoors-digest@lists.xmission.com (utahoutdoors-digest) To: utahoutdoors-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: utahoutdoors-digest V2 #105 Reply-To: utahoutdoors-digest Sender: owner-utahoutdoors-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-utahoutdoors-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk utahoutdoors-digest Thursday, September 24 1998 Volume 02 : Number 105 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 03 Aug 1998 07:27:03 -0600 From: Bill Lawrence Subject: [OUTDOORS] Dead Horse Lake/Explorer Peak Trip Its always good to get out of the office for a few days. This past week from Wednesday to Saturday we headed to the High Uintas for some R&R. Fifty years ago this summer Explorer Scout Troops from the Salt Lake Valley met a forest service ranger on the highline trail, had a little ceremony and named Explorer Peak its name. My father was one of those scouts. So to commemorate this we (my brothers and a sister and some friends) decided to hike it. We hiked up the West Fork of the Blacks Fork River to Dead Horse Lake. It is a beautiful area. The road in was very difficult/muddy. We didn't quite make it to the trail head. It also had a couple of river crossings that were needless to say very intimidating in a truck. (a 4-wheel drive would make it ok). It took us 5 hours to reach Dead Horse Lake. It had rained the previous day/night and therefore the trail was quite muddy. There are a couple of areas along the trail that is best suited for removing your boots and wearing tevas or the like to cross. Dead Horse Lake it situated in a large basin with very large cliffs/mountains for a backdrop. It is one of the most scenic lakes in the Uintas. The only downside is that there were no fish in it. (at least that we could see or catch). The next day we got up early and headed over Dead Horse Pass on our way to Explorer Peak. I'm not much of a horse rider but the pass definitely could be lethal to a horse in my mind. We made it to the peak by 11:30 AM, going up a draw on the West side. (it was very unstable, and a little scary at times). The view was spectacular, seeing all the way to the Wasatch front. We left a canister with a short story of the naming of the peak, a notebook & pencil for others to sign, on top. A few of us brought along our fishing poles and fished Phinney lake and Ledge lake, while the others headed back over to Dead Horse Lake. Fishing was great at Phinney and poor at Ledge. A storm rolled in and we stayed on the other side of Dead Horse Pass until it look as though we had a break. Half way going over Dead Horse Pass another storm rolled in. This made the pass crossing a little nerve racking. Luckily it was just windy and rainy with no lightning, otherwise we would have had to take cover. The next day (Friday) we decided to hike back half way to the trailhead to fish the river. It was great fishing. We left Dead Horse at 10:30 and stopped by the river at 12:30. After some great fishing and a nice evening by the campfire, our trip was about over. The next day we left camp at 10:30 and was back to vehicles by noon. Well that's the report. Back to work! - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1998 21:17:14 -0700 From: Ken Subject: [OUTDOORS] Fishing questions I just got back from fishing up in the unitas myself and the fishing was fast and great. Question is, I would like to try some fishing close to home, up BCC and LCC. Anyone know of the conditions up there and or good spots to try wetting some flies. Ken " Fool me once, shame on you... Fool me twice, shame on me." - ------------------------// Ken Jaynes \\---------------------- Email Adress: mailto:outdoors@utw.com Web Pages: http://www.utw.com/~outdoors - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 06 Aug 1998 10:05:42 -0600 From: "Cory Nilsson" Subject: [OUTDOORS] Trip Report: Pine Creek and Zion Narrows On July 10th we set out for our annual backpacking trip to Zion National = Park. Due to the extremely wet winter we were unable to do the hike we had = anticipated, Kolob Creek. Although no water was being released from the = resevoir, there was still enough water flowing over the spillway to force = the park to close it to any backcountry hiking. So we then opted for our = backup, Parunuweap Canyon. Unfortunately, Paranuweap is closed and has = been closed for the past five years or more due to some archeological = excavations going on. Determined to get some kind of technical hike in as = well as an overnighter we decided on Pine Creek followed by an overnighter = in the narrows.=20 PINE CREEK Pine Creek is a relatively short hike that involves several rappels and = swimming in rather frigid water. It is considered a Class IV canyoneering = route meaning that it is fairly technical, Class V is the most difficult. = The hike begins on the west side of the Zion/Mt. Carmel tunnel. There is a = small parking lot on the south side of the road from which point you = scramble down to the creek bed and follow it in a southerly direction. It = wasn't very long before we came to the first rappel. There are about six = or seven rappels on this trip. We took two 165 foot ropes which was more = than adequate. Only one rope was required for each rappel with the = exception of the last one which required both. The last rappel was by far = the best. It was about a 120 foot free rappel down through the canyon = walls. We were all taken back by the beauty of it. Very spectacular. = Several of the rappels ended in some deep pools. Time to swim! Good thing = we had wetsuits. This water never sees sunlight due to the narrow sloping = walls of the canyon. Even then, I started to shiver a little while waiting = for the others to get down the next rappel. Awhile back some hikers did = this hike without wetsuits and nearly got hypothermia. I can see why. The = swimming wasn't too bad, although we did have to swim through a lot of = muck. Some places were almost completely devoid of any light. After the = last rappel we simply continued hiking down the creek bed and then = eventually hiked up and out of the bed to the lookout point where we had = left our other car. All in all, this was a great hike. One that I would = probably do again.=20 ZION NARROWS We wanted to get in an overnighter so we opted for the narrows. Nothing = too technical here but exhausting nonetheless. We had read that this can = be done in one long day but after having done it I can't imagine ever = attempting it in that amount of time. We started on Saturday and again got = off to a late start. We had a little thundershower come down on us but it = only lasted for about 15-30 minutes. Still, that's enough to make you = wonder about the possibilities of flash flooding. Fortunately we never had = to worry about that. The first day we hiked for about 8 hours to get to = our reserved campsite. There were several times when thought about = stopping and camping at one of the other sites but they were all reserved. = The narrows are great to hike. What more can I say? Its no surprise that = people come from all over the world to see them. Camping in the narrows = can be spectacular as well. Although I slept through the night, some = friends of mine were up late admiring a full moon which totally lit up the = canyon walls. There was a little bit of swimming involved here as well. = This time with full packs. Good thing that backpacks float. That made it a = bit easier. The water was great though. Nice and cool. We hiked for = another five or six hours on the second day before getting back to Temple = of Sinewava which is at the trail's end. I learned a few things from this = hike that others who may be considering it will want to remember. First, = take hiking poles. As one friend said, "Hiking the narrows is like walking = on greased bowling balls". Well put. Poles can really help you with your = balance and save your knees. I have a pair of Leki Super Makalu poles = which were wonderful. REI also makes poles. Or you can just use some ski = poles or a stick. They all work with varying degrees of comfort. Second, = take a shuttle to the trailhead at Chamberlain's ranch. We all crammed = into two cars and left one car at the base. The bad thing about that is = that you have to hop into the car at the base and drive all the way up to = the trailhead to retrieve the other car(s). Keep in mind that its at least = a 1 =BD hour trip one way. Next time we'll pay the eleven or twelve = dollars for the shuttle. Anyway, hope this helps someone. - - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 20:09:26 -0600 (MDT) From: David Kenison Subject: [OUTDOORS] Big Sand Wash Reservoir A question from a non-subscriber... - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 05:48:53 -0600 Subject: Big Sand Wash Reservoir From: rmknudson@juno.com (matt knudson) Are any of you out there familiar with Big Sand Wash Reservoir in Duchesne County??? If anyone can give me info on the history of that lake, please do so. Thanks, Matt. - - ------------------------------ End of utahoutdoors-digest V2 #105 **********************************