Twin Lakes Overnighter

I had the opportunity to join the scouts on the 2nd night of an overnighter to Twin Lakes in the Uintas.  I bummed a ride with Ken and Kris who were also going up for just the second night.  We left Farr West about 4 and got to the trailhead about 6 p.m.

Bridge over outlet at Wall Lake

Just after we passed over the bridge at Wall Lake (1 mile into the hike), we saw this guy coming out of the brush on the lake side of the trail.  I think we recognized him before he recognized us.  It was Elliot, one of the scout leaders.  He told us that his grandson has cut open his toe jumping into the lake and they were trying to evacuate him.  Unfortunately, he, his grandson, and the other adult leader had become separated.  After assessing the situation, we suggested that he go down to the bridge and wait for a few minutes to see if the other two showed up.  We then proceeded up the trail and would look for the other two as we were hiking.  We hiked for another 20 minutes or so and came across Darin and two of the scouts.  They were loaded down with Eliot and his grandson's backpacks.  We exchanged info and they continued down while we continued up.

At Wall Lake

After arriving at the campsite, I grabbed a quick bite to eat, grabbed my fanny pack, snacks, water and my bivy sack and headed back down the trail.  We had a tough time finding the trail to Twin Lakes in the daylight and as they would be arriving back after dark, I didn't want them to get lost.  So I hiked back to the main trail and 30 minutes later, Darrin and the scouts arrived.  Eliot and his grandson had met up at the bridge and Curt was driving them to the hospital in Park City.

Later, as I was getting settled for the night, Curt showed back up.  He had his GPS and had no problem finding the campsite.

The Motley Scout Troop

Saturday morning I went for a short hike up to the notch and back.  We had a leisurely time eating breakfast and packing our gear before heading back out.  Overall, it was a good trip.  The boys had fun, caught some fish, and other than a fairly significant toe inury, things went pretty smooth.  Most of the boys that were on this trip will become a part of my group next year.

Oct Updates

The 4th Annual Columbus Day Hike is officially over.  The fantastic four and one old dude hiked from Lee's Pass at the Kolob area to the Grotto in the main Zion Canyon, exiting down the Angel's Landing Trail.  It was a fantastic time.  My trip report will be posted on my Outdoor Adventurers Blog.

We returned home from Zion late on Friday and then on Wednesday I was off to the Gates of Lodore for a rafting/kayaking trip down the Green River with Mr. Eller, kids and friends.  What a hoot.  I was able to break in a new inflatable kayak going through such rapids as Triplette, Disaster I and II, Hell's Half Mile, and SOB.  The weather was great, the water was wet, and the kayak performed as advertised.

A few days after getting back home, I went to the base and had the bodpod done again.  I'm under 190 pounds for the first time in 20 years or more and my body fat is down to 20.6% pure lard.  Earlier this year I was 199 pounds and 26% fat.  Several years ago, before I was rescued by a friend who invited me on a bike trip, a trip that I failed to complete, I weighed in at 234 pounds.  What a difference 45 pounds makes.

Dollar Lake Again

I'm trying to  getting ready for the 2nd Annual Columbus Day Grand Canyon Hike.  My training regime has been running 8-12 miles per week and biking home from work as often as possible.  To keep it interesting, I try to throw in a swim every now and then.  To measure my progress, I'll do a triathlon once or twice a year.  Now a tri isn't my favorite activity in the world, but it does add a little variety to the workouts and makes them a bit more tolerable.

I recently signed up to do the Hill AFB mini triathlon:  800 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride, 10K run.  I was even looking forward to it.  I need something as an intermediate step in preparing for my Grand Canyon hike.  On Thursday evening, before the Saturday tri, my triathlon and hiking buddy (Mr. J)  stops by the house.  He won't be making the tri this weekend because he's still recovering from a vasectomy - ouch.  12 miles on a bike saddle - ouch ouch.  "Hey Dale - are you up for quick backpack to Dollar Lake."  Uh - triathlon or backpack?  The backpack trip will always win.  No need to toss a coin.

Dollar Lake is located at the foot of Kings Peak, UT.  Kings is the highest point in Utah and I've been to the summit twice, once on Aug 11, 1994 with my two sons and again on Sept 6, 2008 with Mr. J.

Dollar Lake is 7.5 miles from the trailhead.  We left the vehicle at 4:37 p.m and arrived at Dollar at 7:28.  1345 feet elevation gain, 7.5 miles, less than 3 hours.  Not to bad.  By the time we had our tent set up and dinner cooking, it was dark and raining.

It rained through out the night and though it had stopped by the time we got up, the basin was fogged in.  We had met our objective of getting to Dollar Lake and so after a breakfast of oatmeal - yuck, we packed up our stuff and headed back out.  We left Dollar at 8:37 and arrived back at the trailhead at 11:27.  We didn't see any large animals this trip, but we've seen elk, moose and deer on past trips.

All in all a very good trip.  No injuries - not even a blister.  However I decided that my water filter needs an overhaul.  Pumping water out of the lake took forever.