"Away to the south, the Uinta Mountains stretch in a long line; high peaks thrust(ing) into the sky, and snowfields glittering like lakes of molten silver; and pine forests in somber green; and rosy clouds playing around the borders of huge, black masses . . . ."
- John Wesley Powell, 1869
The Mirror Lake Highway has to be Utah's premier high-altitude wilderness drive - a spectacular tour through the High Uintas, a visit to the roof of the Beehive State.
"It's a beautiful scenic drive," observes Connie Moya, recreation manager for the U.S. Forest Service's Kamas office. "There are lakes and wildlife. Many take a loop and go through Evanston before returning to Salt Lake."
The "heights and clouds, and mountains and . . . forests and rocklands are blended into one grand view," explorer John Wesley Powell noted in a diary entry in May 1869 - and his description remains apt to this day.
U-150, one of the state's designated "scenic byways," offers access to an impressive number of attractions, including the Provo River Falls, the Gorge Overlook, the trail to the top of Bald Mountain, access to the Highline Trail and, of course, Mirror Lake.
"Everyone wants to go to Mirror Lake," Moya said.
The area has been popular for more than a century.
Mormon settlers found the Uintas impressive but quickly discovered that they were too high in elevation to settle on.
Government topographers and explorers were among the vigorous visitors of the late 19th century. Powell, for one, ventured into the area starting in the fall of 1868, and re-examined the mountains in the summer of 1869, before embarking on his famous Colorado River and Grand Canyon explorations. Mount Powell in the Uintas honors him.
Clarence King and S.F. Emmons - for whom Kings Peak, Utah's highest summit, and Mount Emmons are named - surveyed and mapped the Uintas during the summers of 1869 and 1871. Marsh and Hayden peaks are also named for early explorers.
By the 1920s a road had penetrated the area, ending at Mirror Lake . . . and the unpaved route was a fair test for automobiles of the day. The modern highway opened in 1960, easing passage between Kamas and Evanston.
Reaching a maximum elevation of 10,678 feet above sea level, no other paved road in Utah goes higher. (The only route that even comes close is U-143 in southern Utah, which hits 10,350-feet above sea level near Cedar Breaks.)
The Mirror Lake Highway is becoming more popular each year, despite some new competition, such as the opening of the Jordanelle Reservoir near Heber City.
"We're still as busy as ever," Moya said. Faced with ever-growing numbers of visitors, the Forest Service strives constantly to find ways to keep the area accessible.
Not surprisingly, Moya confirmed that the weeks of July 4th and July 24th holidays are the busiest times along the highway and in its sequence of campgrounds. Traditionally, by spring many camping areas are reserved through Labor Day.
For those in search of more serenity and less human competition, Moya suggests Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays as the best days to enjoy the Mirror Lake Drive and/or find an open campground.
"It's quieter and a little more peaceful then," she said.
Mirror Lake itself has some 15 picnic sites and 85 campground units. Its amphitheater, which sits 150 people, offers summer programs. The lake's reflective surface below Bald Mountain is also a scenic draw.
Fishing is considered quite good at Mirror Lake, just as it is at nearby Trial and Moosehorn lakes - together considered among the best fishing spots in the area, Moya said.
The Highline Trailhead, about three miles east of Mirror Lake, is the most popular hiking jump-off point. The trail offers access for hikers and horsemen into the High Uintas Primitive Area, and parking is often at a premium throughout July and August. The Forest Service expanded parking a few years ago. The lot is now divided in two, with sections for both cars and horse trailers.
The Bald Mountain trailhead, about 11/2 miles west of Mirror Lake, is also extremely popular, as it is probably Utah's most accessible high-altitude hike. The trek is 2 miles long, with a 1,200-foot vertical rise from the trailhead to Bald Mountain's 11,943-foot summit.
With so many people come people problems, Moya acknowledged.
Road signs and campgrounds along the Mirror Lake road don't see a lot of vandalism, however, she said. Only one incident of graffiti was reported last year, though car burglaries at trailheads probably are the area's principle crime.
And the Uintas are nothing if not "natural."
Bugs - particularly mosquitoes and flies - are a nuisance just about everywhere, so visitors should always have some insect repellent on hand.
And expect rain.
Bill Alder, meteorologist in charge at National Weather Service's Salt Lake office, notes it is not uncommon to get rained on almost every day in the Uintas. The tropical moisture that traditionally streams into Utah from about mid-July to the end of August is the biggest culprit.
Alder said the Uintas act as a trigger for thunderstorms because the peaks' high elevations reach into the range where clouds form. Thus, while late afternoon might be the prime time in the Salt Lake Valley for a thundershower, the timetable in the High Uintas is usually accelerated to early afternoon.
Hail can be common in Uinta thundershowers, Alder said - and snow is possible anytime of the year above 10,000 feet.
"Nights are cold and days are mild," Alder said.
Lightning can be a real safety concern to High Uintas visitors.
"It can be a killer," Alder warned, referring to the death of two Scouts by lightning in the range in recent years.
He advises those on a high peak when thunderstorms crop up to head for lower ground. Never seek shelter under a lone tree, Alder cautioned, though a group of shorter trees can be relatively safe.
Storms in the Uintas typically come from the southwest to the northeast or from the west to the east.
Flash flooding, near streams, can also be a hazard.
"Check the latest forecast" before a High Uintas visit, Alder advises. "Watch the sky and check a forecast every day."
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Uinta Mountain Range tidbits
- Contrary to popular belief, the Uintas are not the only mountain range that runs east-west in North America. For instance, the Brooks Range in Alaska, near North Slope, also runs east-west.
- By mid-May, state road crews start to clear the Mirror Lake road of snow. This year the road opened the week of June 10. Last year, however, the road had its latest-ever opening - June 29 - and even then, lingering snow was still deep enough around Mirror Lake to halt camping on the Fourth of July for the first time.
- The Uintas were set aside in 1931 as a U.S. Forest Service Primitive Area, encompassing some 247,000 acres. In 1984, the High Uintas Wilderness Area of 457,000 acres was established.
- Four of Utah's major rivers - the Provo, Duchesne, Weber and Bear - originate in the vicinity of Mirror Lake and Bald Mountain.
- The Uinta Range is about 150 miles long and an average of 35 miles wide. Some scientists believe that until fairly recent geologic time the Uintas may have formed a portion of the Continental Divide. Among the peaks and cirques, many lakes are arranged in stair-steps, one above the other. Rock-rubble deposits litter the higher altitudes and peaks.
- The Uintas are home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, moose and elk. Rattlesnakes may be found in the lower Uintas, but the higher peaks and passes are too high and frigid to support reptiles. Some people maintain there are also a few grizzly bears and wolf packs still roaming the range. (A few have even claimed to have spotted Bigfoot in the area.)