High Uintas Wilderness | Thursday – Sunday, August 1-4, 2024
After Diane and I backpacked into Henrys Fork and then hiked to the summit of Kings Peak in the Uinta Mountains back in 2018, we had talked about returning to the High Uintas Wilderness every other year for a new backpacking trip. Unfortunately, we did not keep up with that idea and have not returned since that trip, but this year I was determined to finally get back and planned for us to spend a couple nights near the Red Castle in the East Fork of Smiths Fork, which is a location I have wanted to visit for quite a long time. Although I would have preferred to do this trip much later in August, Diane was pretty busy at that time and the only weekend that work for both of us was the first weekend in August, so that’s when we would have to go. We left from home after Diane got out of work on Thursday evening and drove up to the Red Canyon Campground within the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and arrived shortly after dark. We quickly got our tent set up and were in our sleeping bags by 10:00pm.
On Friday morning we woke up to a smoky sunrise on the rim of Red Canyon above the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
Red Canyon Campsite
After packing up camp we finished the drive to the China Meadows Trailhead on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains and started hiking up the long, rocky, dusty and pretty boring East Fork Smiths Fork Trail. Besides the trail not offering much in the way of views along its course, it was still pretty smoky out so I didn’t take any photos during the hike, which is pretty rare for me. Then when we arrived at Lower Red Castle Lake I was very disheartened to find the area was pretty trashed with toilet paper and other trash found all over the place, fire rings built everywhere (many also full of trash) and people camping just a couple feet from the shore of the lake. Although I knew this was going to be a popular and busy place, I have never backpacked into an area that was as trashed as this before and it kind of ruined the experience for us. We saw all the wilderness rules broken while we were there. We eventually found an OK campsite up above the lake and not near anyone else and then relaxed around camp for the rest of the afternoon. Later in the evening I went on a short loop hike down to Lower Red Castle Lake to take a couple photos.
Hiking below the Red Castle.
Mount Powell
An evening at Lower Red Castle Lake.
The Red Castle
After an OK night of sleep I was up early on Saturday morning so I could return to Lower Red Castle Lake to watch the sunrise. As I neared the lake and turned the corner around a large pine tree, I found myself almost face to face with a large cow moose. Thankfully, this moose appeared to be used to people and wasn’t startled by my sudden presence, so I slowly backed away and gave her some room to graze on the willows while I headed over to another part of the lake.
Sunrise at the Red Castle.
Besides the cow moose I almost bumped into, there were three other moose nearby in the willows. I watched them graze on the willows for a while before returning to camp.
We used a brand new backpacking tent for the first time on this trip that I bought earlier in the spring. Although I like the weight and size, I am still not convinced that the thin fabric it’s made of is going to hold up over time, but I guess I’ll have to wait and see about that…
After hanging around camp for a little while we soon spotted three of the moose that I had seen down by the lake in the trees just outside of our campsite, less than fifty feet away. At first I thought they were going to bed down right by us, but after a little while they walked around our camp and continued higher up into the basin.
After the moose moved on from our camp we headed up to Red Castle Lake to spend the day up there.
We had a couple pack-goats following us for a while…
We were originally going to hike to the Upper Red Castle Lake, but after starting the climb we decided to give up on that plan and just relax at Red Castle Lake.
Red Castle Lake
Hiking back around the lake to stop at another place to relax and take a nap. It was a pretty easy-going day for us.
After spending a few hours around the lake we hiked back down to our camp in the afternoon.
We stopped for another rest at a small unnamed lake below Red Castle.
After dinner at camp we returned to Lower Red Castle Lake one last time while the sun was out to enjoy the view and take a couple photos.
A view across Lower Red Castle Lake towards Smiths Fork Pass.
Flat Top Mountain
This was the only time I was able to get a decent reflection of Red Castle on the lake.
Lower Red Castle Lake
We returned to camp when the sky became mostly overcast, and we wouldn’t see the sun again until we were hiking out the following morning. While Diane and I were in our sleeping bags trying to get to sleep shortly after sunset, a group of women on horses showed up at our campsite and noisily started unloading their gear and horses about ten feet away from our tent. It sounded like we were going to be trampled by horses as we tried to fall asleep. At this point I had had enough and got out of my tent to tell them how inconsiderate they were being to us and that they needed to give us a little more room. Thankfully, they were planning on camping a little further away from our camp, so I’m not sure why they felt the need to unload right next to our tent. Still, we would be able to hear their horses making noises all night long.
On Sunday morning we were up well before sunrise, packed up our wet camp since it had rained on and off throughout the night, and then we were off hiking down the trail at dawn.
It was still very cloudy out this morning, so there was no sunrise light on the Red Castle as we left the area.
Of course, to top off the trip we ended up hiking past a group of guys camped right along the trail that were constantly shooting off their guns early this morning. They were nice enough to stop as we hiked by…
We hiked down the trail quickly and only stopped to rest at the edge of Broadbent Meadows.
A little sunlight actually came out and lit up the landscape briefly while we were stopped here.
East Fork Smiths Fork Trail
Leaving the High Uintas Wilderness.
We returned to the trailhead and had an uneventful drive back home. Although we had both looked forward to seeing the Red Castle and returning to the High Uintas Wilderness, after this trip I don’t think either of us will be in any hurry to return…