DatesAug 16th - Aug 22nd 2009 Service ProjectTrail maintenance Free DaysFishing, hiking, photography, wildlife & wildflower viewing AccommodationsBackpack camping Trip RatingStrenuous : High altitute 6-mile backpack, bending, digging, lifting. Pack animal support. LeadersDebra Ellers Equipment |
Located in northeastern Utah, the Uinta Mountains were named for the Uintaat Indians, early relatives of the modern Ute Tribe. The High Uintas Wilderness envelops the wild core of this massive mountain range. Characterized by the highest peaks in Utah, countless lakes, and a unique alpine ecosystem, it is among the nation's most outstanding wilderness areas. Designated as the High Uintas Wilderness in 1984, it totals 456,705 acres and is jointly administered by the Ashley and Wasatch-Cache National Forests. The main crest of the Uinta Mountains runs west to east for more than 60 miles, rising over 6,000 feet above the Wyoming and Uinta Basins to the north and south. Massive secondary ridges extend north and south from the crest of the range, framing glacial basins and canyons far below. This rugged expanse of peaks and flat-top mountains is the largest alpine area in the Intermountain West and is the setting for Kings Peak, the highest peak in Utah at 13,528 feet. Hundreds of picturesque lakes, cold streams, and meadows lie within sculpted basins forming the headwaters of Utah's major rivers. The Uinta's offer diverse habitat for a wide variety of flora including including Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and lodgepole pine. Fauna include elk, mule deer, moose, mountain goat, coyote, black bear, bighorn sheep, cougar, and 75 percent of Utah's bird species. The High Uintas Wilderness boasts 545 miles of trail, which may be accessed from a number of trailheads surrounding the wilderness near the gateway communities of Duchesne, Roosevelt, and Kamas, UT and Evanston and Mountain View, WY. This extensive network of trails leads visitors deep into the wilderness, where opportunities for exploration are endless. Our service project is conducting trail maintenance on the Granddaddy Basin Loop Trail around elevation 10,000'. The popular loop trail winds through a beautiful high alpine basin containing numerous lakes. Work involves stabilizing trail with rock, installing and repairing water bars, and clearing trail tread. We'll backpack in around 6 miles, crossing an 11,000' pass and back down and set up a backcountry camp in Granddaddy Basin. The Forest Service is providing pack animal support to carry group food and kitchen items. This is a strenuous service project at altitude, in a remote area.
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