31 July 2017, 20:00
Location: Ledge Lake - N40.72419° W110.67771°
Elevation: 10,847'
Ascent: 3030' (Total: 17,012')
Descent: 3124' (Total: 14,217')
Day Distance: 15.02 miles (Total: 103.1 miles)
After yesterday's rain, today started out looking clear. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. It clouded up by 11:00. It hailed briefly, long enough for me to get my rain gear on, then it stopped. Rained hard several times in the same manner. I ended up leaving the pack cover on, but I put away my rain jacket. I never did hear any thunder. It rained on the approach to Red Knob Pass, but as I got to the pass, the pass was clear skies and sunshine. The same thing happened at Dead Horse Pass. Rained as I was getting to the base of the pass, then the pass was all in sunlight.
I am sitting in my tent writing this, and a herd of deer just moved in. I actually have a deer bedded down next to my tent. They wandered around a little before bedding down. Sniffing my tent, etc. When I made some noise, they didn't leave. I moved around and that seemed to make them move a little. I'm sitting in my tent writing this because the mosquitoes are really bad, didn't expect company. I got out of my tent to move the deer along, but they just looked at me. So I guess I'll have company tonight. At least the one next to my tent moved away a little.
Back to the mosquitoes. Prior to leaving for this hike, I sprayed my clothing with permethrin. This included my hat, shirt, pants, gaiters, and gloves. While on the trail, I don't have any problems. Things get bad when I remove my gloves to either get water, or at camp to pitch my tent and get dinner. The mosquitoes then attack my hands in droves. I have killed more than a dozen at once just slapping the back of my hand. Things get really bad in the evening when I remove my shoes and socks to let my feet "air" and to let my shoes and sock dry. My sandals my cover the bottom of my feet, but the mosquitoes attack the top, just like my hands. I brought some deet for this eventuality, but it only seems to work for about 20 minutes before the mosquitoes are back. So I mainly hide-out in my tent after dinner to write in my journal and read before going to sleep.
I left camp this morning and headed towards Red Knob Pass. The junction was about four miles from my camp. I always seem to bust out in the morning and then pay for it later in the day. I need to learn to pace myself better. Anyway I made the junction in well under two hours. Now given the terrain in the Uinta Wilderness area, that is a pretty good time. From camp, it was an immediate climb, followed by a long descent to the junction. The trail disappeared several times on the descent. With the GPS I always managed to find it again, but it is a little nerve wracking when it just disappears. The basin just below Red Knob Pass was full of sheep, part of the reason the trail would disappear, and the trail went right through the middle of them. The didn't seem to appreciate me, and were very vocal about it.
About 30 percent up Red Knob Pass I encountered a trail runner. He has started the day at Hayden Pass Trail head, and was going to turn around at 25 miles. He said he needed 3 more miles before turning around. I warned him about the trail disappearing act, but he seemed unconcerned. I finally managed to crest Red Knob Pass. I was expecting the trail to bear to the left towards Dead Horse Pass, but it went the opposite direction away from Dead Horse Pass for quite some time. It finally descends and turns towards Dead Horse Pass but after going what felt like about a mile out of the way. After the turn you'll continue to give up elevation for quite some time. I kept thinking about having to gain all that elevation back, to get up over Dead Horse Pass. As you get nearer to Dead Horse Pass the trail really starts to climb. This climb is not the pass, it is just getting back all the elevation you lost from the base of Red Knob Pass, but in a shorter distance. You continue to climb until finally getting to Dead Horse Lake at the base of the pass. That is where you hit the trail up the pass, or should I say rocks, boulders, loose scree, etc. I stopped to eat just above the lake. While I was eating the trail runner finally returned. I had expected him to catch me long before that point. He stopped to chat for a moment, and told me he had gotten lost below Red Knob Pass when the trail completely disappeared. Took him some time to get back. He didn't have a map with him, but he did have a GPS watch. When he had finally gotten back to Red Knob Pass, he took another trail away from Dead Horse Pass, to complete is mileage before turning around.
When I finally crested Dead Horse Pass, he was long gone. At the top of Dead Horse Pass, the trail again goes the wrong direction. Going away from the desired direction and heads east. It eventually turns back west and heads towards Ledge Lake and Rocky Sea Pass. It immediately goes left along the ridge, before finally turn downhill, and the towards the west. I mention this because the ground doesn't really show a path and it was not very obvious that the trail made a left turn at the top of the pass. The north side of Dead Horse Pass, (which I had just ascended), after the initial rock field, which is about half the climb, turns into an almost a sand. The trail is treacherous. I finally made Ledge Lake, setup camp, and phoned home. No answer on my first attempt, the call dropped on my second attempt. Voice mail on the the third attempt. The fourth time my daughter finally answered. I gave her my information to pass along to Shelly, then Shelly returned before I was finished, and I was able to chat with her for a little.
I am considering hiking clear out tomorrow. I will have to see how I feel. I am about 17 miles from the trail head (according to the GPS). Since most of the trail is fairly level to the base of Rocky Sea Pass with the detour I am going to take to Helen Lake. My first scout outing as a youth visited Helen Lake, and I have never been back. So I will be avoiding the 1000 foot descent into Rock Creek, and the 1000 ascent out of Rock Creek to the base of the pass. Instead I will visit Helen and Lightening Lakes. So a fairly flat hike, ten miles to Rocky Sea Pass, of course the detour should add about three miles. I be at the base of Rocky Sea Pass by noon with about 7 miles (according to GPS) to the trail head. I'm going to sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning.
Side note: my toe with the open blister has become infected. I blame the greasy bog I had to wade through after Fox Lake a couple of days ago. I have a red line beginning to inch up my foot. I have treated it as best I can with topical stuff, but I really need to get an antibiotic if I have a staff infection, and that may drive me to hit the trail head tomorrow.
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