return to lofty lakes

This post should be subtitled: "How Milton won the Uintas."

Fisherman at Picturesque Lake 

After disappointing our dog terribly on Saturday when we didn't take him MTBing with us (he hopped in the truck and would not get out until we had driven around the block, thus taking him somewhere), we drove out with Milt to Mirror Lake Highway in the Uintas for a hike.  We didn't want to overdo it for him with a really long hike so we decided to go back and do the Lofty Lakes loop, which we did back in 2010.

I always forget how rocky the Uintas are

The parking lot was nearly full when we got to the Pass Lake trailhead a bit after 8 a.m.  It seemed like most of the vehicles were for people who had been backpacking and camping over the weekend, however, because we really didn't encounter too many dayhikers when we were out on the trail.  We had done the loop clockwise the first time; this time we did it counter-clockwise (mostly to go the opposite way of a group of loud-talkers) but we ended up liking the loop better this time around.

Ridge above Lofty Lake

Doing the loop this way means you get the bulk of the climbing over with early and the back half of the trail is well-shaded as the sun gets higher.  I always forget how rocky the Uintas are: the trails are rugged and loose when steep and the surrounding peaks are covered with impressive scree fields.  We came first to Picturesque Lake, then Steiner Lake (the scout camp did not appear to be in session), then climbed a steep rocky pitch towards Lofty Lake (elevation: 10,840 feet).

You can see how the water runs off by where the vegetation grows

At this point, we let Milton off the leash - it's safer for both the dog and the person on the other end of the leash if they're not connected in the steep spots.  He did wonderfully, running ahead but coming back to check in with us, chasing birds and squirrels but stopping and returning when we called him.  He splashed into all the creeks and shallow ponds and was friendly with all the other dogs we saw.  One hiker who stopped to pet him - Milton ran up to him and immediately sat down for pats - said that it looked like we'd won the dog lottery with our boy.

Not sure which lake this is but it's pretty

Kamas Lake (10,520 feet above sea level) came next, just as beautiful as it was when we first saw it nine years ago.  After that we started to descend a bit, coming to the turn-off for Cuberant Lake.  There were tons of wildflowers in the marshy spots: Lewis's monkeyflower, elephant head, paint brush, geranium.  We then retraced our steps back to the main trail and finished the loop.

Snack break at Kamas Lake

Milton was a tired boy: H and I had done over seven miles but we figured he'd done close to ten with all his running around.  He put up with wearing his doggles while we had beers and lunch (M had water and the rest of his breakfast) and greeted the other dogs in the area with interest but not a whole lot of energy.

Lots of birds and small critters to chase in these meadows

On the way back we stopped in at The Notch in the little village of Samak (before you get back to Kamas).  Their shady patio is dog-friendly, we learned, and we took advantage of that to stop in for a beer.  Milton made so many friends: people really respond to how sweet and calm he is and before long, the tables on either side of us were vying for his attention.  Five other dogs showed up while we were there and he again greeted them all politely, then turned back to the people for more pats.  Everyone raved about how sweet he was.  He really is.  We got lucky when we got him.

Chillin' in the parking lot post-hike

The drive back home was uneventful, Milton struggling to stay awake the whole way.  When we got home, he totally crashed while we unloaded and got cleaned up.  We woke him up long enough to sit outside with us for a bit, enjoying the balmy 86 degrees in the shade.  He was so tired that he didn't even lift his head when a neighbor dog walked by.  It was a really good day for everyone.

Map isn't quite right - our GPS must have freaked out a bit

Hike stats:  7.47 miles; 3;06 hours / 2.4 m.p.h. moving; 3:47 hours total; 1,690' elevation