Grandaddy Basin - High Uintahs - Utah,USA
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 7:23 pmFinally got around to posting my birthday backpacking trip...
This year was the big 35 for me. I don't feel 35, I hope I don't look 35 (though, I've been going grey since I was 24). Seems like it was yesterday that I was 25...don't know where the time went. When Gale asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, I thought to myself...romantic dinner? mmmm, nah. Club night dancing? mmmm, nah. Quiet night in with a movie and take-out? No. The hills were the only place I really wanted to be. So with only two days to spare, our closest option was the Uintahs. Turns out, our dinner of dehydrated Beef Stroganoff was one of the best and most romantic dinners I've ever had for my birthday. Thanks babe!
Now, on to the hike...
The Uintahs of North Eastern Utah are the highest mountains in the contiguous United States running east to west (peaks averaging between 11,000 - 13,500 ft). This east/west orientation creates a mountainous bridge between the Colorado Rockies and the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake. Because of this unusual geographic arrangement, they tend to get quite a lot of our oh-so famous Utah snow, light and airy. Perfect for skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. We spend a LOT of time in these hills on our snowmobiles in the winter, but have not done a lot of hiking in them in the summer. So we thought it would be a good idea to see what we have been missing.
Grandaddy Basin is a large lake area in the Uintahs (elevation aprox 10,500). Grandaddy Lake is the largest of the hundreds of lakes in this area. It is a very popular fishing destination as it is a fairly easy 4 mile hike in. For us though, we decided to go a bit further. Our destination was to be Governor Dern Lake another 9 miles to the north through rocky alpine forests and lush green boggy meadows. This loop takes in about 9 lakes of varying size along the way. We pitched a tent for the evening halfway round the loop at Governor Dern and then continued around the loop the next day.
It was the perfect way to spend my 35th...and the perfect way to stay young!
This year was the big 35 for me. I don't feel 35, I hope I don't look 35 (though, I've been going grey since I was 24). Seems like it was yesterday that I was 25...don't know where the time went. When Gale asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, I thought to myself...romantic dinner? mmmm, nah. Club night dancing? mmmm, nah. Quiet night in with a movie and take-out? No. The hills were the only place I really wanted to be. So with only two days to spare, our closest option was the Uintahs. Turns out, our dinner of dehydrated Beef Stroganoff was one of the best and most romantic dinners I've ever had for my birthday. Thanks babe!
Now, on to the hike...The Uintahs of North Eastern Utah are the highest mountains in the contiguous United States running east to west (peaks averaging between 11,000 - 13,500 ft). This east/west orientation creates a mountainous bridge between the Colorado Rockies and the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake. Because of this unusual geographic arrangement, they tend to get quite a lot of our oh-so famous Utah snow, light and airy. Perfect for skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. We spend a LOT of time in these hills on our snowmobiles in the winter, but have not done a lot of hiking in them in the summer. So we thought it would be a good idea to see what we have been missing.
Grandaddy Basin is a large lake area in the Uintahs (elevation aprox 10,500). Grandaddy Lake is the largest of the hundreds of lakes in this area. It is a very popular fishing destination as it is a fairly easy 4 mile hike in. For us though, we decided to go a bit further. Our destination was to be Governor Dern Lake another 9 miles to the north through rocky alpine forests and lush green boggy meadows. This loop takes in about 9 lakes of varying size along the way. We pitched a tent for the evening halfway round the loop at Governor Dern and then continued around the loop the next day.
It was the perfect way to spend my 35th...and the perfect way to stay young!
- Our romantic night at Governor Dern Lake
- Our morning view...
- Sunset coming out of the area
Thanks, Chris!
(Bandwagon anyone? True though 
What time of year are you coming to Utah? I could recommend a million and one great hikes for you and your wife. Utah's has it all...high deserts, low deserts, high alpine, slot canyons, snow, raging rivers and even a dead sea! What's strikes your fancy?