Uinta National Forest - Bear Canyon - September 18, 2010 - Member Trip Report
| Hike Name: | Uinta National Forest - Bear Canyon |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Utah |
| Trip Rating: |  |
| Trip Date: | September 18, 2010 |
| Duration: | 3 hours, 15 minutes |
| Trail Conditions: | Excellent |
| Trail Traffic: | Moderate |
| Trip Weather: | Sunny |
| Trip Winds: | Light |
| Trip Precipitation: | None |
| Trip Temperature: | High: 61-70, Low: 31-40 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Trip Report: | Even though it was almost 8AM when I parked in the Pine Hollow Trail Head parking lot, there were only 2 other vehicles there ahead of me. Perhaps that was a sign of light traffic on the trail this day -- a highly unusual situation for a lovely fall Saturday, with lots of fall color to enjoy. In any event, I knew that my route this day is definitely one of the least used trails in the area, it being one of the steepest climbs. Heck, trail #178, a spur trail between the main Bear Canyon Trail and Timpooneke Rd., has a lot of tree carvings, just like almost all of the other trails in the Uinta NF. The big difference is that trail #178 is mostly carved up with hikers' names from 1932 to about 1957, and there is very little carving to be seen more recent than that. I did get overtaken, however, by 2 guys on dirtbikes while on the Bear Canyon Trail (#179), but they blew right past trail #178, as most people do. The short stretch of trail from Pine Hollow TH up the slope and then down into Mutual Dell was ablaze with scarlet-leaved maples. From Mutual Dell, the trail is breathtakingly steep through the fir forest in Bear Canyon for the first mile. The second mile is less steep and high enough to afford views of the Lone Peak Wilderness to the north. I didn't see feel the sun on me until I topped the ridge above the Timpooneke Rd. Bomber Peak, towering above Julie Andrews Meadows, was awash in sunlight and brilliant in golden fall colors. The Great Western Trail was considerably busier with numerous mountain bikers, several more dirt bikers, and a few hikers. To top the day off, as I approached the lower meadow in Pine Hollow, I overtook a gray-haired woman pushing an infant in a stroller up the trail. Now I have seen it all -- this ain't exactly a sidewalk in the park. I applaud her determination, but what a workout she must have gotten! |
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