Lakes Country Hike, Lake Lillian
Western Uinta Mountains
July 2013 - 72 photos
Western Uinta Mountains
July 2013 - 72 photos
Saturday July 13th, 2013, seven of us hiked the Uintas again. Thomas, MaryAlice, Scott, Marlene, Cheryl, Bill, and me.
This hike was a bit different. We have been up in the high country of the Western Uinta Mountains so many times now, that it is getting harder to choose where to hike each time. Recently I received an email from a woman in West Virginia by the name of Lily, who had visited my website. She had been searching the internet trying to find the location of a lake, with little more than a picture for reference. Lily's brother Stephen had passed away, and a friend sent her this picture that was supposed to be Stephen's favorite place in Utah. Steve lived here in Utah for awhile, and spent time hiking in the Uintas. This friend only knew that it was in the Western Uintas, and thought it might be along the Notch Mountain Trail Loop.
When Lily sent me the picture, I recognized the mountain in the picture right off. It had no name, but I knew it was on the west side of Long Lake, seen when we hiked the Lakes Country Trail in 2008. The lake I wasn't so sure of. I could see it wasn't Long Lake, so using Google Earth, I set the view for ground view and looked at the mountain in the picture from each lake in the area. Only one lake lined up right with this mountain, and I discovered it was called Lake Lillian. I wrote Lily that our group would do a hike in the area, to identify the lake in her picture for sure.
On the day we did this hike, we started out from the Crystal Lake Trailhead, going west along the Lakes Country Trail. The trail climbs about 280 feet up over Haystack Pass, between Haystack Mountain and Mount Watson, then drops back down even lower to many other lakes
We saw many small lakes and ponds along the way, but our first real lake was Lake Lillian, which has trails running along both the east and west side. I had never been on the east side, so didn't know for sure that the view to the west would include the mountain in Lily's picture. It did, and holding up a copy of the picture we were able to find where the picture had been taken. All the trees on the west side of the lake, and mountain peaks, lined up perfectly.... The time of year and the time of day were different, but we had found Stephen's Lake.
This hike was a bit different. We have been up in the high country of the Western Uinta Mountains so many times now, that it is getting harder to choose where to hike each time. Recently I received an email from a woman in West Virginia by the name of Lily, who had visited my website. She had been searching the internet trying to find the location of a lake, with little more than a picture for reference. Lily's brother Stephen had passed away, and a friend sent her this picture that was supposed to be Stephen's favorite place in Utah. Steve lived here in Utah for awhile, and spent time hiking in the Uintas. This friend only knew that it was in the Western Uintas, and thought it might be along the Notch Mountain Trail Loop.
When Lily sent me the picture, I recognized the mountain in the picture right off. It had no name, but I knew it was on the west side of Long Lake, seen when we hiked the Lakes Country Trail in 2008. The lake I wasn't so sure of. I could see it wasn't Long Lake, so using Google Earth, I set the view for ground view and looked at the mountain in the picture from each lake in the area. Only one lake lined up right with this mountain, and I discovered it was called Lake Lillian. I wrote Lily that our group would do a hike in the area, to identify the lake in her picture for sure.
On the day we did this hike, we started out from the Crystal Lake Trailhead, going west along the Lakes Country Trail. The trail climbs about 280 feet up over Haystack Pass, between Haystack Mountain and Mount Watson, then drops back down even lower to many other lakes
We saw many small lakes and ponds along the way, but our first real lake was Lake Lillian, which has trails running along both the east and west side. I had never been on the east side, so didn't know for sure that the view to the west would include the mountain in Lily's picture. It did, and holding up a copy of the picture we were able to find where the picture had been taken. All the trees on the west side of the lake, and mountain peaks, lined up perfectly.... The time of year and the time of day were different, but we had found Stephen's Lake.
When we arrived at Lake Lillian the sky was cloudy and before we could do much it started raining lightly, so we decided to go on and look at the other lakes in the area. I told Lily that we would check out all the lakes there, to be sure we found the right one, but there wasn't any doubt now that Lake Lillian was the one.
We decided to watch for the sun to come out and then return to this lake for better pictures. We went on down to Marjorie Lake, a lake none of us had been to before, then over to Weir Lake, and Jacks Lake. About that time the sun came back out, so we returned to Lake Lillian to get better pictures.
When Lily was writing me, she mentioned that it would be nice if we could name the mountain in the picture, Mount Stephen.
I was unable to find it named on any map, so took the liberty of naming it on my GPS map and in labeling some of my photos.
As we left there, some of us wanted to go down to Long Lake, since we were only a quarter mile from it. It's one of the larger lakes. On the way down to Long Lake it began to rain again, this time in earnest. We took a few pictures and headed back over Haystack Pass. As soon as we started back the rain quit, the sun came out, and the return hike was delightful.
The hike total was 7.6 miles, changing altitude about 350 feet. It was a very nice hike, and we did enjoy it. We found out later that the weather back home was much worse with heavy rain, so we actually were in the best place to be.
We decided to watch for the sun to come out and then return to this lake for better pictures. We went on down to Marjorie Lake, a lake none of us had been to before, then over to Weir Lake, and Jacks Lake. About that time the sun came back out, so we returned to Lake Lillian to get better pictures.
When Lily was writing me, she mentioned that it would be nice if we could name the mountain in the picture, Mount Stephen.
I was unable to find it named on any map, so took the liberty of naming it on my GPS map and in labeling some of my photos.
As we left there, some of us wanted to go down to Long Lake, since we were only a quarter mile from it. It's one of the larger lakes. On the way down to Long Lake it began to rain again, this time in earnest. We took a few pictures and headed back over Haystack Pass. As soon as we started back the rain quit, the sun came out, and the return hike was delightful.
The hike total was 7.6 miles, changing altitude about 350 feet. It was a very nice hike, and we did enjoy it. We found out later that the weather back home was much worse with heavy rain, so we actually were in the best place to be.
CLICK for GPS map of our trek
To get to the Trial Lake area, take SR 150 from Kamas Utah, or Evanston Wyoming, going towards Mirror Lake. A few miles south of Bald Mountain Pass, and just up hill from Provo Falls, the road makes a large half circle turn. In the middle of this turn is a side road leading to Trial Lake. After turning left off SR 150, don't turn right for Trial Lake, but take the next right up past Washington Lake Campgrounds to the parking area for Crystal Lake and Notch Mountain Trailheads.
you can view our photos by clicking on any of the pictures here
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- 72 photos -
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Related Photos
Island Lake, 2008
Lakes Country, 2008
More Uinta Hikes
My photos were taken with a small Canon Powershot, SX280, 12 Megapixel Camera which has Image Stabilazation and a lens going from wide angle to 20x optical zoom. Some of these photos were taken by Marlene with her Canon Powershot SX260, also a 12 Megapixel Camera with a lens going from wide angle to 20x optical zoom. Other photos were taken by Bill Joy with his Olympus E620 SLR and lens assortment.
These photos are set to lower resolution and compressed 10:1 for faster loading. You are welcome to look at or download any of the photos. If you use them on any other webpage, please give credit and refer back to me.
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To get to the Trial Lake area, take SR 150 from Kamas Utah, or Evanston Wyoming, going towards Mirror Lake. A few miles south of Bald Mountain Pass, and just up hill from Provo Falls, the road makes a large half circle turn. In the middle of this turn is a side road leading to Trial Lake. After turning left off SR 150, don't turn right for Trial Lake, but take the next right up past Washington Lake Campgrounds to the parking area for Crystal Lake and Notch Mountain Trailheads.
or the 'View Photos' button
to look at these photos
click 'View Photos' button
Island Lake, 2008
|
Lakes Country, 2008
|
More Uinta Hikes
|
My photos were taken with a small Canon Powershot, SX280, 12 Megapixel Camera which has Image Stabilazation and a lens going from wide angle to 20x optical zoom. Some of these photos were taken by Marlene with her Canon Powershot SX260, also a 12 Megapixel Camera with a lens going from wide angle to 20x optical zoom. Other photos were taken by Bill Joy with his Olympus E620 SLR and lens assortment.
These photos are set to lower resolution and compressed 10:1 for faster loading. You are welcome to look at or download any of the photos. If you use them on any other webpage, please give credit and refer back to me.
These photos are set to lower resolution and compressed 10:1 for faster loading. You are welcome to look at or download any of the photos. If you use them on any other webpage, please give credit and refer back to me.