Mirror Lake to Moon Lake

This past summer I took a week and hiked from Mirror Lake to Moon Lake in the High Uinta Wilderness area of Utah. This is a spectacular hike with Alpine type vistas. This is a great 50 miler for Scouters, as the distance, depending upon which side trails you take, is about 50 to 60 miles.

My pack weighed 42 pounds at the beginning of the hike, including a liter of water. It weighed about 32 pounds at the end of the hike.

The trail head is at Butterfly Lake, about 30 miles north of Kamas, Utah and about 45 miles south of Evanston, Wyoming on scenic Highway 150.

The trail is well marked and easy to hike. There are many trails throughout the Uinta Wilderness area. There are also many great places to camp in this area of the Uintas. It is easy to get separated from your group because of the many trails and because of the expanse of pines. Make sure that everyone has a buddy, map, whistle and is otherwise prepared. There are restrictions on group sizes to 14 or less individuals, but no permits are required. Weather can be unpredictable, so be prepared for about anything. Keep your packs to 35 pounds or less and you will have a more enjoyable experience. Pack it in and pack it out.

Consider camping the first night at Pigeon Milk Springs or Four Lake Basin. You’ll find Grayling in some of these lakes, especially in Allen Lake, just below Four Lake Basin. Consider camping the second night at Uinta, Black or Lightning Lake. My favorite is Uinta Lake because it is a little more off the main trail and the fishing is usually better. Consider camping the third night at Anderson or Phinney Lakes. For some large Cutthroat trout, consider going off trail about ¼ mile to Johnson Lake on your way to Squaw Lake Basin. Camp at Squaw Lake. There are at least two fresh water springs on the north and east side of Squaw Lake. Consider then camping at Kidney or Brown Duck Lakes, before making the final leg of the trail down to Moon Lake. There are many alternatives to this trek; for example, turning down from Squaw Lake and coming out at Upper Stillwater Reservoir on the Rock Creek Drainage. Take your camera for breath taking views.

This year we went during the middle of July. It rained lightly for the first two days, but that made the hiking pleasant. Fishing was the best at Anderson Lake.

God, Light, and Kings Peak, Utah

One of my goals in life had been to hike to the highest peak in Utah, Kings Peak, and back, in a single day. I had talked with others who had accomplished this goal and decided that I wanted to make the attempt. The round-trip distance from the trail head at Henry’s Fork to the top of Kings Peak and back is 36 miles. One can shorten this distance by 4 miles if one goes up and down the slide which is just below Anderson Pass. Anderson Pass is just below the top of Kings Peak. A friend of mine, Todd Galbraith, said that he wanted to go with me and make the attempt. We figured that at a 3.5 miles per hour walking pace, we could complete the hike in under 11 hours of hiking. If we were on the trail at 8:00 am, we could hike to the top and back by 7 pm, just before dark. On a beautiful fall Saturday morning in October 2001, Todd and I left Salt Lake City by truck at 5:00 am and headed north through Evanston, Wyoming to get to the Henry’s Fork trail head by 8:00 am to start hiking. We were so excited to get out into the beauties of the Uintah Wilderness area. We each had over a liter of water and enough snacks and trail mix to last us through the day. We each had a jacket. I also had a first aid kit, water-purification tablets, a poncho, a flashlight and an emergency blanket (the aluminum foil $1 compact kind). Other than that, we were dressed in light shirts, athletic shorts and hiking shoes. The weather report indicated that it would be a warm, beautiful day, with temperatures in the Uintah Mountains reaching up to about 70 degrees. We were looking forward to hiking in this beautiful mountain paradise. In the fall of the year, the leaves of the many oak, maple and aspen trees turn many shades of orange, yellow, red and brown. This mixture of color with the green pine trees and the reds and grays of the rocks and cliffs of these majestic mountains, is an awe-inspiring sight. It is so pretty to be in this environment in the fall of the year.

Kings Peak is the highest mountain peak in Utah at a height of about 13,500 feet above sea level. The trail head at Henry’s Fork is about 9,500 feet. The first 12 miles or so of hiking is quite easy. The trail is well used and there is a gentle incline for the first 1000 feet of ascent. It is a dirt trail with lots of rocks and roots in it, but it is easy to hike if one is watching for these hazards. At about the 12 mile mark, one can stay on the main trail and continue a fairly slow incline around a ridge to Anderson Pass or one can take the shortcut trail which goes up the slide to Anderson Pass. When we arrived at the 12 mile mark, storm clouds started to form in the distance and we decided to take the shorter route. We wanted to save time and we did not want to get caught in a storm. We also took a moment and knelt in a meadow just below the slide to pray. We thanked God for the beauties around us and we asked for a blessing for ourselves, for our families and for our country, to help us be safe, protected and cared for. I remembered thinking silently how grateful I was for the many blessings that we have in this country. The events of September 11, 2001 were still a very fresh memory and I remembered thinking how fragile life can be, but how wonderful it can be also. I silently asked God to bless us with experiences that day that we ought to have. I felt that this day would be memorable. I felt that we would have experiences that we needed to have. After a moment of prayer and contemplation, Todd and I headed up the slide. It was harder than we thought and as we reached the top of the slide, it started to snow on us. We scurried to a few boulders that appeared to be big enough to offer us some protection from the storm and we hunkered down to see what happened. I have never had an occasion to use my emergency blanket before, but this looked like the right time. I pulled it out and Todd and I covered ourselves to keep the snow off from us. It soon stopped snowing and we decided to try and make the summit before the snow continued.

The clouds had broken somewhat, and even though we could see storms in the distance, it appeared that we had enough time to get to the top and then head back down. Several other people were in the same predicament that we were, and they too decided to head for the top. A few people passed us who had already reached the summit and were headed down. Todd and I achieved the summit at 2:00 pm.

The top of Kings Peak is gorgeous. One can see fifty miles clearly in each direction. It is so pretty. Steep cliffs are to the immediate west of the peak, and one can see the peaks of Baldy and Reed mountains in the distance to the west. The many lakes of the region are visible, and we could see another storm developing to the east, just past Atwood Lake. A second storm was coming up the Henry Fork drainage that we had just come from. It was moving towards us on the west side of the canyons. It was magnificent to watch the storm move in along the mountains and cliffs. With the crack of thunder and lightning in the distance, we decided that it was time to get off the mountain. About eight other people were at the summit with us and we visited briefly with them, ate some lunch, drank some water and headed down the mountain. The storm moved in quite quickly and it was soon snowing again. The rocks that we were hiking over became wet and slippery and we had to be careful as we climbed down. There are no trees above the slide and there is very little protection from the elements. We decided to continue hiking down. It was much easier going down the slide, but by the time we were at the bottom of the slide, the snow had turned to rain. As there was no place to get out of the weather, we decided to keep hiking out. We were wet and we looked like two drowned rats.

My waterproof jacket was not very waterproof, but it was better than what Todd had. After about an hour of hiking in the rain, the storm broke and the rain quit. We stopped to rest, eat some trail mix and granola bars, drink some water, wring out the water in our socks and change some of our clothes. Todd put on my dry jacket, as his jacket was not waterproof at all, and we continued down the trail. We were making pretty good time, but with the wet and muddy trail it was going to take us longer than we expected to get down.

The sky was slightly overcast the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. The rain was gone, but the trail was wet and slick. We took it a little slower than we had planned. As the dark slowly engulfed us, we heard elk bugling in the meadows to our left. We saw a bull moose in a meadow to our right. The full moon tried to shine through the clouds, but it didn‘t provide us with much light. At 8:00 pm we still had about 3 miles to go. Todd had a sore knee and I gave him some Motrin. My muscles were getting sore also. The last three miles of the trail were hard to see in the dark because of the thick timber and oak along this part of the trail. Thankfully I had put a flashlight into the day pack. I pulled it out and it illuminated the trail for us so that we could see the trail, and so that we would not stumble over the obstacles of rocks and roots in the trail. We could no longer see without the light from the flashlight.

It dawned on me at this point that there are times on our journey through life when we need the light of God or others to shine for us. Like the flashlight, the light of God can illuminate the path of life to help us avoid the obstacles that may come our way. I believe that the light is in us, it is in our day pack, and sometimes we just need to turn it on. Sometimes we just need to ask for it. Sometimes our neighbors or friends have a light that they can share with us.

I have often had light illuminate my trail in life. I believe that it is a gift from God. It is all around us. It is in Nature. I am grateful for this light. It is a light I do not completely comprehend, but I know that it is there, because I have seen it. Light is a miracle and it is there to show us the way through life. Sometimes we just have to turn it on. That day, on the trail to Kings Peak, I learned to turn on the light, and good things happened.

Hutchings and the Pilgrims

Did you know that if you are related to Shepherd Pierce Hutchings, then you have direct ancestors who crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock.

Edward Fuller was born September 4, 1575 in Redenhal, Norfolk, England. He and his wife Ann were among the 120 members of the Mayflower that landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620 searching for religious freedom. Edward, Ann, their young son Samuel and Dr. Samuel Fuller, Edward’s brother, were among the passengers on the Mayflower. Both Edward and his brother Samuel were signers of the Mayflower Compact. They were Puritans who left Leydon, Holland for America, seeking religious freedom. Edward and his wife Ann were among those that died that first winter. Their son Samuel would be raised by his Uncle Samuel. Edward and Ann’s older son Matthew had stayed behind in England. He sailed to Plymouth on October 26, 1640.

And Edward and Ann Fuller begat Matthew Fuller.
And Matthew Fuller begat Samuel Fuller.
And Samuel Fuller begat Abigail Fuller.
And Abigail Fuller begat Israel Stowell.
And Israel Stowell begat Joseph Stowell.
And Joseph Stowell begat Abigail Stowell.
And Abigail Stowell begat Elias Hutchins.
And Elias Hutchins begat Shepherd Pierce Hutchings.

Thomas Hutchins, the emigrant ancestor of Elias and Shepherd Pierce Hutchings, was born on November 15, 1693 in Broadwinsor, Dorset, England. His grandson Asa, the father of Elias, served with a brother named Issac in the revolutionary war. They may have helped capture Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775.

Elias Hutchins was born February 20, 1784. He is given credit, along with his Uncle John, of discovering the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. He married Sally Smith (Cox) on December 29, 1816. They joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on November 17, 1830 near Kirtland, Ohio. Elias served faithfully in Zion’s Camp. He was set apart as a President in the Third Quorum of Seventy in Nauvoo, Illinois. He died in Nauvoo and is buried there. His wife Sally crossed the plains with the pioneers and died September 28, 1863 in Salt Lake City. She is buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetary.

Shepherd Pierce Hutchings stood toe to toe with the mobs during the persecutions of the Mormons in Missouri. He witnessed the confirmation of Brigham Young as President of the Church after the death of Joseph Smith. He took his family to Utah, crossing the plains with the pioneers. He served a mission in the east promoting Joseph Smith’s effort to become President of the United States, just before the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred. He also served a mission to the Indians in Utah and Nevada.

If your name is Hutchings, you are probably related to many people from southern England who were involved with the reformation and with the colonization of America.

Thanksgiving

The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. The winter of their arrival aboard the Mayflower was tragic. That first winter 46 of the original 102 pilgrims, who had sailed to America, died.

In the fall of 1621 those who had survived that first winter, along with about 91 Indians, who helped them survive the winter, celebrated the bountiful harvest of 1621 with three days of celebration.

In 1789, reflecting upon the blessings of God in helping the colonies achieve freedom and liberty, George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving.

On October 3, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the last Thursday of November as a national day of Thanksgiving. In 1863 Thanksgiving fell on November 26, 1863. Abraham Lincoln had been reflecting upon the recent Union victories of the Civil War and he felt that the tide of the war was such that the Union would be saved. He had been reflecting upon the fact that the war was lasting longer than he had hoped and that it was being so tragic.

The week before Thanksgiving in 1863 Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg address. He expressed gratitude to all of those who had given their lives so that we could enjoy the great freedoms and liberties that we have in America. Lincoln had often wondered why the war was lasting so long, but he was convinced that it was for a wise purpose that God knew. He believed that the length and severity of the civil war was possibly a result of the sins of the nation, but he trusted in God that this was God’s will and that it was taking place in God’s time.

Congress officially sanctioned Thanksgiving as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November in 1941.

Isn't it cool that when we are in a spirit of thanksgiving, it is difficult to be angry or afraid.

Dear Dr. Bernanke:

It seems to me that there is more economic volatility than is necessary as our current cycles play out. I'd like to propose the question: Is it possible for us to have less wealth volatility, and more stable asset inflation, if we were to target inflation at 1-2%, Treaury Bills at 3.5%, and Ten year Treasuries at 5.5%? Would this help strengthen and stabilize the dollar? Would this help decrease asset inflation and help stabilize wealth valuations? It seems to me that the dollar volatility contributes significantly to the uncertainty of asset valuations, and therefore, of economic decision making.

Bells Canyon Hike

Just south of Salt Lake City, Utah there is a trail that will take you along beautiful granite mountains to the Lower and Upper Bells Canyon Reservoirs. There are two trail heads available for this hike. One is on Wasatch Blvd. at about 10245 South and the other one is just north of this location between Wasatch Blvd. and the Y junction at the beginning of Little Cottonwood Canyon. The Lower reservoir is only about 1/2 mile up the trail. The Upper Reservoir is about 4 miles up the trail at about 9,400 feet in elevation. The elevation increase to the upper reservoir is about 4,100 feet. This morning the temperature started out at about 28 F. At about the 3 1/2 mile mark, the water in my bottle froze, so it was definitely cold. We've had very little snow so far this year, but there was some snow and ice on the trail, which my running shoes began to slip and slide on. So, I decided to head back. Round trip today was 3 hours. There was some ice on the stream and the waterfalls were christened with white ice. It's a beautiful hike. This morning, there were about 10 hikers on the trail.

Mount Olympus

There are several really nice hiking trails on the face of the Wasatch Mountains, just east of Salt Lake City, Utah. One of my favorites is at about 5400 South, just east of I-215 on Wasatch Blvd. It is the trail head for Mount Olympus. This morning I hiked up about 1 1/2 miles. Up and back it took me about 1 hour. The temperature was about 35 F and the sky was mostly cloudy. It is such a beautiful view of the Salt Lake Valley from the face of Mount Olympus. Last year on September 9Th, I hiked Mt. Olympus to the summit. In September the many oak, aspen other leaves are in bright fall colors. Fall is my favorite time to make this hike. The trail head is at about 5000 feet elevation and the peak is at about 9000 feet elevation. It took me 2 hours and 25 minutes to reach the top and another 1 hour and 20 minutes to get back down. I used 2 bottles of water, 1 bottle of Gatorade, a banana and a power bar. This was about right for me. The distance round trip is about 7 1/2 miles. The last part is steep, rocky and a bit scary to hike, but it was worth it to me. Just below this steep part is a nice saddle to have a snack, visit with friends and just enjoy the beauties of the area.

Vasey's Paradise, Grand Canyon National Park

This is a hike that I have done many times. I love the natural beauties of the area, the challenge, the adventure and the fishing. This is a very difficult hike and should be attempted only by those well prepared for this adventure. This hike can be dangerous, especially if weather conditions are bad. The trails are rocky and very steep in places. But rock climbing equipment is not required. I do recommend wearing gloves, however. There are at least two trails that will take you to Vasey’s Paradise; a place where the river comes out of a rock wall in the Grand Canyon. Neither trail is real easy to find or stay on. Both trails begin on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The first one is 6 miles away from Vasey’s Paradise and the other is about three miles from Vasey’s Paradise. If you are backpacking in to stay a few nights, they will both take you about 3 hours or more, one way, to get in. The change in elevation will be about 2500 feet. The GPS coordinates for the longer of the two trailheads is about 36 degrees 28.45 seconds north and 111 degrees 55.73 seconds west. The GPS coordinates for the second trailhead is about 36 degrees 30.56 seconds north and 111 degrees 52.47 seconds west. Dirt roads will take you to these two locations. The dirt roads begin from the highway about 20 miles northwest of Lee's Ferry. Guides that have been on these trails before are highly recommended. Permits are required, as you will be hiking in South Canyon of the Grand Canyon National Park; the portion called Marble Canyon. Enjoy seeing Stanton’s Cave, which once housed large-eared bats, Indian ruins along with pieces of pottery, a mine, ring-tailed cats (they'll steal your food if you're not careful), mountain goats, eagles, vultures, and a lot of other natural beauties. A few camping spots on the beach are available. There is a large pool in this area so that you can swim in the ice cold waters of the Colorado River. Nearby is a view of the Redwall Cavern, where many river runners used to spend the night. Pick up a fishing license at Fredonia or Lee's Ferry. Most of the fish these days are only about 12 inches long. But every now and then you'll land one that is 5 lbs or more. The fishing is good, but the hike is the best. Be careful and enjoy. I like to go down between Oct. and March.

Catherine of Aragon

I have been reading a book titled "Catherine of Aragon" by Garrett Mattingly. The publisher is Little, Brown and Company and the copyright is dated 1941. What has captured my interest with this book is the dynamics of the different individuals around the year 1500 who impacted what we call the reformation. The political maneuverings of the different leaders, many of which were relatives, opened the door for the reformation. As important as the dynamics were between relatives, economic interests, religious tendancies, human desires, and geographic barriers, there were also the natural events of disease, weather, and what I will call entropy; the tendancy in this world for things to wear out. Columbus, William Tyndale, Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII, Martin Luther, Charles V, Francis I, the Popes, the Cardinals, the aristocracies of nations, the wealthy, the artists, the scientists, and the working class all contributed to a great reformation of learning, exploration and economic advancement. Today we have a global economic change taking place. The poor of the world are becoming better off. What will the next 500 years look like? We have come a long way in the past 500 years. I am curious as to what you think our world will look like in the year 2500.

Hiking Flagstaff Peak from Alta

From the large parking lot above Alta Lodge up Little Cottonwood Canyon east of Salt Lake City, Utah, right where the road is blocked off this time of year, there is a trail that heads up the hill, due north. About a mile up this trail (which for this first mile looks like a 4-wheel drive road) the trail actually turns right and winds its way up to the pass overlooking the Mill D South Fork trail and drainage into Big Cottonwood Canyon. I missed the right hand turn at that 1 mile point and went up the chute through some old mining activity. Copper on the rocks was frequently observed. It was actually easier up the chute than on the trail at this time of year because of a crusty layer of snow that was on parts of the trail. The scenery was spectacular. Alpine peaks surround the area. Snow was only in the shady areas and on the north slopes. It took me exactly 2 hours round trip and the distance is about 3.5 miles. You will climb about 1900 feet to an elevation of about 10,500 feet. It's an easy hike until right at the end where an old mine has been wired shut.

Astronomy - Asteroids

Last night at 6:50 pm, MST, there was a very bright light flash across the sky north of Park City, Utah. Did anyone else see it? As no stars were visible at that time, it was so bright that it appeared to be rather close to the earth. It was headed in a northerly direction. I have also been fascinated the past few days with the linear line-up of Venus, Saturn, the Moon and Mars in the early morning hours. How often does this occur each year? Thanks for any input.

Utah Vouchers

It has been interesting to me to see who has been in support of vouchers in Utah and why. In particular, Governor Huntsman, Richard Eyre, Sharlene Hawkes and George Will are all campaigning in support of vouchers. Here are the three reasons why I am still planning to vote against vouchers. If someone can convince me that I am wrong on these three issues, I am more than happy to change my vote.

1. It is a tax increase.

a. Even though the money will come out of the general state tax revenues, according to the impartial analysis, the total tax increase over 13 years, depending on certain assumptions, would equate to between $400 Million and $500 Million.

2. It promotes class distinctions.

a. The disadvantaged will still have a propensity to use the lowest cost education available to them, which for them will be public education. The elite willl still have an advantage, especially those with good parental support, whether it is in the public school system or in a private system.

3. It allows for the combination of church and state.

a. Personally, I would like to see prayer back in the classroom. But vouchers would allow any and all kinds of doctrination to be promoted in a private setting.