Daily distance: 16.14
Cumulative distance: 20.54
I rested well during the night even though it did rain. We awoke to a beautiful but chilly morning.
Before packing up, I wandered over to get a closer look at the reservoir. There was a road visible on the other side and I believe also a campground.
The trail today was mostly forested, but it was in good condition. In some areas there were a lot of dead trees.
Usually the trail was well marked and easy to follow. There were several instances where the trail seemed to disappear but we were able to relocate quickly by checking the gps track on my phone.
This portion of the trail is maintained by the Backcountry Horseman of America.
The eastern section of the Highline Trail is fairly level without significant elevation change in contrast to the rugged section west of Chepeta Lake.
The trail in this section has several forest road crossings. On one occasion a truck was passing by and stopped and a man asked if we were hunting elk.
For much of the Highline Trail, it is identified by trail number 025. Some of the highlights of the eastern section are several parks that provide open views.
Lonesome Park
We noticed an open area off the trail to the north and went a short distance off trail to see if we could find a view. We found a distant view north into Wyoming and stopped to take a break.
Flaming Gorge
Manila Park
The trail went by a small rocky peak and I decided to walk up to the top for a better view. I could see a lake in the distance.
There was a beautiful view of Flaming Gorge. This was one of the highlights of the day!
Flaming Gorge
There was some pleasant forest walking.
Lost Park
Water availability is limited on the eastern portion of the Highline Trail. We went and discovered this stream after getting off trail a little near Lost Park. On the map the trail appeared to go north of Center Creek so we decided to walk off trail across the park to see if we could find it.
Center Creek
We continued off-trail and connected with the Highline Trail up on a ridge.
We had seen it earlier, but we enjoyed our first unobstructed view of the high country and Leidy Peak.
We reached Summit Park and were excited that there was a good water source. We decided to camp on the eastern side of the park for a better view of Leidy Peak.
Andrew walking across Summit Park
It was a great place to camp, but I was surprised to hear and watch an ORV go across the other side of the park. After looking at the map I discovered that there was another trail on the other side.
Camp at Summit Park
There were some nice evening views.
The clouds were quite colorful.
Even though the scenery of the eastern section of the Highline Trail isn't as dramatic or remote as the classic section, I recommend it as part of a Highline Trail hike. It is still part of the Highline Trail even though not commonly recognized as such. It gives a better sense of appreciation for the Uintas while providing time for acclimatization. One consideration, however, is that some hikers may not have the endurance to hike over 100 miles and may miss out on better scenery to come if they expend their energy on the eastern portion of the trail. Ideally the Highline Trail should be hiked westbound due to elevation and the progression of impressive scenery.
Continue to Day 3
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