JULY 2008
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| JEAN AND DEAN LAKE FROM ABOVE |
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| DEAN LAKE |
The Four Lakes Basin is a pleasant basin containing four large lakes in very close proximity to each other. It is accessed via a sixteen-mile round-trip hike from the Highline Trailhead, just off the Mirror Lake Highway. These lakes could be visited as a day hike, and would make a great destination in and of themselves. This would allow you more time to enjoy the area. When I visited, I added it to a larger backpacking trip that included the Naturalist Basin and Rock Creek Basin. I had spent the first night in the Naturalist Basin, then hiked up the Highline Trail to Olga Lake where I set up my tent, and day-hiked into the Four Lakes Basin. The next morning I hiked into Rock Creek Basin. There was a lot of beauty packed into those three days.
In Four Lakes Basin I remember being really impressed with Jean and Dean Lakes as they were located end-to-end along the side the mountain. Dale and Daynes Lakes, while nice, were not quite as impressive due their being located in a flat area further from the mountain. I visited in July, and while the forest is a bit more photogenic during that time of year, the mosquitoes were miserable. It had been so long since I had backpacked the Uintas I had forgotten how bad the mosquitoes can be in July. I didn't even bring mosquito repellent. I remember being all bumpy by the time I finished, and hikers I passed on the way down being shocked with the number of bites I had. Since then I have remembered to bring my repellent, and have tried to avoid hiking the Uintas until late August when the mosquitoes let up.
In Four Lakes Basin I remember being really impressed with Jean and Dean Lakes as they were located end-to-end along the side the mountain. Dale and Daynes Lakes, while nice, were not quite as impressive due their being located in a flat area further from the mountain. I visited in July, and while the forest is a bit more photogenic during that time of year, the mosquitoes were miserable. It had been so long since I had backpacked the Uintas I had forgotten how bad the mosquitoes can be in July. I didn't even bring mosquito repellent. I remember being all bumpy by the time I finished, and hikers I passed on the way down being shocked with the number of bites I had. Since then I have remembered to bring my repellent, and have tried to avoid hiking the Uintas until late August when the mosquitoes let up.