# A Long Journey



## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

So I have had an 8 day 7 night hike along the highline trail in my vacation schedule and in planning since January! Well last week it finally got put into motion and this was the results... since its so long Ill try and keep it entertaining 

The day before our planned departure we had to deal with the logistics of finishing packing and placing a car at our exit butterfly lake along mirror lake highway. With work later that night I had no time to fish just get a car up there! The weather was a chilling reminder that we may be in for some strong thunderstorms along our hike.

























Saturday James's beautiful wife woke up at 5 am to make the long drive from salt lake to Roosevelt to drop us off at chapeta lake. Once the car drove off it was just me, James, our packs, and a long hike all the way to the mirror lake highway ahead of us... We made our way toward our first obstacle North Pole Pass! This pass was CAPITAL EVIL with a pack that weighed in at 67 pounds and only a few hours of sleep even fresh legs had a tough time powering up this pass! Once at the top a view down to the fishermans paradise below was our first reality check on how deceiving distances can be it took forever to reach those lakes!

















































































As we approached the first are of intended camp, aching tired and unable to go another 100 yards, so did the DNR folks in a group of 3 horses coming from another trail. They had past us going over the pass and I assumed were long gone but I guess they were doing gillnet surveys at the surrounding lakes. Both of us groups were exhausted and it was getting late and neither of us wanted to go any further so we agreed to share the camp. At first I was a little flustered cause I felt like they were on horses and we werent and i packed in to get away from people but they turned out to be a a very nice group of people so in the end it was worth splitting the camp. I fished the lake and james fished the creek. He said he did quite well and I caught fish on pretty much every cast in the 10-13 inch brookie range. I kept 5 to supplement me and James's dinner. 

































The next morning we awoke and james cooked me some delicious breakfast borritos! Yummy!!!! The DNR folks were breaking camp as well and we got to chatting about our plans and he told us of a lake that was a half mile from our current location that he had 18 inch brookies in the gillnet. He stated however there were only 4 with an all night soak so that indicates that the lake held massive fish but a very small population.. He stated theres not many lakes up here I find that kinda size in my surveys.. I was extremely tempted but realized we were already late getting out of camp and we had a long ways to go... The wildlife officer also pointed out on a map a meadow we could cut across to save us 400 feet of elevation. We were very thankful for the tips and on we plugged...

























































We arrived at what I'm going to call my lunch break hole inspired by other forum members. It offered 8-11 inchers on every cast while soaking some sun, resting our backs, eating lunch, and rehydrating for the journey ahead...

























We arrived at our camp on the north fork of the Uinta River below painter basin and Andersons Pass. After setting up camp I felt kinda off I was really cold and opted to lay in the tent while james went fishing. He reported back later that no fish were to be found...

The following morning my temperature instability made more sense as I could not stop vomiting. I had come down with the flu... We planned on alot of obstacles; blisters, weather, chafing, injury, etc.... but not this one... Eager not to mess up his vacation I tried to press on we made it about 2.5 or 3 miles with me purging almost every step of the way before James called it. Im glad he did Im to stubborn and would have tried to push on and likely got myslef in a world of hurt! I was unable to hold down any fluid and had ceased to sweat at all and this is what had us worried! We made camp and I slept in the tent all day and was unable to hold any water down all that day and night. James did a side hike to U75 while I layed in the tent. He reported back no fish. The following morning I awoke feeling slightly better though not as stomach noxious I had some new symptoms of the flu that would cause us to have to stop every couple of miles  As we made our way up andersons pass i tried to eat a snack that didnt agree with my stomach, sorry to the boyscout following me up the mountain on your way to kings peak, But finally made it to the top of our highest pass! I can imagine it to be extremely difficult when your 100% Obviously our original plan to summit kings was off my radar... I wanted nothing to do with it and were a day behind now! But I felt like the Michael Jordan of hiking because I continued all the way up tungsten pass and part way up porcupine pass to camp at (Y2) that was 10.5 miles of hiking 2.5 mountain passes all with the flu!!! I even did some fishing at Y2 and Y3 which was a windswept tundra that had good solid action for 12"-15" brookies. Some showed signs of snaking others were very healthy and plump. 

























































After a night on the windswept tundra we headed up the pass though I had no more stomach issues side affect B was still as prevelant as ever and I felt overall still kinda weak from my lack of eating and appetite as well as difficulty keeping hydrated. On the other side we did some wandering off the trail into some areas in search of fish after all thats why we are here and we really need a moral booster after all our tribulations thus far. I became a mobile fisherman and didnt even take off my pack to fish and found this guy in a creek.. also my fist fish on a maribou I could never seem to figure the thing out but i packed a couple and decided to try it because several forum members have mentioned of them...




























































































































I stubled upon a lake / pond that wasnt mapped an needless to say thats were we ended up for the day we caught brookes in the 14-17 inch range on every cast! They shredded and bent my maribou jig. It was a real Pole workout and I even ended up with a stress fracture in my pole! I even hooked one that i made James stop fishing and go get the camera because after years of fishing experience I knew I had a beast and what would have probably been the biggest brookie of my life, however, after a several minute fight on my ultra light tackle the hook broke free and sailed back toward me on shore  Why do the big ones always get away... I'll never know for sure but I either had an awesome fish or had one of those 16 or 17 inch fatties severly fowl hooked. 

























The next morning we awoke and decided to go catch a couple fish for breakfast for breakfast.. after all we needed protein to continue our quest to get back on schedule! A near 17 miles and 2 brutal mountain passes later we chased the setting sun to our camp in the upper rock creek basin.... By the way dead horse pass was kinda sketchy I renamed it dead Brennon pass! I'm a little afraid of steep cliffy type heights and this one made me a little nervous especially with a backpack on!










































































































































































































































































We literally passed out upon reaching camp the night before so no fishing was done, however, We had discovered our pushes in mileage had gotten us back on schedule and we had a rest day planned in this basin; to day hike, explore, fish, eat, drink whatever we plaeased! We slept in then I made some chocolate chip pancakes smothered with sausage flavored country gravy!!! YUM!!!!!!! After breakfast we hiked around the basin fishing several lakes we even had some thunderstorms test our ponchos out! One gave me the skunk, some only offered a few small ones, others offered 9-12" ers on every cast, and a couple others offered healthy 14 inch fatties every 5 or ten minutes of fishing! After a fun day of different stlyes of fishing from fast to slow small to big fish we settled to a big dinner and some whiskey by the fire! It felt good to feel 100% again and it sucked it happened as we were about to head home the next morning.









































































The next morning we now well fed and well rested worked like a well oiled machine. I'm not sure of all the factors; lighter weight, rested body, high moral, etc. but we broke camp by 8am and arrived at the highway by 1pm that's 14 miles and rocky sea pass, which seemed a baby mountain pass in comparison to what we had encountered on our trip, in 5 hours! During the trip my gps logged 78 hiking miles across some of Utah's most rugged terrain. Memories were made and I'm sure its a trip I won't soon forget!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Way2go fellas!!

How 'bout that Dead Horse pass? No way to keep it clear of rocks and scree. Did you see the watch on the top of Dead Horse Pass? 

Did you find any tigers in Dead Horse Lake?


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

Well done! A very memorable accomplishment.


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## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

I didnt fish dadhorse because we decided to to try and make rock creek and realized we would have to hustle since I measured the distance wrong the first time  oops! And ya I should have gotten a picture I saw "the watch" from the bottom and thought they may have been creative cairns! Maybe this is better suited for area 51 in the strange creatures section as strange humanoid figures looking over deadhorse lake


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

That hike is a beast when you're feeling well. I can't imagine what it would be like with the flu. Good job man! Looks like a great time!


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Awesome work guys! That sounds like quite an adventure. Sounds like the trip will be something you'll always remember. Nice pics as well. :O||:


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## Jackalope (Oct 30, 2007)

So what's "the watch" on dead horse pass??


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Jackalope said:


> So what's "the watch" on dead horse pass??


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## Wobblehd (Jul 14, 2011)

Holy cow! What a trip, and fantastic work with the camera. I am glad you shared that with us.


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## EvilTyeDyeTwin (Aug 9, 2011)

When reading this....

At first I was like......









Then I was like.......


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## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

I didn't look at it that close to see a real watch. I assumed you meant it looked like the cairns are watching over the valley and had arms looked like a human haha there were some other creative cairns along the way some looked like they would take alot of work. Guess I need to go back and reinvestigste the watch!!


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## Ton_Def (Dec 23, 2008)

Bscuderi said:


> Memories were made and I'm sure its a trip I won't *soon *forget!


Or will never forget! Something to tell the grandkids about! Such an awesome post, I had to re-read it a few times, and just daydream....


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Wow! Nice job guys :O||:


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## Ifish (Aug 22, 2008)

Great trip and report. Sorry to hear you had to endure the flu, but congrats for pushing through and making a great trip. Thanks for sharing the photos!


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

What a hump! Crazy hiking. Glad you had a good time, as brutal as it was. Lots of nice scenery.


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## Crow (Sep 15, 2007)

Awesome trip, thanks for sharing.


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