# Mirror Lake Highway



## goonsquad (Sep 15, 2010)

Anyone know the general condition currently? Is it still covered in snow?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say "yes"

The North Slope side gets plowed out mid-June for the big bicycle race. Sometimes they open the gate at Mile Marker 49 on Memorial weekend and you just drive on the highway at your own risk.

There is still 4 to 6 foot of snow above Evanston at 7,800' elevation.


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

With the amount of snow there is up there and budget cuts in Utah, "Over the top" might not get over the top this year, or at least over the top on time.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

campfire said:


> With the amount of snow there is up there and budget cuts in Utah, "Over the top" might not get over the top this year, or at least over the top on time.


The race people have a contingency plan if the DOT can't get to it.

There was one year when the road had some ice on it around mile marker 38.


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## ktowncamo (Aug 27, 2008)

I've been meaning to drive up there and see if it's started to melt off the road a bit, but I'm seriously doubting they'll start plowing anything until the weather helps out a bit. Last year on March 26 I drove to mile marker 20 which is just before the climb to Provo River Falls. From there it was 2-3' on the road. 

If I drive up there in the next couple of days I'll report what is happening...or not. I still see a sled or two coming down canyon so I know up top it's as wintry as winter gets.


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

Up at Trial Lake there is still 8.5' of snow.

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/nwcc/site? ... 8&state=ut


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## goonsquad (Sep 15, 2010)

Wow! thanks Jahan. It's probably going to be a bit deeper after tonight...


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## schaueelab (Dec 30, 2007)

I was told they might not open gates until end of June.........


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

Rode up from Kamas just this afternoon. There is fresh snow on the ground in Kamas that is melting fast. The snow on the ground is mostly newly fallen through Samak and again melting fast on the south facing slopes. There is a little winter snow on the north facing slopes starting just above Samak. Winter snow on the level starts at about the Upper Setting road and I would gestimate about 4 feet of winter snow on the level at the Soapstone road. Still plenty of snow on the highway and up Soapstone to snowmobile on. The highway starts climbing rapidly just below the Murdock Basin road so I suspect there is still plenty of deep snow high. It will be a while before the highway is passable even above Soapstone. And it is not a matter of IF we get flooding but When!


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## ktowncamo (Aug 27, 2008)

Drove up there and the didn't really change much with the warming last week. Would love to start scouting later this month but it may not be until late June me thinks.


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## jenburr (Jun 5, 2011)

We drove up Mirror Lake Hwy June 4 and we got to mile marker 20. We did not get to Provo Falls but passed Sandstone campground which was closed. Hope they get it open soon. There was still about 1-2 feet on the road where we were stopped.


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## 10yearquest (Oct 15, 2009)

Any updates here? How about the evanston side? Can I get past the utah border?


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## pheaz (Feb 11, 2011)

Yes you can get past the Utah border on a snowmobile..


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## 10yearquest (Oct 15, 2009)

Pheaz are you messin with me?


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## pheaz (Feb 11, 2011)

No, we snowmobiled mirror lake hwy from the Kamas side last saturday. We crossed the Utah/Wyoming border and there was no vehicle tracks yet. Unless it melted in 5 days I'm really not messin with ya. There was patches of asphault though I wouldn't be suprised if you cant get there now though.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

North Slope news:
I talked to the organizer for the High Uintas Bicycle Race Saturday. There's no way they can remove the snow and ice from the Mirror Lake Highway for the June 18th event. This year the race will go from Evanston to the snow line, hopefully Sulphur Campgroung at mile marker 39, and back to Evanston this year instead of Evanston to Kamas.

He said last week there was about 8 foot of snow at Bald Mountain Pass. See this website for some cool pictures: http://www.evanstoncycling.org/HighUintasClassic.html

A plus: Looks like snowmobiling will be good until July 4th.

A minus: Gonna be a short backpacking season in the Uintas.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

10yearquest said:


> Any updates here? How about the evanston side? Can I get past the utah border?


Friends of mine got to Beaver View CG last Thursday. I just got home late Friday night and haven't been up there yet.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

pheaz said:


> No, we snowmobiled mirror lake hwy from the Kamas side last saturday. We crossed the Utah/Wyoming border and there was no vehicle tracks yet. Unless it melted in 5 days I'm really not messin with ya. There was patches of asphault though I wouldn't be suprised if you cant get there now though.


What?

The Utah Wyoming border on the Mirror Lake Highway is at milepost 55 down in sagebrush country by the Wind River Ranches. The DOT plows the road up to the North Slope Road at milepost 48 all winter long. As-a-matter-of-fact, last I knew it's a school bus route.


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## 10yearquest (Oct 15, 2009)

thank you wyogoob! So i can get across the border all year? Thats good to know. I am just itchin to go campin.


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## pheaz (Feb 11, 2011)

I must know of the wrong border sorry 10yearquest.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

On the North Slope the Bear River will be flooded, but the fish will be stacked-up back in the willows in the narrow beaver runs. 

The locals say "it's a mudhole" up on the drainage right now.


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

This reminds me of one of my pet peeves! This time of the year the mountains are striated with layers of snow high, dry low and mud in between. A lot of people in their anxiety to get to the mountains take the 4x4 s up roads just to see how high they can get. It is obvious that they cannot get all the way up because of the snow but they try to go up through the mud and make big ruts in the roads that the snow melt runs down eroding even bigger ruts tearing up the roads and making travel a pain through the summer and fall. Now I own a 4x4 pickup and three ATVs and I like playing in the mud as much as anyone, but folks, please be wise and respectful about where and when you try to travel on mountain roads.


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## thanatos (Sep 13, 2007)

Has anybody been , or tried to go up in soapstone basin? I usually enter from the woodland side, I think its an easier pull with the trailer. Has anybody been around that area? I usually take the family up there to camp over the fourth. It sounds like it may still be buried this year.....any replies are appreciated


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