Tess Burton
Red Castle is by far my favorite in all of the Uintas. Pictures you find are jaw-dropping gorgeous but do not compare to the awe you will feel experiencing them firsthand. My friend and I did Red Castle Sept. 11th - 13th, 2015. The hike in was pretty moderate besides one area with switchbacks that got us pretty winded. We had a very late start on the 11th so we did not arrive until the sun was almost set. Which was perfect to first experience the colossal castle changing colors from the setting sun. Red Castle is unlike anything I've ever seen before. Pictures do not do justice. You must experience on your own. By far one of the most extraordinary sights I've ever seen. Tremendously beautiful all around. Fishing was amazing especially in the upper lakes. The upper lakes are so clear you can see all the fish swimming around and chose which one you want to go after. Make sure to pack your sunscreen. I was extremely burnt after day exploring the upper lakes. I had to zip the legs on my Columbia hiking shorts/pants and wear my wind breaker a couple hours in to keep from burning even more. It was pretty cold at night. I believe my thermometer got down to the upper 10's, lower 20's at night so make sure to pack warm. I can't wait to go back to Red Castle!!
5.0
I backpacked with a group of my friends to Island Lake late August 2015. It was a relatively easy trail. We arrived at the trailhead pretty late in the evening (we shuttled cars to Smith & Morehouse since we took that trail out.) The parking lot was really full so it was good thing we had our friend to drop us off. It was dark by the time we hit the switchbacks. These switchbacks which are located towards the end of the trail are a bit strenuous but not as bad as many others I've encountered. It was very dark by the time we arrived to the lake. In the morning I was very surprised with how large the lake is. We spent some time cliff jumping which was so fun but very chilly!! We spent one evening summiting Long Peak (11,342) which was just astounding. From the top of Long Peak you see many lakes and ponds the majestic Uintas holds. The cliff jumping spot had a bit of traffic but other than that we really didn't encounter too many other campers or hikers. On our way out we took the Smith & Morehouse trail which was really hot and mostly downhill after you get to the top of the first switchbacks. I don't necessarily recommend going out that way as it was quite longer than we anticipated and not very scenic. You can see a video of us having fun and jumping at Island Lake and a couple others here: http://youtu.be/EIbwzelHc00
5.0
My friend and I set off in the early afternoon to meet some of our other friends who were climbing there that day. It was a very scenic drive up to the trailhead. We enjoyed a little fishing (didn't catch anything unfortunately) and explored some of the surrounding lakes in the area. Which is a must. There are some really neat, smaller lakes that are stunning. I was unable to climb do to having my climbing shoes stolen recently but my friends were very pleased with the climbing. I still was very entertained watching. On a Monday it felt like we almost had the lake to ourselves. We encountered only two other people while up there that were on the other side of the lake taking photos while canoeing.
5.0
I did Ibantik Lake overnight July 16th to the 17th. My long time friend joined me as well as his 7 month old GoldenDoodle (who was thrilled and loved every minute.) The switch backs in Notch can be a bit tedious but it was a very rewarding trip. I clocked about 4.25 miles on my trip in. I was very surprised with the traffic we experienced. We crossed paths with several day hikers on our trip out and the trip back. There was also about 3-4 other groups camping around the lake that we noticed. We went during the weekend which always seems to be a busy time for the Uintas. We made a little trip into the gorge just past the lake right after we set up camp. Very beautiful and scenic. We saw mountain goats both days! When we were packing up on the 17th we watched a group of them wonder into the camp that was next to ours. Great trip and well worth it!
5.0
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