SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
68 BACKPACKER.COM
DAYHIKE
MT. SUPERIOR VIA
SOUTH RIDGE
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National
Forest
Think less “dayhike” and more “day
climb” on this 2.8-mile out-a nd-
back with exposure, scrambling—
and views to reward the effort.
Pick a path up a chute then tight-
rope the ridge to the top where the
snow-etched slopes of the Wasatch
fan out. (Easier option, same view:
The East Ridge is a 2.1-mile walk-
up.) Trailhead The Cliff Lodge
(40.5820, -111.6591) 25 miles south-
ea st of Sa lt La ke Cit y Season July to
September Permit None Info www
.fs.usda.gov/uwcnfMULTIDAY
RED CASTLE LAKE &
WILSON PEAK
High Uintas Wilderness
Hike a locals’ range to a view that
includes most of Uta h’s Thir teeners
on a 30-mile out-and-back. Take the
Ea st Fork Smit h’s Fork Tra i l to ca mp
at Lower Red Castle Lake (mile 10),
or, weather permitting, continue 1.8
more miles to above-treeline Red
Castle Lake. Access the summit ridge
via the pass to its west. Trailhead
China Meadows (40.9241, -110.4038)
147 miles east of Salt Lake City
Season July to September Permit
None Info bit.do/HighUsSalt Lake City
OVERNIGHT
RUTH LAKE
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National
Forest, UT
What qualifies as a quick escape
in the Uintas would be considered
a highlight trip elsewhere—it’s
less than 2 miles from trailhead to
tent site at 10,000 feet in the High
Uintas. Pass rock-strewn alpine
meadows carved with creeks and
small ponds, then emerge at the
shore of this f lower-lined la ke.
“July is when the wildf lowers
(Indian paintbrush, fairy slippers,
and wild hyacinths) are really pop-
ping,” Boué says.
Follow the trail around the lake-
shore, and at 1.5 miles, pick out a
campsite with views of 12,479-foot
Hayden Peak, and wait for alpen-
glow to paint the summit pink.
Not bad for an hour’s hike. But
for Boué, it’s not just a time-saver.
Access relates to equality in the out-
doors, a nd Ruth La ke provides back-
country feel for frontcountry effort.
“There is not a more accessible
backpacking experience so close to
the city,” she says. Trailhead Ruth
Lake (40.7339, -110.8675), 79 miles
ea st of Sa lt La ke Cit y Season July to
September Permits $6; self-pay at
the trailhead. Info http://www.fs.usda
.gov/uwcnfKatie Boué
FOUNDER, THE OUTDOOR
ADVOCACY PROJECTHOW DO WE change the way
we relate to the wilds? SLC-
based Katie Boué is harness-
ing social media—and her ability
to engage others with images
of her van-fueled tours around
the West with her adorable dog,
Spaghetti—into an effort to pro-
tect those places. This year,
she will launch The Outdoor
Advocacy Project.
Her goal with the new venture
is to better align the forces at
work behind the increased popu-
larity of national parks and open
spaces to improve the experi-
ence. She’s building a social
media presence, @outdoorad-
vocacy, launching a podcast, and
creating an online, open-source
library of outdoors knowledge.
“Everyone who enjoys public
lands, especially those of us
who work in the industry and
make a profit from them, has a
responsibility to the land, to do
good, to give back, and to take
care of it,” she says.Red Castle Peak
pokes above a
meadow near
Lower Red
Castle Lake.YOURGU
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