Uintas conditions 2023?

Anyone been up to climb in the Uintas yet this season? Is it feasible?

Just looked at the KSL traffic camera on Bald Mountain Pass. Looks like the road is open but still a ton of snow. I think Ruth lake would be feasible, but the belays would be from snow. 

I did a Ruth Lake trip last weekend. If you don't mind some sun cupped snow for the last 100 yards or so of the approach, it's fine. Parts of Good Medicine still wet and trickling, but there's dry routes to be had. The drive was pleasant.

Anyone have thoughts on the mosquito situation?

Russ Keanewrote:

Anyone have thoughts on the mosquito situation?

Not the UP in July bad, but a solid 6/10 IMHO depending the location, temps, water, wind, ect. Camped up there the last two weekend, didn’t use bug spray either weekend but over the 4th I got a bunch of bites.  Last weekend I was at 10k elevation and not really an issue. 

OK I’m not looking for your favorite camp site but if you were going to climb up here and wanted to stay in a Forest Service campground which one is tolerable in your opinion. Also are any less buggy than others. Thanks in advance. PM me if you don’t want it public knowledge 

Mirror lake highway is a fucking nuts on the weekends in July and Aug. Its a huge turn off for me to go up there. Would be much better to go NOT on a Saturday FYI. 

Crazy ass MAGAs shooting 10,000 bullets out of their campsite adjacent to ours for about an hour. (6 of them with various AR15s)

Druggy wierdos parking next to the lakes and blaring music at 1 in the morning.

Dog owners being dog owners: crazy shit beasts barking at all hours and raiding camps. 

Ruth Lake has lines 10 people deep on every route on the weekends. More dogs than people (and you can learn the dog names from hearing them screamed out repeatedly).

Scumbags running generators from 6am until 11pm. 

The problem with Mirror Lake highway is that its THE camping spot for every average Joe in the Wasatch front. People up there have 0 respect or consideration for others. 

When I go up there I try to camp at one of the 20 free sites down this turn off.

Thanks i appreciate the info.

Those are definitely NOT my type of people.

I was afraid it was going to be like that.

Norm, there are lots of other places to go if you get off the Mirror Lake highway side of things, that being said 80+% (?) of the developed climbing is on the mirror lake highway side of things ,

Norm Larsonwrote:

OK I’m not looking for your favorite camp site but if you were going to climb up here and wanted to stay in a Forest Service campground which one is tolerable in your opinion. Also are any less buggy than others. Thanks in advance. PM me if you don’t want it public knowledge 

Norm, weekend or during the week (huge difference)?

Since its so close to SLC (hour commute) we normally don't camp.  When we do, its never in a FS campground.  Dispersed camping is great.

As of last weekend, Ruth lake walls had only small areas of snow remaining, and nothing you couldn't easily walk around. Walls were all dry, but water run off is everywhere. Finding a good spot to camp that isn't a boggy, muddy mess or a rock slab takes some searching, especially for an area for more than a couple tents. 

The mosquitos were ravenous, and only mildly deterred by cancerous levels of deet. 

10/10, will return asap.