weather in uintas?

My husband and I will have a week in SLC starting June 20. Our plan was to head to Uintas for a couple days of clipping bolts, probably mostly at Ruth Lake, then heading into LCC for a few days, and finishing up at Maple. My questions are these...
1. Will that area in the Uintas be dry/warm enough that time of year? If not, would changing our schedule so that we hit the other two areas first, arriving in the Uintas around the 24th be helpful?
2. What will the night time temps be like?
3. Which is the best area to camp in for Ruth Lake? (pay or free)
4. We have the guidebook, but any other areas you would recommend for great sport? I can project up thru mid 11's, but we would also love to get lots of mileage on 10's as well.
Thanks in advance!

The weather in the Uintas can be unpredictable. Be prepaired for afternoon T-storms daily, that said the weather may be sunny and warm the whole time. There is a fee for using the mirror lake highway this will allow you to park anywhere along the highway and at any trailheads.
Camping is good at Mirror lake. Christmas Medows is also good. the closest campground to Ruth Lake is Butterfly Lake. Ruth Lake is beautiful enjoy your trip.
Tom

Not sure how the rock up there will be then; I have only been up to the Uintas later in the summer (July and August). I don't know if changing the Uintas to the end of your trip (only four days) would make a huge difference but it couldn't hurt, right?

At night in high summer it is still pretty chilly. Maybe 50 degrees? There are nice free camp sites all around Ruth Lake.

I know some people who went into the Uintas a couple days ago and they said that there was still TONS of snow around.

I'm sure there are other newly-developed cliffs that aren't in the guidebook, but Ruth Lake is a pretty good place for your first time in the Uintas.

Ditto on what SuperT said about afternoon thunderstorms. Also, bring lots of bug spray.

-Tristan

Does anyone here know the authors of the guidebook, Uintas Rock Climbs by Nathan Smith & Paul Tustung? I'd like to pick up a copy but prefer to pay the author full retail directly vs. going through REI (or similar).

Guidebook authors make crap for the time and effort to put a good guide together. Typically they can make a few more bucks selling direct.

So, if you're friends with them, post up or tell them to.

Thanks,
Susan

Thanks for the quick replies guys! Now, Tristan, when you say there was tons of snow around when your friends went a few days ago, do you mean snow on the ground/trails, or that the rock was too wet to climb? From the pictures I've seen, the scenery looks spectacular, and we would definteily be willing to put up with some snow on the ground/chilly temps, but obviously wet rock is not an option!

On another note - would you recommend camping at Maple? I also heard there is a nicer campground w/water and showers about 15 minutes away - any beta on that one or contact info? Will we need reservations that time of year?

Also - Mt. Olympus, West Slabs route - doable in June, or too much snow?

"Also - Mt. Olympus, West Slabs route - doable in June, or too much snow?"
the West Slabs should be pretty decent in Late June, you will probably hit some snow on the approach, but it shouldn't be a big deal, BTW that route is a very long day, I would also recommend having 2 ropes for the rappels(or joining up with another group) and being pretty sure of the descent, so as to avoid loads of bushwhacking

Thanks for the beta on West Slabs - we are planning on stopping in at a gear shop for some specific beta on the descent once we get there - i was under the impression that it was a walk off? Another party will probably be climbing with us that day also, so we will have two ropes between the 4 of us.

Wow, Susan, you are a guidebook author's day dream; between the publisher and retailer, you said it best. Paul Tusting is on Mountain Project, you can probably email him via this!

NorthCarolina, you'll be OK in the Uintahs, bet on a few bugs for Utah at that time...west slabs are best when a snow gully speeds up the approach. Lots to do at that time in the Wasatch.

Thanks James
-Erica

James,

I have several friends that are guidebook authors. Even when you self publish you get ganked on the distribution. Whenever possible..... order direct. It's not like these guys/gals don't pump it right back to the community in route development, anchors replacement, trail maintenance, etc.

Then again, for all I care they can use the profits for beer, acid and oreos. Me? I'm selfish, I just want a guidebooks.

Thanks for the suggestion, I just sent Paul a note via MP.

~Susan

e-line wrote:Now, Tristan, when you say there was tons of snow around when your friends went a few days ago, do you mean snow on the ground/trails, or that the rock was too wet to climb? ... Also - Mt. Olympus, West Slabs route - doable in June, or too much snow?

They're not climbers so I didn't ask about the cliffs. They just went up to go look at the waterfalls and mountains, etc., and said that there was still a fair amount of snow on the ground. I don't know what the condition of the cliffs is.

The West Slabs of Olympus are definitely climbable in June. As others have said, there may still be snow in the approach gully. When I did it once a few years ago we took ice axes and they were nice to have. I've done the route 3 times and haven't done the rap route yet. I always hike down to the climber's right (west) and down some gullies and stuff. Some downclimbing (and maybe a rap or two? I know I've seen slings there but I think I always just downclimbed) is required but nothing too intense.

-Tristan

e-line wrote: 1. Will that area in the Uintas be dry/warm enough that time of year? If not, would changing our schedule so that we hit the other two areas first, arriving in the Uintas around the 24th be helpful? 2. What will the night time temps be like? 3. Which is the best area to camp in for Ruth Lake? (pay or free) 4. We have the guidebook, but any other areas you would recommend for great sport? I can project up thru mid 11's, but we would also love to get lots of mileage on 10's as well.

1) Road is still closed, scheduled to open either the second or third week of June. It can be pretty wet getting to some of the crags, but, the rock is fairly dry in mid June (probably some seepage but not that big a dealio).

2) Temps will be typical for 10k feet of elevation: probably not quite freezing but pretty brisk. Try the NOAA point cast weather and click on Mirror Lake when your trip comes up. That'll give you a decent idear of temps at night. You could also surf up weather station info too, if need be. Right now probably about 35F or so for lows, maybe add 5 degrees in two weeks?

3) Not sure if the campgrounds will be open by then? You might try the FS (Wasatch-Uinta NF). Tons of camping on dirt roads right off the main highway. Kinda hit or miss for vacancy, but, easy to find near enough to the Ruth Lake trailhead.

4) There's always BCC nearby for sports climbing. AF too. I think some of the local camping has opened up in BCC and LCC (Tanners, Spruces). At least I see folks there.

Cheers!

-Brian in SLC

Brian in SLC wrote: 1) Road is still closed, scheduled to open either the second or third week of June.

Yeah. My friends said that that's what the sign on the road said but they figured they'd keep driving until they couldn't go any more. The gate turned out to be open and they went as far as the Provo River Falls.

any updates on the conditions in the uintas, specifically ruth lake?

I called the ranger station, and was told that the road was open all the way thru, but the lady said that the rocks were most likely running water and had big snow drifts at the base, and that they were expecting rain for the next 8 days...we are heading to yellowstone to hang with the fam starting on saturday, and will be heading down to the uintas on the 20th...any updated theories on how things will be by then?

Temps are supposed to hit 80 middle of next week. That's in the valley so it moght only be mid 60's or 70's in the Uintas.

But, there's a chance that conditions will be good.

They plowed the road and opened the Mirror Lake Highway through the Uintas a couple of days ago. I haven't been up there this year, but would guess there is still quite a bit of snow around. We have been having cold, wet weather and it is supposed to last a few more days, so things are not melting out as fast as normal. The cliffs at Ruth Lake can be dripping and seeping if there is snow up on top melting and running down, and the winter snow will pile up pretty deep along the base; I have been there early season when you clamber up a snow drift and clip the second or third bolt on a route with the start buried under the snow. If there is still snow around it can be cold. The rock will freeze at night and take a while to warm up. The Stone Garden and Moosehorn are nearby, but catch more early morning sun and are usually a better early season bet if conditions are cold/wet. The good thing is that if you head to the Uintas and find bad conditions, you can be at Echo, AF or the Cottonwoods in only an hour or two.

is logan a good back-up plan if the conditions in uintas arent that great?

e-line wrote:is logan a good back-up plan if the conditions in uintas arent that great?

IMHO, no. But, I've never really enjoyed the climbing there and haven't spent that much time.

AF or Maple are fairly close. SLC is an hour (BCC and LCC).

Yeah, hopefully this rain will dry up a tad and we'll get a break.

Logan is an absolutely beautiful canyon, and has some good routes. I would have to agree with Brian though that I would recommend BCC and LCC for a "destination". Logan is pretty far away from other areas, and there is very little variety to the climbing there. Mostly sport routes, all on limestone. There are a lot of REALLY hard routes, or the easier "classic" lines are getting pretty greasy.
BCC and LCC have endless classic lines, and endless variety.
Best of Luck!

Aimee

thanks for the beta...i was considering logan mostly b/c we will be coming in from the direction of yellowstone. (we are spending a week there with our whole family first).

e-line wrote:thanks for the beta...i was considering logan mostly b/c we will be coming in from the direction of yellowstone. (we are spending a week there with our whole family first).

In that case it may be worth stopping for a night or two on your way south. It really is beautiful.