Solo Backpacking the UINTA Backcountry. BIG Tiger Trout & 1st Trip of 2024

June 21st, 2024 RECON trip. Is it backpacking season yet in the high country? #uintas #backpacking #fishing
The Mirror Lake Highway is now open. Is the Uinta Backcountry open too?
My first backpacking trip of 2024 explores the backcountry of the Lakes Country Trail via the Crystal Lake Trailhead. Scenery, Fish, and More!
Enjoy!
Music used in the video.
None. Just the Sounds of Nature!
Some of the gear highlighted in the video
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Daypack - Waymark, Dark Sky 18L
Backpack- Gregory, Baltoro 75
Drink- Coca-Cola Company, Coke Zero
Satellite Communicator- Garmin, inReach Explorer+
First Aide Kit- Custom, Various medical items including emergency foil sleeping bag & blanket
Camera- Samsung, Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G Cell Phone (4K, 60FPS video setting)
Tent- Big Agnes, Copper Spur UL3 (with tent specific ground tarp)
Sleeping Pad- Nemo Tensor Alpine
Sleeping Bag- Nemo, Disco 15
Pillow- Wilderness Technology, Compact Inflatable Pillow
Pillow- Klymit Luxe Pillow
Water Purification- Sawyer Squeeze Filter
Water Filtration Bags- CNOC 3L Clean & Dirty Bags (for use with Sawyer Gravity System)
Backup Water Purification- Coleman Neutralization Tables
Fire Starting Kit- Custom, Bic lighter, matches, Fire Stick, flint & steel, & magnesium bar
Pot- GSI Outdoors, 1.8L Halulite Boiler
Fry Pan- GSI Outdoors, Pinnacle Frypan
Spoon- Toaks, Titanium Long Handle Spoon
Turner- GSI Outdoors, Pack Spatula
Stove- MSR, Pocket Rocket 2
Backup Stove- BRS, Ultralight Burner
Stove Windscreen- Ohuhu, Camp Stove Windscreen
Water Bottle- Camelbak, 1L Bottle
Multi-tool- Leatherman, Skeletool
Head Lamp- Coast, FL72 405 Lumen Focusing LED
Shovel- The Duece #2 UL Trowel (Plus disposable wet-wipes)
Battery Bank- Qi, 30000mAh Solar Charger-Wireless Charger + Cables
Solar Charger- BigBlue, 28W Foldable Portable Solar Charger + Cables
Chair- Helinox, Chair One Original (Optional luxury item)
Padded Seat- Therm-a-rest, Z-Seat (Used for kneeling too)
Insect Repellent- Sawyer, Picaridin Lotion
Cooling Towel- Wilderness Technology, Microfiber Cooling Towel
Rain Gear- Cabelas, Rainy River Packable Jacket & Packable Pants
Coat- REI, Co-op 650 Down Packable Jacket
Hiking Shoes- Keen, Targhee III Low Rise Hiking Shoe
Socks- Darn Tough, ¼ Cushion Merino Wool Socks
Pants- Marmot, Transcend Convertible Pants/Shorts
Shorts- Columbia, Blood & Guts III Cargo Shorts
Base Layer- REI, Co-op Merino Midweight Crew Top
Shirt- Russell Athletic, Dri-Power Performance Tee (Polyester-Spandex Blend)
#Backpacking #Camping #Utah #gear #hiking #adventure #fishing #wildlife #Uintas #HighUintas #Uinta #Wilderness #Wildernessarea #waymarkgear #waymarkgearcompany #darksky #solobackpacking #sunrise #sunset #scenery #waterfalls #peakrefuel #utahfishing #reflections #scenery #exploring #offtrail #bushwhacking #utahfishing #hikinggear #backpackinggear #campinggear #nemo #bigagnes #rei #sawyer #waterfilters #emergencypreparedness #cabelas #down #downjacket #insectrepellent #thermarest #pocketrocket #garmin #inreach #sleepingbag #raingear #leatherman #outdoors #recreation #mountains #meadows #streams #lakes #forests

[@Packsalot]

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[@maxdexpeditions]

The silence except for the frogs and nature, the scenery, and fishing on a lake. It doesn’t get any better than that! Beautiful catch! Nice camp with badass fridge for Coke Zero 🙌

[@Packsalot]

Thanks! It was awesome to have the sounds of nature, pristine lake reflections, and some sizeable fish! CZ fridge was a bonus! LOL. Have a great day.

[@waikarimoana]

Beautiful country awasom video and footage SAteve and good fishing too, thanks for the shoe, thumbs up and greetings from Kiwiland, Tony.

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Tony! It was a fun fishing trip and recon into the backcountry. Still a little snow but made it nice for the ready made cooler for my soda. Thanks for watching. Have a wonderful day.

[@EventyrsorenDenmark]

This is the good life for sure. So much beautiful nature to enjoy. 😊😊😊

[@Packsalot]

Thank you! It was fun to finally get back into the backcountry. The scenery and fishing were good to me too. Thanks for watching. Have a wonderful day.

[@HuntingFarmerOfficial]

The bears are probably still thanking you for the CZ snowcone 😂 Nice trip and caught some nice fish (and a lunker @ 26:44 ) 👍

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Dave. I had to share with the bears. Hopefully they will remember that and be nice to me if I ever see one. (I have not seen one up there yet.) That was my biggest trout of the season so far. So awesome. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.

[@wendingourway]

At least the ice is off the lake! And look at that, your own personal cooler...no need to pack in the ice. Some beauty of a fish too! Awesome!!

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Bruce. It was fun to get back into the backcountry once again. Can't wait to go again! The CZ fridge was a bonus for sure! Thanks for watching. Have a great day.

[@DonnaTaibossigai]

Looks like an awesome trip. It always makes me wonder the stories about the clothing that one finds in the forest as to why they ended up there. If those pants could talk, lol. Awesome seeing the calm water and with the patches of snow still around. The fish seemed to be playful up there! Nice catches! Great use of the natural fridge! I enjoyed seeing your trip. Hope you're having a great week.

[@Packsalot]

Thank you Donna. Well, it was world hike naked day that day. Maybe it was because of that? I chose not to participate for the viewers sake! LOL. This was a fun trip with lots of fish caught. The CZ cooler was definitely a bonus! Thanks for watching. Have a great day.

[@MinuteontheMountain]

What a pretty brookie to start the trip. That was a heck of a tiger trout, too. Awesome stuff, Steve. What a great way to start your backpacking season.

[@Packsalot]

Thanks John. Those brooks sure were colorful. I finally landed a tiger at Island lake after 2 unsuccessful tries in previous years. It was a lot of fun. Can't wait to get out again. Have a great day.

[@JimHayesHiking]

Congrat's on getting your pack weight down. Nice to have a natural fridge for the CZ. Man that last one you caught was a monster! Awesome trip,nicely done!

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Jim. I've been working hard to get my pack weight down to compensate for the extra weight around my mid section. LOL. That was my biggest trout of the season so far. I had to go back for more the following weekend. So much fun. Glad you enjoyed the trip video. Have a Happy 4th of July. Take care.

[@HappyPlaceCamping]

I still can’t believe you do these hikes alone. Do love the wildlife you catch along these trails. Do you have to work up to the higher elevation every year? Well that’s a tiny tent and right smack in the middle of bear area. You should be fine 🙄😂 sure is a pretty lake. Great job catching something! Good to know about the mosquito lotion stuff. Still kills me that there’s snow on the ground. Oh that’s a nice freaking catch! Definitely a beautiful hike! The tree frogs (as we call them) are a great sound. Generally a good sign of spring here.

[@Packsalot]

Backpacking alone is pretty fun. Kind of like you camping trip you did alone. It was awesome to finally get back into the backcountry for some backpacking and fishing. Yes, the elevation is something you need to work up to every year at least for me. But after just a trip or two, I'm good to go. The reflections on the lake and the sizeable fish made is so worth the effort. The Picaridin is the best for mosquitos and ticks! All the snow in this area melted by the next weekend when I returned to the same spot. So fun to back at it again. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.

[@paddle_hike]

Best time ever... Hiking, fishing, and camping! Great fish !!!!! We don't have snow here anymore, but our highest is around 6000ft, and most high peaks are in the 4000. Fun trip my friend. Take care :)

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Alex. This was an all around great trip. The snow was certainly lingering this season. Being at 10000 feet it takes a bit to melt off some seasons. Glad you enjoyed the adventure. Have a great day.

[@JenniferLupine]

Great recon trip- glad to see the Mirror Lake Highway is Open!! Island Lake was good to you!! That last fish was a jumbo, super cool! Great camping spot, except that it was a tad wet, lol. Nice to have snow all around your campfire, haha... and a built in fridge. How was the dinner by the way? I don't think we've got that meal in our stash... I usually go for the rice and pasta meals. Loved hearing the frogs and seeing all those amazing reflections. Steve bought his Utah fishing license today, I'm going to buy mine tomorrow. Glad that you got so many fish and hits! See ya! Jen :)

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Jenifer. It is open and I'm itching to make the best of the season up there this year. Can't wait for our meetup. I went to the same spot the very next weekend and the snow was gone and the camp spots were dry. The food was good considering. LOL. The CZ fridge was a huge bonus for me. It was an all around great trip. Sounds like you are all equipped and ready for adventure. See you soon. Have a great day.

[@VoyagesetPassions]

a great fishing lesson in a beautiful location, thanks for sharing and take care

[@Packsalot]

Thank you. It was fun catching those big trout. Can't wait to go again! Have a nice day.

[@FishfearmeStudios]

Been waiting for this one. That Island lake is so beautiful it looks like you are fishing in a painting. Nice tigers to boot.

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Jason. We need to get you up there now. If Justin can pack his raft in there, you can too! LOL. Those lake reflections were pristine! I finally caught a tiger out of there. I was not so lucky the last couple times. Have a great day.

[@jjdowns_realtor]

Love your videos of the uintas! That’s a fun area to chase some fish. Keep it up with the videos and content.

[@Packsalot]

Thank you very much. I can't wait to get back into the Uintas for some extended adventures into the backcountry in August. Headed to Alaska for the short while. Should be a great trip. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.

[@395er]

Nice outing and good looking tigers. Looks like a great time.

[@Packsalot]

Thank you! It was great to be backpacking and fishing in the Uintas again. Thanks for watching. Have a nice day.

[@StacySalmans]

Love those toads, great to fall asleep to. Nice early season outing. Can not beat the beauty of the Uintas. Good to see the Uintas are open for business. You landed some quality tigers! That last one was crazy sized for the Uintas. Happy 4th of July!!

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Stacy. This was a great trip. So fun I had to return again the next weekend. I had tiger trout fever after catching that monster. We need to get you up there. Have a great day.

[@baitnbullets]

I saw on Utah water logs channel Latest video you guys ran into each other. So cool! ( it must be your next video) It's a small world even in the Uintah's! I bet the coke zero was super refreshing! Nice looking brookie and some monster tigers! What a beautiful place!

[@Packsalot]

Thanks. Yes, we went back up the very next weekend after this trip. So much fun catching fish and meeting up with everyone. The CZ fridge was a bonus! That was my biggest trout of the season so far. Plus being out of this lake was amazing. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.

[@tangenttrails]

Dang, that’s some beautiful country! Glad you got up into the high country and it didn’t seem too buggy. That Picaridin is good stuff. Appears you hit the lakes at the right time. Thanks for sharing!✌️

[@Packsalot]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the scenery. It was still a bit cold for the mosquitos this trip but when I went back to the same spot the following week it was swarm! Glad the Picaridin worked well. It was a great trip all around for scenery and fishing. Can't wait to go again and again. Have a great day.

[@NorwayHikesTrails]

Nice catch, great camp site. Thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful week 😊

[@Packsalot]

Thank you. It was fun to be backpacking again finally. The snow was lingering longer this season. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.

[@AlanMETALMAN]

Somebody with no pants on the trail - yikes! Was that a beaver in the water? Still plenty of snow about but good to see the fish were biting but the big ones are always the ones that got away :o). Great place to make camp and what a great fire but I was expecting fresh fish for tea. Just as well you are carrying a gun with that pantless man creeping around your camp at night and man that lake first thing in the morning looked awesome! Good fishing, surprised you left it, especially carrying 40lbs all the way back, cheers Alan

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Alan. Coincidentally, this was the same day as your world hike naked day that you highlighted. I wonder if that is why they were there? Thankfully, I did not see anyone strutting there stuff. LOL. The snow is lingering but mostly gone now after a week of hot weather. The lake was stunning with those reflections! Glad you enjoyed the scenery. The fishing was really good too. So much fun. Have a wonderful day.

[@DpuckFishingandOutdoors]

It sure was wet and mushy up there. Its been so long since I have experienced the high elevation. Great trout! So freaking pretty. Not into being kissed though, I guess. Night trout fishing would be a blast. What an amazing area.

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Dug. It was a bit wet and snowy still. It was an awesome trip with some quality trout caught too. I had to kiss the trout just for you! LOL. I went back the following weekend with similar results. Backpacking and fishing those backcountry lakes is open for business. Can't wait to go again. I need to get you up here one of these times. Have a great day.

[@nauraG]

Healthy and sukses always my brother 👍

[@Packsalot]

Thank you! Have a wonderful day.

[@UtahWaterLog]

Way to get back there and break out the camping gear. Glad you hooked some beauties. I know I wouldn't have left that lake for the others you were considering. Nice choice.

[@Packsalot]

Thanks! It was fun to finally be backpacking in the Uintas again! It was amazing to see the difference in snow melt from this trip to the next week seeing you. I finally caught a big trout out of island. I was skunked the last couple times but successful in the others. Go figure. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.

[@ChristianPaulPhotography]

Nice overnight up there! Crazy how much more snow was up there compared to this past weekend! You got some lunkers for sure! Fish on! 🎣🏕️

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Christian. It was quite the difference from one week to the next. Thanks again for joining me the next week. Awesome trip with some awesome lunkers. Have a great day.

[@HikeCamp]

Lots of snow takes some time to melt off... Hard finding a dry spot for camp. Great hike and overnight!

[@Packsalot]

Thanks Max. The Uintas got lots of snow this season. That is two seasons in a row. The snow did all melt off by the next weekend after our hot streak that we had. It was great to be back in the backcountry again. Thanks for watching. Have a wonderful day.

[@Sorensenoutdoors]

What cool video. I need to learn more about those lakes and go fishing. How does one go about getting educated on theses lakes?

[@Packsalot]

Thank you! There are lots of fishing reports and blogs online that highlight some of these lakes up here. I just knew about this lake from my previous visits here. I saw lots of big Tigers in there previously, but I just did not have the right tackle with me at the time to catch them. Try try again and I finally landed some. Most of the time, I just try to go and find a new lake that I have not been before. Sometimes they are duds but sometimes they are a new favorite. I hope you make it up here. Have a great day.

[@OutdoorExistential]

Glad to see you getting out there buddy! Gorgeous scenery. Thanks for braving the weather and taking us along. :)

[@Packsalot]

Thank you. The Uintas are finally open for business! It was a lot of fun getting back there for some backpacking and fishing. Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed the scenery. Have a wonderful day.

[@OutdoorExistential]

@@Packsalot Heck yeah! Have a wonderful day also!

[@profitlauncheryt]

20th Loving this, stay connected! New got a new member

[@Packsalot]

Thank you. Have a wonderful day.

[@davidbentley8092]

Great looking fish Packs. What were you tossing them?

[@Packsalot]

Thank you. It was mostly jigs but some on the Jake too. It was a fun trip. I went back for more last weekend with Christian, Devin, and his daughter. Video to come soon. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.

[@rikayangu3833]

Back packing, i used to love it but as i get older, my knees are gettinig weaker so i cant backpack any more

[@Packsalot]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Backpacking is super fun. Sorry to hear about your knees. I hope to get many more trips in before my body stays it has had enough. Thanks for watching and joining me virtually on this adventure. Have a great day.