In the high reaches of the Mirror Lake Highway last weekend, water was gushing down the hillsides as the last remaining remnants of our historic snowfall made their way into the Provo River. June is a magical time in the Uintas as you can literally experience the transformation from winter to summer.

It was hard to believe that just two weeks earlier UDOT’s heavy snow blowers and plow trucks carved through the snow and ice to begin opening the highway. In 2011, it wasn’t open until the July Fourth holiday. Some years with May openings, you might even be greeted by ice on some high lakes.

But this year, the snowfall has turned the vegetation to a lush green.

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I didn’t know what to expect when I heard earlier in the week the road had opened. Picking up an early morning doughnut in Kamas, I headed up the highway, past the Samak Smokehouse and winding through wide open meadows into the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

Passing the turnoff to Upper Setting, I harkened back to my last time up the highway. In November, we hauled a hunking trailer behind our Jeep, slipping and sliding our way down the treacherous, ice-covered mountain roadway after sunset with our Christmas tree. The Notch was a welcome sight that evening!

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The early morning sun created a fluorescent-like green as it pierced through the pines, reflecting brightly on the white bark of the aspens. The Provo River was running full — bank to bank — the noise of the rushing waters breaking the silence in the forest.

As I approached Soapstone, the smoky air of morning campfires brought a new sense of life to the area it had not seen in eight months as campers flocked to lower elevation sites to beat the summer crowds.

A kayak silent paddled across Teapot Lake. The water was placid as I passed between Lilly Lake and Lost Lake. As the road opened up into the broad meadow along Lost Creek, north-facing slopesides were still covered in white with ribbons of flowing water creating a pattern in the snow.

I had been prepared for full-sized snow banks at Bald Mountain Pass, but what I found was a transformation to summer in full progress. At the Hayden Peak lookout, I stared down at Moosehorn Lake, still ringed with snow on its banks. Waters were calm on Mirror Lake.

At one of my favorite kayaking spots on Pass Lake, I stopped for a bit, just whiling away the time watching the morning sun track its way across the lake.

Every time I make the 45 minute drive from Park City up to the Uintas on the Mirror Lake Highway, I’m reminded of what a remarkable resource we have at our doorstep. Soon weekends will be teeming with families boating, fishing, hiking. 

But for now, the Mirror Lake Highway offers you a ringside seat to watch Mother Nature do her transformation from winter to summer.

DETAILS

How to Get There: Head to Kamas, then drive our SR150. No cell service once you leave Kamas. It’s about 25-30 miles to Bald Mountain Pass the lakes region. Or you can drive on to Evanston.

Vehicle: This is a fully paved trip, so the family SUV will be just fine. It’s not the time of year to wander far afield, but as we get into July there will be plenty of options for off road vehicles.

Pass: You are required to have a recreation pass, just $6.00 for one to three days. You can pay at kiosks along the highway, or pick one up in Kamas at the Chevron or Food Town. America the Beautiful passes and some others are accepted. 

Dining: Stop at the Mirror Lake Station (Chevron) for some award-winning doughnuts on the way out. Then stop at the Samak Smokehouse when you return.
Next Week: After a couple episodes of Sunday Drive up in the mountains, next week we’ll head out to the desert again.