Page Type:
|
Route |
|---|---|
Lat/Lon:
|
40.70700°N / 110.948°W |
Route Type:
|
Hike/scramble |
|
Time Required:
|
Most of a day |
|
Difficulty:
|
Class 2 |
|
Getting There
Crystal Lake Trailhead: Crystal Lake is reached from the Trial Lake spur road off Highway 150 25.7 miles east and north of Kamas. Follow the signs along the spur road to Crystal Lake. The spur road is gravel and is good for all vehicles. A sign marks the trailhead.
Yellow = The Notch Route to east and west summits.Route Description
From the trailhead, follow the trail north that is posted for Wall Lake. Wall Lake is reached shortly after a junction with a spur trail coming from Trail Lake. Wall Lake is one of the largest and deepest lakes in the Uinta Mountains. The lake is in a beautiful setting, but is in a heavily used area. From Wall Lake, the trail switchbacks up to tiny Hope Lake. Excellent views of Notch Mountain, Bald Mountain, and Mount Watson are found along this section of trail. From here the trail heads northwest to near Twin Lakes and climbs to The Notch which is a 10,600 feet high pass. The pass is 2.5 miles from the trailhead. Thirteen lakes are visible from the pass.Either peak of Notch Mountain can be climbed from the pass. The west summit is 11,258 feet high and the east summit is 11,267 feet high. The east peak requires a very steep scramble, and route-finding around a few cliffs. The west summit involves steep route-finding and boulder-hopping, but is an easier ascent. The views from either summit make the climb well worth while. Enjoy the views of the countless surrounding peaks, basins, and lakes. A very scenic peak indeed!
Wall Lake, which is on the trail to The Notch.