Upon entering the Uinta NF we stopped to pay the pipe(r). The tariff is $3/day or $6/week. We paid for a week of parking. The crags begin at the high point of the scenic highway at an elevation of over 10,500 feet. The rock is quartzite. The holds are blocky, big and solid. The texture is not unlike hard, southeastern sandstone. Grippy. The bolting job is exemplary. As hard as this stone is the activists have skewered the rock at gratifyingly short intervals. It's a place where even this cowardly old tiger can stick his neck out. The prime crags are grouped around Ruth Lake. A good map of the highway and the many campgrounds, trailheads and peaks can be picked up at the first pay station on Rt 150. Also be sure to stop at IME to say "Hey" to Andy Ross and to pick up a copy of the minimalist guide, High Country Climbing by Jim Stone, 1999. It's a bit out of date already but adequate. The climbing is some of the most enjoyable sport climbing I've done.

The Real Skinny
The highway is lined with pricey campgrounds ($11-$13) if you prefer living in a ghetto. Otherwise there are dozens of free sites everywhere along the road; in trailhead parking areas (usually replete with the omnipresent vault toilet), pullouts, dirt roads, lakesides and meadows. Al and I stayed nightly at the Pass Lake trailhead parking area which is back off of the main road and within a mile of the Ruth Lake trailhead parking. Thanks go to Bill Boyle who was out here for the huge Outdoor Trade Show in SLC for scoping this out for us. Setting up a tent drew no attention. On the weekend tents were everywhere. No problem.

All the crags except for the Stone Garden are in the shade until late afternoon. No need to worry about the heat of the valley up here. Bring your down jacket and leave the shorts and spaghetti strap tops
in the car. It's COLD. Particularly when the wind sweeps through like a blast out of the frozen tundra or a mountain "disturbance" clouds the meagerly sun warmed sky. Remember. You're at over 10,500 feet. Al wasn't at all acclimated however he was climbing as well as ever. We had four great days sending thirty-six fun filled routes out of approximately 75 listed. The approaches are relatively flat, short and
extremely picturesque. In a pristine meadow we stopped to watch a moose yearling noshing contentedly, oblivious to our presence. If you wanted to you could set your tent up here and camp as some climbers do. There seem to be none of the usual restrictions or fees (yet). In spite of heavy weekend usage the area is gratifyingly litter free.

We hated to leave the Uintas but had other rock types on our menu to sample. These awaited us way down south in ST. George, Utah. Now this may sound ludicrous. To be traveling south in August to find cool crags to climb? It can be done and you'll find out all the details in the next "On the Road".

Ciao