Our hike started at the Crystal Lake trailhead where there were plenty of mosquitoes, dark clouds, and rolling thunder. The first lake we passed on the loop was Cliff Lake followed by Petite and Watson Lakes.

Cliff Lake

Petite lake

Watson Lake

Once April and I made it Clyde lake we took a break and watched the lightning off in the distance over Murdock Basin.  We took our time taking photos around Clyde and Twin lakes  before we headed down to Wall Lake and back to the trailhead.

Clyde Lake

Back on the trail

Twin lakes

Just before we made it back to the Crystal Lake trailhead the sky blew up.  I worked my way around the Lily lakes in ankle deep mud and water taking photos of one of the most colorful and dramatic sunsets I have ever witnessed.  I could not think of a better way to end such a perfect hike in the Uintas.

We made it back to camp and Kendall showed up just a few moments later.  We made some dinner and spent the night hanging out around the campfire. The clouds faded away and I was finally able to shoot my first star trails and a few long exposures with my 7D.

Ruth Lake

Kendall and Bowen looking at Ruth Lake and Hayden Peak

Woody loves hiking in the Uintas.

Once we made it back to the car we made lunch for the kids then drove back over bald mountain pass to hike to Wall Lake.  Kendall tested out his new tri suit in the cold lake by doing some cliff jumping  while the boys and I ate some snacks and watched.  Everyone at the lake was pretty impressed with Kendall’s fake belly flops.

The last stop of the afternoon was  Cataract Gorge. The road was longer and rougher than I had remembered and the water flow in the gorge was lower than I expected for this time of year.  Light and clouds were not even close to optimal for photos but regardless of the conditions Cataract is a fun unique place to explore.

The kids had a great time splashing and wading in the water and we were able to recover Anakin Skywalker from one of the deeper pools.