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Latest Report

Barrett Lake
Sept 11-15

Trip Report: Slick Rock and Deer Valley

Sept 14-17, 2017
Trip report by Mike Mount


Thursday morning Brandi, Sami and I left the house in the RV towing the jeep and traveled to Alpine Lake. We stopped in Arnold and had lunch at Snowshoe Brewery around 2 PM. We pulled into Alpine Lake campground around 4 PM. After setting up the RV, disconnecting the jeep, and reserving two more camp spots we started a fire and popped open some cold ones.

Tori, Jon, Stan III, and Jarrett arrived around 11 PM. We were in bed and since we were over 8000 feet above sea level it was about 45 degrees out. We woke up on Friday and we had 3 jeeps that headed out to slick rock. The beginning of slick rock starts out at Alpine Lake Campground entrance and ends at Uttica Lake, Approximately 8 miles long. I would rate the Slick Rock trail at a 6 out of 10. The trail follows the run off from Alpine Lake, boulder fields and slabs. After crossing the river (about 50' wide only 2'-3' deep) you come to the base of the stair steps. Sami took my jeep up the stair steps with ease, Jon and Stan III took the hard way up. Sami ended up driving 90% of the trail. After exploring several pools we traveled back to Alpine Lake. We stopped at Bear Valley ski resort for supplies and ice cream.


Stan II arrived Friday afternoon. Friday night was dinner, drinking and story telling. We left Saturday around 10 am. and headed to Deer Valley after meeting up with one of Jon's friends (Chevy 1500 without a bed). Deer Valley begins with a gate keeper boulder bed then quickly shifts to a boulder climb for approximately 3 miles. I broke a valve stem on a rock and after a quick tire change we were back on the trail. After reaching the top of Deer Valley, you are greeted with several more Rubicon-ish boulder/rock sections. We reached Deer Creek, and found approximately 30 people repairing the water crossings with granite rock along with the forestry people cutting dead trees. We had lunch here then made our way back to Alpine Lake the same way we came in. Stan III got high centered several times on the boulders and the Chevy 1500 somehow ended up running into a tree. The passenger front quarter panel was hitting the tire and the radiator was leaking. The repairs were completed and we returned to the camp ground around 4 pm.

On Sunday morning 1/2 of the group headed home while the other half went to the restaurant for bloody mary's and breakfast. We all had uneventfully drives home.

   Mike



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