Abe's - Nice Little Quiet Backpack Lake

[neveronsunday]

[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]If you are looking for a nice day or overnighter in the Uintas where you can have the whole mountain to yourself try this one. [/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]Start in Oakley and head up the Weber drainage towards Smith-Moorehouse. Instead of turning right at Smith-Moorehouse continue straight to the end of the road. You will see about a thousand "private property" "keep out" "no trespassing" [/#ff0000][/font][font "Verdana"][#ff0000]"violators will be violated" kind of signs but stay on the main road and ignore them. You will even come to a stop sign in the middle of nowhere some zealot placed, I ignore that too. There are a lot of trails shown on forest service maps that no longer exist or have been altered from the influx of private development in the area, the Abe's Lake trail being one of them, but if you continue to the end of the road it makes a little loop around an outhouse on forest service property at the trailhead. [/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]I did have a little mishap here. My pack rolled off the tailgate and broke my fly rod so was relegated to water bobber and fly.[/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]The first two miles of trail is a nice girl scout trail that sidehills for a while then drops down to the middle fork of the Weber River and crosses it twice through meadows and springs.[/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]The turn off to Abe's Lake drops to the left across the river again and then pretty much heads straight up the canyon wall for another mile. This section was steep, less traveled and the trail a little difficult to follow a few times but nothing too exciting. When you hook left, cross the little creek and see the log cabin ruins you are nearly there, just a hop more over the ridge. [/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]You will climb about 2,000 feet total, most of it in the last mile. Ther were also ripe wild raspberries all along the trail and dam.[/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]First cast - first fish but they did get smart fast. [/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]We had to change up a lot and move around some to keep a good catch rate. [/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]There was always something cruising the shoreline looking for bugs. I did see one Brookie but we only caught Cutts. The fish had LPSS (Lake Powell Striper Syndrome) where the younger ones were healthy but anything over 12"-13" was big head and skin and bones. [/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]About any spinner or spoon worked, no luck on wolly buggers or night crawlers. [/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]They loved a small fly riding high and dry, quite a trick with a spin rod.[/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]Here is a sample of the table fare.[/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]Quick! Get me some Preparation H! [/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]Kind of nice to have no one to complain to but yourself for two days![/#ff0000][/font]
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[line_dangler]

[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]You must have had a fine time. I am glad you got to the berries before the animals did. They like them too. [laugh] My favorite there are the small wild strawberries. They are real tough to find though. And they are usually picked off if you find a growth somewhere. [/#000000][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]I would like to go to this lake sometime. Are you sure we won't have any problems with the private property areas? From your report it sounds like if you just keep to the road and trail it will be okay, yes? I got into a small mess in one area there last year. I didn't realize I was in PP and I got escorted out by a Wildlife Officer. And I do agree with respecting PP. That is why I want to make sure it is okay. Thanks.[/#000000][/font]
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[wiperhunter2]

The land owners in that area do everything they can to convince you that you are trespassing but that is not the case. The road is an access to public property so they can not legally stop you from using it.
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[line_dangler]

[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]Hey that is great to know. Looks like the fish at Abe's have another person to worry about soon. [] [fishin][/#000000][/font]
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[neveronsunday]

[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]Just stay on the main road and you will be fine. It is about ten miles past the Smith-Moorehouse turn off. There are two access points you can use to get to National Forest. You will see the first one off to your left at about 8 miles up maybe. There is parking on both sides of the road, a little pull through on the left and some back in space on the right. There is a registration sign just past the pull through. You actually are on private property the first half mile or so of the trail but they have an agreement of some sorts with the Forest Service. [/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]Follow the road on up to where it bends to the right and starts to climb a little and you will see a sign that says now entering National Forest. It is a fairly new trail head that they placed just past the private property line and redirected the trail from it. It is a jumping off point for four wheelers heading to the area between Holiday Park and Smith-Moorehouse also. [/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]There is also the main trail up the Weber that can take you up towards the Meadow Lake area about midway between the two access points but there is no parking by it. You have to park at one of the other two and hike the road a mile to where the trail starts. I have read that it is church property at the road and allow access through.[/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Verdana"][#ff0000]The raspberries were the best but we also saw strawberries, black and yellow currants, oregon grapes, elderberries, thimble berries and rose hips if you are into mother nature's kitchen.[/#ff0000][/font]
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[line_dangler]

[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]Alright then that was a good clarification. Now for sure, all the berry plants are gonna have another greedy animal to worry about. [laugh][/#000000][/font]
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