Trip Report: Backpacking & Peakbagging - West Fork Blacks Fork - Uintas
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Backpacking & Peakbagging - West Fork Blacks Fork - Uintas By Reid Gardner |
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| HIKE | 07/31/2026 | MSD |
| Over July 31-August 2, Mack T., Kristian M., Savannah S., and I backpacked into the West Fork Blacks Fork drainage for a Uinta weekend of camping and peakbagging. The main goals were Meadow Peak, Red Knob Pass Peak, and Red Knob Peak, all over 12,000 feet. By the end, we climbed Meadow Peak and Red Knob Pass Peak and left Red Knob Peak for another trip. The drainage made an immediate impression. It is bounded by large, rugged peaks in almost every direction: Tokewanna, Wapiti, and Wasatch Mountain on one side; Beulah, Allsop, and their subpeaks on another; and Dead Horse, Red Knob, Meadow, and neighboring ridges near the head of the drainage. Add in lush forest, streams, meadows, wildflowers, and more mushrooms than I have seen anywhere else in the Uintas, and there was something interesting to look at nearly the entire way. The mushrooms also led to one of the funnier trail conversations of the trip. We passed another hiker studying them closely, and he said, "I think some of these might be psychedelic, but I don't think I'd eat one to find out." I told him that seemed wise, since the possible outcomes ranged from "spiritual awakening" to "medical evacuation." We both agreed observation was the better strategy. The trailhead has an access challenge: the road crosses the river before the proper trailhead, and that crossing requires more vehicle than we wanted to ask of our cars. We parked before the crossing, forded the river, and walked the road from there. Wet feet remained a theme, with several crossings, boggy sections, muddy stretches, and makeshift log bridges, but overall the trail was in better shape than many of the lesser-traveled Uinta trails I have been on recently. Kristian and I hiked in Friday and set up camp along the West Fork Blacks Fork River. Mack and Savannah drove in after work and hiked about 10 miles to camp mostly in the dark. I had given Mack a walkie-talkie to help coordinate once they got closer, and it worked surprisingly well. At one point they had been telling each other scary stories when I radioed in, and my voice over the static startled them pretty badly. I consider that a successful field test. Before they arrived, I fished the river near camp and was able to catch 3 trout. Saturday was peak day. We continued up the West Fork Blacks Fork Trail, then took the Highline Trail toward Red Knob Pass. The route to the pass was beautiful, with a creek crossing near a waterfall, open meadows, wildflowers, and real switchbacks, which felt luxurious compared with the usual Uinta method of clawing directly up loose rock and dirt. From Red Knob Pass, we followed the ridge toward Meadow Peak. Meadow turned out to be more involved than expected, requiring a long traverse across steep, loose terrain before reaching a break in the cliff bands that allowed access toward the summit. It was not technically extreme, but it demanded patience, careful movement, and attention to rockfall. The mountain took more time and energy than expected, but the summit was worth it, with excellent views into the surrounding basins, lakes, ridges, and peaks. By the time we returned from Meadow, it was clear that Red Knob Peak was not going to happen. While the group finished a break near the pass, I realized there was still enough time for a quick push up Red Knob Pass Peak. That peak was much more straightforward, and we were able to tag it before beginning the long descent back to camp. In all, it was a 10 hour day. Sunday morning we packed up and hiked out. The exit was fast and uneventful, and we were back to the cars by late morning. In total, the trip came out to about 31.75 miles and 6,505 feet of elevation gain. It was a great trip! The trip also gave me some useful lessons as an organizer. Meadow Peak was more serious than expected, and I would handle a few things differently next time, especially not leaving packs behind for what we thought would be a quick and straightforward route. It was a good reminder that remote peaks can quickly become consequential, and it is best not to multiply risk by separating yourself from your gear. Overall, this was exactly the kind of trip that keeps drawing me back to the Uintas: difficult, scenic, and very memorable. |
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