Alexander Lake July 2010

I used to go to Alexander it seemed like almost every year when I was a child; but I hadn't been in years. So we made a trip of it! Alexander Lake is up in the High Uintas, accessed off of the Mirror Lake Highway. The road to it is only accessible via truck because of the ruts and rocks that dot the dirt road up; but with a car you can drive up a ways and then park in a meadow and backpack in. Alexander Lake is more populated than Pyramid Lake was, and during the summer if you don't get there early on a Friday you might not get a campspot. We were lucky though, we went the weekend after the 4th of July, so it was less busy.

The mosquitos were bad, especially since this year we had such good rainfall, so the mostly flat shoreline becomes swampy in places. Always bring the bug spray! I like fishing at Alexander, as it is regularly stocked, and I would recommend bringing the float tubes; they are not only fun for fishing, but for going out on the lake in the middle of the night and looking up at the stars. Canoes and rafts are also a common site during the day, as many people will come up just for the day to play around and fish. Like most small lakes in the Uintas, no motorized watercraft is allowed. Later in the summer the lillypads really explode over the south side of the lake and it is always fun to canoe over and check them out. The water is always fairly chilly, but on a hot summer day it's a great way to beat the heat! Afternoon rainstorms are common in the high Uintas, and we got our share...which especially sucked because my tent bag didn't have the rainfly in it for some reason... we jimmy-rigged a tarp over my tent which worked for a while, but it was just much easier to squeeze me and the dog into my sister's tent. I guess that's a lesson learned the hard way, check your gear before you go! Other than that it was a great trip, and Alexander will continue to be one of my favorite lakes to visit.