The Uinta Mountains, with the exception of the Brooks Range in Alaska, are the most prominent east/west mountain range in the United States. Beginning at the Utah/Wyoming border, the Uintas flow west for 100 miles, ending at Kamas, Utah. They cover an area of 3,500 square miles. The majority of this range is officially designated as the High Uintas Wilderness Area. This designation protects the mountains from motor vehicles, permanent structures, and development.

Utah's highest point, Kings Peak (13,528 feet), lies within the Uinta Mountains. In fact, all Utah's thirteeners are in the Uintas. These mountains are rugged and steep, and the weather can fluctuate wildly. Thunderstorms are a consistent event every summer afternoon; and, in late June 2003, we woke up to two feet of fresh snow and 20 degree temperatures.

There is only one paved road that travels into the Uintas—The Mirror Lake Highway. Summer crowds are intense around the lakes along the highway, but off that beaten path, there is rugged solitude in all directions. Unfortunately, this remoteness can be dangerous and leads to lost hikers, and subsequent death, nearly every year.