Where Is Murdock Basin?

I don't know.

After I spent some time goofing off at my favorite beaver-viewing spot in the Uintas, I decided to drive somewhere I've never been: Murdock Basin.

The sign at the beginning of what started as a paved road said Murdock Basin is seven miles. The pavement turned into dirt, which turned into creek-bottom rocks. It was getting dark, so I tried to average about 10 miles per hour, but I think it took me more than an hour to go the seven miles. The guy in this Trail Blazer slowed me down for a bit, but he finally gave up and turned around.

Ok, I wasn't expecting a large meadow with lakes and grazing moose and elk, but I was sort of expecting a meadow or something of the sort with a chance to see some wildlife. In reality, the only way I knew I'd arrived at Murdock Basin was by this sign that let me know I couldn't go any farther without an ATV, motorcycle, or American flag. All I'd seen and was going to see were rocky road and trees.

Jennifer, don't watch this.

I think this is Murdock Basin, at least all you'll ever see from any of my pictures.

On the way back I decided to try a side road to Hoover Lake. I got just past this puddle and gave up. This road was even worse than the "main" road. On the way back, I met up with an original Hummer going in. He had a row of floodlights across the top of the car that made him look like a 747 making a landing. Besides being totally blinded, I was a little amused that he thought he had to burn his floodlights. First of all, it was barely dusk and the road was still quite visible. Second, even in a Hummer, he couldn't have been going more than 10 miles an hour, and his headlights cast plenty of light for that speed. I guess when you've spent all that money on a Hummer and floodlights, you gotta use them. I had to say that, because even though I don't know who he was, I have to make fun of him for not turning his lights down when I approached. Like the guy who won't dim his brights times 10.

I crossed this creek twice (once in, once out) on the main road.

There was a hill full of pretty white flowers.

And there was a nice sunset. This is looking from the Bald Mountain overlook.