Saturday, January 20, 2018

Camp Steiner in its early days: Nearest road nearly 2 miles distant


          Looking down on Camp Steiner and Scout Lake  (center) from Bald Mountain.

CAMP Steiner, in the High Uintas of Utah, is the highest elevation Boy Scout camp in the United States, sitting at 10.400 feet above sea level.
But when did this Scout camp begin?
According to the Great Salt Lake Boy Scouts Council (www.saltlakescouts.org/steiner), Camp Steiner dates back to 1930.
However, the first newspaper reference on the camp was published not until July 17, 1933 in the Salt Lake Telegram.
And, it was the Telegram newspaper on July 27, 1935 that featured Camp Steiner in a lengthy report under the headline of: "125 Salt Lake Boy Scouts go back to nature at Camp Steiner for period of training and play in Lofty Granddaddy Lake area."
Camp Steiner was named for George A. Steiner, general manager of American Linen Supply Company, a key supporter and donor of the facility.
Located around aptly named Scout Lake, this camp is also only a few miles away from Utah's famous Mirror Lake.


                          Mirror Lake, with Bald Mountain in the background.

In 1935, the road through the High Uintas was limited. The Telegram report from that year stated: "The automobile road ends at Mirror Lake, a mile and three-quarters away, and all supplies have to be packed into camp."
(That's not the case today, as the "Mirror Lake Highway" (U-150) slices right through the mountains and even connects with Evanston, Wyoming.)
Back in 1935, a single structure, a log cabin, served as headquarters for the camp. All users slept in tents. It was to be a few years before other cabins were built.

                    A view of the some of the lofty lakes near Camp Steiner.


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