Kings Peak

by the Wizard2010-08-19 12:43:31 (edited 2010-09-07 10:46)

This piece was first created for the Las Vegas Mountaineering Club website, which is why it mentions individuals by name that my blog audience may not recognize. Interestingly, my keen readers might remember Joel, who tried the Burrito Challenge, a topic I previously discussed in my Sahara review .

To clarify for my blog followers, my interests extend beyond gambling. I also relish the idea of tackling challenging mountain climbs. A few years back, my friend Joel embarked on an adventure to summit the highest peak in each state. On this journey, he inspired me to set a more modest goal, aiming to reach the high points of as many states as I can. However, I've chosen to limit my ambition to the western states, particularly those that are located in or beyond the Rocky Mountains. I’ll include Texas as well since it has a commendable elevation. The other regions in the central and eastern U.S. seem too simple to bother with.

During this expedition, various members of the Mountaineers Club undertook multiple climbs across Nevada, Idaho, and Utah over an eight-day span. Due to time constraints, I joined the group later, flying into Salt Lake City to conquer just two peaks in Utah. The following narrative is my account of that segment of the adventure. It's worth noting that my list of western state high points now includes California, Nevada, and Utah.

---

On August 6, I arrived in Salt Lake City to meet up with Joel and Justine, ready to tackle Kings Peak and Gilbert Peak together. After indulging in Chinese cuisine for dinner, we embarked on a three-hour drive to the trailhead located at Henry's Fork campground. Although our journey commenced and concluded in Utah, it required us to pass through Wyoming, a state I'd yet to visit in my goal of touching all 50 states. That means I've now visited 47, leaving just three more. Joel and I had a friendly bet regarding whether a sign would mark the Wyoming state border along the dirt road to the campground. We didn't spot the sign upon arrival, but it was dark, and though Joel predicted 'no' signs, he kindly let me check again on our return trip.

Our first priority was to locate Harlan and Ali, who had driven separately from Las Vegas. It was pitch black, and the parking area was crowded with cars. Thankfully, we easily spotted them. Ali's license plate, ALIG8R, was not only clever but also made his vehicle easy to identify. Joel and Justine were worn out from a strenuous day climbing Mt. Borah and thus, we quickly set up our tents and wrapped up the day.

The next morning, we began our journey towards our next campsite by Dollar Lake. It was a straightforward trek of about eight miles with an elevation gain of roughly 1,000 feet. The trail commenced among towering pine trees and meandered alongside the Henry's Fork River. After approximately three miles, we encountered a section where a bridge had been washed away, necessitating a river crossing. Someone had ingeniously tied three logs together for crossing, a challenge I was a bit anxious about while the others made it look easy, traversing the makeshift bridge with little hesitation.

Post river crossing, the trail led us through expansive grassy valleys as we drew closer to larger mountains and smaller trees. In my view, this was the most picturesque part of our hike. However, navigating these valleys also meant dealing with muddy patches that nearly caused my foot to slip out of my boot. During our hike to Dollar Lake, we encountered over 100 hikers heading in the opposite direction. Most appeared to be young men, many with fishing rods in tow. I grew concerned that the Dollar Lake area would be overcrowded considering the traffic we encountered on the trail.

After an enjoyable and uneventful trek, we reached the secluded Dollar Lake, which isn't visible from the trail, and set up camp. We found a pleasant location in the woods near the lake. Surprisingly, despite the numerous hikers we passed along the trail, the Dollar Lake area wasn't too crowded. Only a handful of groups were settled near the lake, with a few others more scattered. Given it was Friday, I had expected more weekend visitors, making the lack of crowds somewhat odd.

We spent the remainder of the day relaxing while trying to dodge swarms of mosquitoes. While we would have appreciated a campfire, we noticed that some perfectly chopped wood was conveniently stacked near a designated fire pit. Unfortunately, as Joel pointed out, we were camped within 1,000 feet of the lake, and there was a sign forbidding fires in that area—a rule that some neighboring campers disregarded.

Planning for an early start the next day, we turned in for the night. Not feeling tired yet, I took the opportunity to immerse myself in a book I had luckily packed. Normally, I am strict about the weight of my backpack and don’t allow myself such luxuries as a book, but in this case, I was glad I made an exception. Incidentally, the book I was reading was I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson, which, while not his finest work in my view, was still quite humorous and engaging. A Walk in the Woods On Saturday, we embarked on an early expedition to tackle Gilbert Peak, just above our campsite and only slightly lower in elevation than Kings Peak. After skirting around Dollar Lake, we faced a steep ascent. Following that, we walked along the crest of a grassy plateau sprinkled with rocks. The weather was overcast and breezy. Harlan remarked that part of the hike reminded him of his recent trip to Scotland, and from my recollections of the film Braveheart, I had to agree that it felt somewhat like we were traversing the Scottish highlands.

As we journeyed through this slice of Scotland, the wind picked up significantly. Before long, we were scrambling over rocks again, reminiscent of our previous day. Fortunately, the rocky sections alternated with flatter, grassy areas. The higher we climbed, the windier it became. When I finally reached the summit, Harlan was already there, adding extra layers to a windbreak, much to my relief. My ability to gauge wind speeds isn't great, but the gusts felt reminiscent of my skydiving experience from two years ago. The rest of the group estimated the wind was blowing at about 50-60 mph. Once we all reached the peak, everyone except Harlan sought shelter behind the windbreak to escape the gusts. Harlan, unfazed by the conditions, continued to fortify the windbreak. During this time, I witnessed Justine—a typically cheerful individual—vocally express her frustration with the peak, exclaiming, \"This peak sucks!\" It was quite out of character for her.

Before I forget, here are a few quick details about Gilbert Peak.

Kings Peak:
Highest Point in Utah.
Distance from Dollar Lake: Approximately 3 miles.
Elevation: 13,512 feet.
Latitude/Longitude: 40° 47' N; 110° 22' W
Distance from trailhead: 12 miles.
Elevation gain from trailhead: 4088 feet.

Explore the Top Online Casinos Available in Your Region

Calculator for Assessing Lottery Jackpot Ticket Sales

Engaging slot competitions featuring substantial prize pools

This piece was originally crafted for the

website, which accounts for the mention of individuals by name who might be unfamiliar to my blog audience. However, my observant readers might recall Joel, known for attempting the Burrito Challenge, which I previously discussed in my

I want to clarify that my interests extend beyond gambling. I find joy in challenging mountain climbs. A few years back, my friend Joel decided to conquer the highest peak in every state. This inspired me to aim for a more modest challenge of scaling as many state high points as possible, specifically in the western regions, particularly anything from the Rocky Mountains westward. I also include Texas for its noteworthy elevation. The rest of the central and eastern United States seems a bit too effortless for my liking.

Gilbert Peak:
Elevation: 13,442 feet.
Third Highest Peak in Utah.
Highest Point in Summit County, Utah.
Latitude/Longitude: 32.84000° N / 113.91° W.
During this adventure, several members of the Mountaineers club undertook various ascents in Nevada, Idaho, and Utah over an eight-day span. Due to my limited schedule, I only managed to fly into Salt Lake City toward the latter part of the trip to tackle two peaks in Utah. The remainder of this blog post details my experiences from that segment of the journey. As a side note, the few western states I’ve managed to summit so far include California, Nevada, and Utah.

On August 6, I arrived in Salt Lake City to meet up with Joel and Justine, as we prepared to take on Kings Peak and Gilbert Peak. After enjoying some Chinese cuisine for dinner, we traveled approximately three hours to the Henry's Fork campground trailhead. Our route, while starting and finishing in Utah, led us through Wyoming, a state still on my checklist of all fifty. With 47 down and 3 remaining, Joel and I made a friendly bet on whether we would see a sign marking the state border on the dirt road to the campground. The sign, however, was not visible on the way in due to darkness. Joel bet against it but kindly let me check again on our return trip.

Our first task was to locate Harlan and Ali, who had driven separately from Las Vegas. Despite the total darkness and numerous parked cars, we managed to find them quite easily. Ali's unique license plate, ALIG8R, was both amusing and a helpful identifier for his vehicle. Joel and Justine were fatigued after a long day of climbing Mt. Borah and a lengthy drive, so we quickly set up our tents and called it a night.

The next morning, we headed towards our new camping destination at Dollar Lake. It was a relaxed day consisting of an eight-mile trek with a 1,000-foot elevation gain. The trail initially wound through tall pines, following alongside the Henry's Fork River. About three miles in, we encountered a washed-out bridge that forced us to cross the river. Someone had tied three narrow logs together, which we bravely traversed. To be honest, I was probably the only one feeling nervous; the others crossed at their usual rapid pace as if it was just a wide sidewalk.

Post-river crossing, our path led us through lengthy grassy drainages. The mountains began to loom larger while the trees gradually shrank. In my view, this was the most picturesque section of the hike. However, navigating through these drainages came with some muddy spots, and my foot nearly slipped out of my boot while trying to extricate it from the muck. During our journey to Dollar Lake, we encountered over a hundred hikers making their way back. Most appeared to be young men in their twenties, many of them carrying fishing rods. I feared the Dollar Lake area might be overrun with so many hikers on the trail.

After an enjoyable and smooth hike, we located Dollar Lake—hidden from the trail—and set up our camp in a lovely wooded area bordering the lake. In spite of the numerous hikers we had passed, the area around Dollar Lake was surprisingly quiet, with only a handful of other groups nearby. Given it was a Friday, I had expected a larger crowd heading to the lake than returning from it. It was quite odd.

---

We spent the remainder of the day relaxing and trying to avoid the swarming mosquitoes. While it would have been nice to bring a campfire to life, we were informed that campfires were prohibited within 1,000 feet of the lake, a rule enforced by a nearby sign, despite our neighbors not adhering to it.

With plans for an early wake-up the following morning, we turned in quite early. Not feeling tired just yet, I took advantage of a book I had fortuitously packed. Generally, I am strict about keeping my pack light and forgo such luxuries as books; however, I was pleased I made an exception this time. The book I had was

by Bill Bryson. While it might not rank among Bryson's best works in my opinion,

it still proved to be quite humorous and engaging.

On Saturday, we aimed for an early start to tackle Gilbert Peak, hoping to beat the usual afternoon storms Joel had warned us about. We set off heading south until we reached the end of the drainage. During our trek, my backpack experienced a malfunction; the left strap came loose from my old backpack, which I've relied on for 25 years. Thankfully, Harlan, ever prepared, had a spare shoelace, which I used to fix the issue caused by a missing rivet. Once sorted, we continued up and over Gunsight Notch. From there, we faced a lovely valley that separated us from Kings Peak. Instead of traversing the flat ground, we were misled by a series of cairns set among the rocky ridge on our right and spent a fruitless hour scrambling over boulders.

Eventually, we reached the base of Kings Peak, which was essentially a vast pile of rocks. While the climb was not overtly dangerous or technically demanding, it was exhausting and rather monotonous. Without a defined path, we found ourselves scrambling up in various ways. Although it took us longer than anticipated, we ultimately reached the summit in good spirits. We snapped the traditional summit photos but were disappointed to find no register to sign. If anyone reading this is planning to follow our footsteps, please consider bringing a register. Here are some interesting details about Kings Peak I gathered from peakbagger.com:

It holds the title of the highest point in the Uinta Range, which is notable as the only mountain range in the United States running from west to east.

On our descent, our group temporarily split up while maneuvering down the rocky pile, but we regrouped at the bottom and walked back across the grassy valley. As we made our way back over Gunsight Notch, the afternoon storms rolled in, and we found ourselves hiking amidst a light hailstorm. Additionally, we spotted several marmots and pikas nestled among the rocks that day.

We returned to our campsite in the mid-afternoon with plenty of time to spare for the rest of the day. Thankfully, Joel had the foresight to bring along a bottle of wine, which many of us, including myself, thoroughly enjoyed. After a few glasses, Ali revealed a lot about his 'buy high — sell higher' investing strategy. Meanwhile, Joel and I engaged in our usual pastime of betting on various topics to pass the time. The highlight was wagering on whether Justine could list more than 7.5 types of nuts. She quickly rattled off six but took a while to name two more. After almost an hour, she finally came up with her eighth nut, a cashew, which meant I won the bet! Harlan entertained himself during the slow moments by singing, particularly the Tomorrow song from 'Annie,' or reciting random quotes. I even woke from a nap due to a quote from Rene Descartes.

During this trip, I found myself reminiscing about my college years, where I subsisted on Top Ramen and Macaroni & Cheese almost every night for three years. Back then, I never grew tired of them. However, as time has passed, I seem to have developed a more refined taste (my mother would call it pickiness), as they didn’t quite satisfy my cravings anymore. I wished I had brought the same kind of meals as others who opted for Mountain House meals. To be fair, I used to enhance my Top Ramen with an egg and added margarine to my Macaroni & Cheese, which certainly made them tastier.

Starting to go up the rock pile.

On Sunday, we woke up early once again to take on Gilbert Peak, which loomed just above our campsite and was only slightly shorter than Kings Peak. After making our way around Dollar Lake, we faced a steep ascent. Then we trekked along the ridge of a grassy plateau speckled with rocks. The weather was gray and windy. Harlan noted how reminiscent that section of the hike was of his recent trip to Scotland, and based on what I remember from movies like Braveheart, I had to agree it did feel like we were in a Scottish highland.

As we trekked across this little slice of Scotland, the wind continuously picked up in strength. Eventually, we found ourselves scrambling over rocks again, much like the previous day. Thankfully, the rocky sections alternated with grassy, flatter areas. As we climbed higher, the wind gusts increased. Upon reaching the summit, I found Harlan already there, adding more layers to a makeshift windbreak, which I greatly appreciated. I’m not particularly good at estimating wind speeds, but it felt similar to the conditions I experienced while skydiving two years ago. The general consensus among the group was that the gusts reached 50-60 mph. After everyone summited, most of us took refuge in the windbreak for a brief respite. In contrast, Harlan seemed undeterred as he continued to fortify the shelter with more rocks. During this time, the usually upbeat Justine proclaimed in an emphatic tone, 'This peak sucks!'—a sentiment quite out of character for her, as she had hardly expressed a discouraging thought during our few days together.

Just a reminder, here are some quick details about Gilbert Peak:

Distance from Dollar Lake: Approximately 3 miles.

Explore the Top Online Casinos Available in Your Region

There are more pictures at the Las Vegas Mountaineering Club Tool for Calculating Lottery Jackpot Ticket Sales

Links

August 2010 Ascender newsletter , where this article also appears.

Written by: Michael Shackleford