Highest peak in Utah - Kings Peak

Kings Peak, towering at 13,580 ft above sea level, is the highest peak in Utah. This past weekend, a friend and I took off late in the afternoon to summit Kings Peak for the first time. I have had aspirations to climb the peak for years but have never got around to it. Due to busy schedules and poor directions to the Henry's Fork Trailhead, we didn't start hiking until 9:30 at night. Not too long after we left the car, it was pitch dark and we were relying solely on headlamps and a GPS to get us up the Henry's Fork Drainage and to the base of the peak.

After almost five hours of hiking aimlessly in the dark, we arrived to our final destination, according to the GPS. We had originally planned on camping next to Dollar Lake but due to the dark, we hiked right past it and ended up pitching our tent at 1:30 in the morning at the base of Gunsight Pass.

After four short hours of sleep, we awoke to a beautiful Uintah Mountain morning. The weather was perfect; not a cloud in the sky and a cool mountain breeze. We enjoyed a nice oatmeal and hardboiled egg breakfast alongside a small lake while we filtered water using the MSR Water Works purification system. We took off over the pass and towards the peak around 7:30 am.

The hike to the top is amazing. You can see for miles as you ascend up the final ridge to the peak. It requires a bit of boulder hopping and class 4 climbing but is easily done by hikers of all abilities. After spending a good long and deserved rest on top, we began the descent. We left just in time as the storm clouds began to surround the high peaks. We rapidly descended and packed up camp.

The trek off the top and out the drainage seemed super long due to our fatigued legs and lack of sleep. It was cool to finally see the Henry's Fork drainage in the light though. It's a beautiful asset to the Uintah Range and made me wish I had brought my fishing pole. We eventually finished the 16 mile trek back to the car just before 5:30 pm the next day. We had hiked to the top of Utah's highest peak in just under 20 hours. I have the blisters and sore muscles still to prove it.

For anyone who has not had the opportunity to climb this mountain should definitely find the time to do so. If you feel confident in your physical ability, it can be done in a day, but I would recommend doing it in 2-4 days. Your experience will be much more enjoyable. Don't forget to bring your new lightweight Therm-a-rest, sleeping bag, tent, stove and water purifier from Inland Sports. Every ounce adds up!!

-Posted on July 25th, 2007

by Trevor Thompson