Kings Peak, Uinta Range, the Utah State High Point – Part 2: To Gunsight Pass & the Summit! (7-24-20)

Days 15 & 16 of Lupe’s 2nd Summer of 2020 Dingo Vacation to Wyoming & Utah!

7-24-20, 6:50 AM, Henrys Fork trail No. 117, 0.5 mile S of Dollar Lake – Getting off to a reasonably early start, Henrys Fork trail No. 117 was empty as Lupe reached it.  Heading S, she could soon see Gunsight Pass, her first objective of the day, over 1.5 miles to the SE.  Although the pass was nearly 1,000 feet higher than where Loop was now, it sure didn’t look like it from here.

10 minutes after reaching the trail, Lupe came to a junction.  A sign said the path to the R went to Henrys Fork Lake.  No need to go there.  The Carolina Dog stuck with No. 117, which was already making a beeline for Gunsight Pass.  Lupe’s early start had barely beaten others to the punch.  Looking back, several groups of hikers were already hot on SPHP’s heels.

Although she had been steadily gaining elevation nearly the whole way, as Loopster drew close to Gunsight Pass, actually getting up there was looking more difficult.  Apparently, she was still facing a rather steep rocky climb of several hundred feet.

However, this proved not to be the case.  At the base of the steepest part, instead of proceeding right on up, the trail swung sharply NW along the rocky slope to the R (SW).  A steady, easy pace higher eventually brought Lupe to a second sharp corner where the trail turned SE again.  In the end, this one enormous switchback easily got the American Dingo up to a giant cairn astride Gunsight Pass.

From Gunsight Pass, Lupe could see Painter Basin, a vast lower region of grasslands, streams, bushes and small lakes to the SE.  In the distance, forests were visible near the ridge along the S edge of Painter Basin that culminated toward the E in Val Benchmark Peak (12,516 ft.), which looked like an easy climb if Loop had been headed that way.

Beyond the W end of the Val Benchmark Peak ridge, the Carolina Dog also had a decent view of Mount Emmons (13,440 ft.), 4th highest peak in Utah.  Even Mount Emmons appeared to be little more than a huge rounded hill, another easily climbed peak if approached from the proper direction.  The cliffy N face oriented toward Gunsight Pass, though, would clearly be another matter entirely.

Officially, Henrys Fork trail No. 117 ended right here at Gunsight Pass, but in reality continued SE as Trail No. 68 into Painter Basin, where it would eventually link up with No. 25 going W up to Anderson Pass.  Less than a mile N of Kings Peak, Anderson Pass was the American Dingo’s next objective, but she did not take Trail No. 68 down into Painter Basin.

A steady stream of hikers also destined for Kings Peak was now coming up to Gunsight Pass from Henrys Fork trail No. 117, just like Loopster had, but none of them were proceeding down into Painter Basin, either.  Instead, everyone was veering R (S) toward a steep band of rocks along the lower E face of Dome Peak (13,103 ft.).  A relatively short, successful scramble on this route would make it possible to knock a good 2+ miles off the trek to Anderson Pass, saving an extra 600 feet of both elevation loss and gain in the process.

If everyone else could manage to get up that steep rock band, even SPHP might stand a chance, too!  Once satisfied with her inspection of Painter Basin from Gunsight Pass, Lupe joined the procession heading S along the use trail.

Nothing to the first part of the use trail, not until it got clear over to the base of the steep, semi-cliffy, band of rock.  There, the situation suddenly became a lot more interesting.

SPHP kept a good eye on where everyone else was starting up.  It soon turned out that the use trail was somewhat braided.  Sort of a choose or make your own use trail kind of thing.  Lupe led the way higher, fully confident of her abilities to scramble up most anywhere, while SPHP tried to stick with the most popular and least exposed routes.

A little sketchy in places, but not too bad!  Everyone was making it.  No one turned back.  Soon Lupe was through the worst of it, up on a grassy slope that wasn’t quite as steep.  The terrain got easier and easier as she began angling SW while following a series of cairns toward Dome Peak’s lower SE ridge.  As Loop got close to the ridgeline, the long, steep rocky slope of Kings Peak’s E face came into sight.

The ridge turned out to be rounded and indistinct, but once sufficiently along it, the valley leading to Anderson Pass could be seen ahead.  This valley looked like an easy trek, but proved to be extremely rocky.  Lupe bounded along effortlessly, but crossing the pathetically simple-looking valley and getting up to Anderson Pass took SPHP 70 minutes.  As usual, others, being part mountain goat, managed it much more quickly.

7-24-20, 10:23 AM, Anderson Pass – Getting to Anderson Pass marked the end of the preliminaries, and was an accomplishment of sorts in its own right.  From here, all that remained was the 0.75 mile scramble up the N ridge of Kings Peak (13,528 ft.).  The summit region was already in view.  South Kings Peak (13,512 ft.), Utah’s 2nd highest a mere 0.75 mile farther S along the same ridge, was in sight, too.

Lupe enjoyed other interesting sights from Anderson Pass.  To the SW she could now see the Yellowstone Creek Basin.  The ridge leading W to Henrys Fork Peak (13,240 ft.) had an intimidating knife-edge look to it, putting a quick end to any goofy thoughts of taking that beast on.  To the NE, Dome Peak (13,103 ft.) and more distant Gilbert Peak (13,442 ft.), 3rd highest in Utah, both appeared far more feasible.

A 15 minute breather at Anderson Pass, and that was it!  Looper started up the long rocky N ridge of Kings Peak.

Talus, moderate-sized, but talus nonetheless.  SPHP is terrible on talus.  Many loose or tippy rocks.  The sure-pawed American Dingo had no problem at all.  She ended up with all kinds of time to enjoy the views while SPHP crept higher, spending it gazing this way and that.  At first, some decent use trails were present, but they soon became intermittent at best.

The W side of the ridge was scary steep, often presenting sheer cliffs.  Looper, like everyone else, stayed mostly E of the ridgeline, although at times she was right up on it.  Every now and then the top of the ridge provided short level stretches where even SPHP made rapid progress.

A beautiful day in July climbing the highest peak in Utah!  The N ridge of Kings Peak had become a very busy place.  Groups of hikers streamed by.  Even a guy with a prosthetic leg passed SPHP up.  Ridiculously agile people were already on their way back down!  Lupe was kind enough not to complain about SPHP’s torpid pace.  She was getting there, bit by bit, passing one false summit after another.

100 people must have beaten SPHP up the mountain.  Well, something like that.  It was a bunch!  No big deal, but by the time the true summit came into view, Lupe’s beautiful July day had come and gone, too.  Gray clouds were sweeping in out of the W.  It started to snow.

Lupe reached the top of Kings Peak (13,528 ft.) amid a mini-blizzard of snow granules like tiny hailstones.  Hardly anyone was still at the top of the mountain, except a family of 3 who had arrived shortly before Lupe got there.  The wife and daughter were leaping into the air as husband-dad took photos.

Just a summertime squall.  The mini-blizzard soon passed off to the E.  A series of similar squalls were still on the way, but the next one wouldn’t hit for a while.  Once the family was done with their photo shoot, Looper took her turn by the summit cairn.

The family of 3 left, but the Carolina Dog was seldom alone.  Stragglers continued to come and go, although it was clear that the big rush was now over for the day.  Lupe and SPHP remained in the summit region, hanging out while the next squall took aim at Kings Peak.

The views were grand in all directions unobscured by the snow squalls.  Not far to the N, some of the most dramatic scenes were provided by cliffs Lupe had passed by on the way up.  In the opposite direction, the ridge leading SSW to South Kings Peak (13,512 ft.) looked less daunting, although still nothing but rock the entire way.

Mount Emmons (13,440 ft.) to the SE, and Tokewanna Peak (13,165 ft.) to the WNW stood out amid many other peaks of the Uinta Range.

SPHP had hoped Lupe would get to spend an hour on Kings Peak, but 40 minutes after she arrived the next squall hit.  Thunder rumbled several times, a clear warning!  Reluctantly starting down the N ridge as it began snowing again, the tip of SPHP’s L hiking pole sizzled and buzzed when held aloft.  Somewhat concerning!  Soon snow granules were pelting Kings Peak so hard that Loop and SPHP sought partial shelter under an overhanging rock.

The American Dingo turned white.  Amazingly, even the ground way down in Painter Basin was turning white, but winter in July only lasted 10 or 15 minutes before easing up.  Lupe resumed her scenic trek down the N ridge as the squall moved E, SPHP trudging slowly and carefully along behind.  Sunshine reappeared, melting the snow almost instantly, leaving the talus slick and wet.

A third squall line took aim at Kings Peak, but ended up missing to the S.  Conditions improved.  Although clouds were always around, for a while the day grew sunnier.  More hikers appeared, still on their way up the mountain.  By the time Lupe made it back to Anderson Pass, those tight new boots were beginning to bother SPHP’s paws again.

Yep.  Sadly, yesterday’s grand hopes of tackling other peaks in the region were mere delusions.  Kings Peak had been enough!

From Anderson Pass, this time Lupe followed Trail No. 25 SE for 0.5 mile before turning NE toward Dome Peak’s SE ridge.  The trickiest part of the entire day’s scrambling was the down climb through the very steep rock band that had to be negotiated on the way back to Gunsight Pass.

The sun was getting low as Lupe headed down the long switchback from Gunsight Pass back into Henrys Fork Basin.  How long does it take to break in a new pair of boots anyway?  These were the worst ever, simply too tight, rubbing paws raw by the end of any long day!  SPHP hobbled along taking every step gingerly.

Seemed like a long way back.  The American Dingo was still undaunted, though!  Lupe continued roaming ahead, coming back every so often to check on Gimpy.  The evening light was awesome, the clouds moody and shifty – now pure and brilliant, now sullenly brooding.

The glorious day Lupe stood on Kings Peak (13,528 ft.), tippy top of Utah, came to an end as the Carolina Dog reached her tiny house 0.25 mile S of Dollar Lake.  A couple of campfires were blazing off to the N while the sun slid below the giant ridge W of Henrys Fork Basin.  Ahh, Utah!  How long had it been since Lupe had last spent any time here?  Years and years.  Way too long.

7-25-20, noonish –  The tiny house was all packed up.  Everything was.  Unenthusiastically, SPHP hoisted the whole heavy load, strapping it on.

Alright, sweet puppy!  This is it!  You ready?

No mountains today, SPHP?

Nope, sorry!  I’m better, but not good enough to tackle anything else.

Too bad.  Gunsight and Gilbert didn’t look that hard, and we’re already right here in perfect position!

I know it.  It’s a crying shame, but I gotta let these paws get a better rest, and we don’t have enough supplies to stay out here for days on end.  Maybe it’s not such a tragedy, though?  We need to get back pretty soon anyway to find out what the news is.  If Canada and Alaska are opening up, we’ve got lots to do to get ready.  The Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood wouldn’t want to miss out on that, would she?

No, of course not, SPHP, but do you really think it’s going to happen?  This has been such a strange year.

Good chance it won’t happen, Looper.  Maybe, though.  We’ll know soon enough.  If not, we’ve got a date with our buddy, Jobe!  In Montana!

So the adventure continues, then!

Oh, of course it does!  Wouldn’t have it any other way would we?  Onward!  Puppy, ho!

Curly tail held high, Lupe set off across the grassy plain where the tiny house had been toward the trees where she would pick up Henrys Fork trail No. 117.  Magnificent Kings Peak and the fabulous Uinta Range now receding behind her, the plucky Carolina Dog didn’t even look back.  Her second Dingo Vacation of the Year of Perfect Vision was about over; only the long road home remained.  (End, 7-26-20, 2:57 AM)

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Kings Peak, Uinta Range, the Utah State High Point – Part 1: Henrys Fork Trailhead to Dollar Lake & Beyond!

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