Western Utah Peaks

                                                         Notch Peak

                                 Tule Hardpan                                                                      

NOTCH PEAK has a northern approach that is more scenic than the southern route. It has good views of the north face. A good road starts up North Canyon. There are several ways to get there. I went north from US 50 near mp 48. After about 7 and a half miles on a good road I turned left on a mostly smooth crude road and went west along the base of the range. After nearly 8 miles there is a T at the good North Canyon road. The road goes up canyon and eventually gets so steep that 4wd is needed. When the road tops out,just keep heading along the crest on main roads.Keep right at tricky forks. The last mile before the end at Pine Peak has some nasty spots.Sane people park no further than N39 10104, W113 24638 el 9000. Start hiking from the road on a game trail at 10046, 24458 on the east side of the crest. It trends down a little then you just work your way thru mtn mahogany without going up or down very much. Aim for a clear strip at 09553, 24574 and follow that down along the right side of a minor draw. The next point is 09287, 24396 at cliffs but stay in the clear strip, going downhill a little, until within about 250 feet then go up to it. From there,walk left along the cliffbase to get on the crest for the first time. It's gets pretty now with the big trees. Next, go over a peak on its right side on a game trail. A minor saddle awaits on the other side at 08920, 24413 el 9250. The next peak has to be passed on a left side game trail to get to the next lower saddle at 08697, 24265 el 9150. From here you can see the last saddle and the remaining route. 3 and a half hours, maybe 1000 gain on the way up, 400 gain on the way back. Long pants help for the first mile. Shady camps are along the crest road with flowing streams in early summer. The road is smooth and firm enough for mtn bikes but has steep ups and downs. The Delorme Utah atlas shows the main roads to access North Cyn.

SWASEY PEAK el 9600+ can be climbed via the west ridge. Turn north off US 50 west of mp 57. Follow a graded road for over 20 miles to its end at a shady camp area on a cliff top el 8000. You can also drive a fifth mile closer on a crude track, but will still need to drop to the cliff top. Hike along the cliff top to a draw at N39 23322, W113 19721. Stay off the gullied terrain to your right. Go up the draw to a saddle at 23611, 19577. Start up the ridge but first veer left around a short patch of brush. The ridge soon goes parabolic for the next 700 feet but has no cliffs. You'll be in big trees all the way up. The reg is at 23285, 18979 and has been approved by the Postmaster General. 2 and a half hours, 1700 gain. This route can be done in shorts. The south ridge is recommended for those who prefer thrashing around on hot brushy slopes.

HOWELL PEAK el 8300 is the next big peak north of the Notch Peak area. Use the good Marjum Pass road. About 2 miles east of the pass is a jct at N39 15369, W113 19666. Two roads come in from the north. Use the primitive one on the left. Go about 3 miles on easy 4wd. Start hiking the easy ridge on the right at 16775,21356. Or drive further up canyon on the overgrown road. I made it a mile to the 7100 ft level. Use the right ridge to get to the peak at 18662, 21932. From the peak, walk west to Bell Peak overlooking the valley atop sheer cliffs. Then walk south down the ridge to the head of the canyon you parked in. Either go down the canyon or walk the escarpment and drop down later. 4 hrs, 1800 gain. Less the further you drive in.

For CONGER PEAK, turn north off US 50 at mp 16 onto a good road. After nearly 4 miles go left on another good road. After another 6 and a half miles,a faint track goes right just as the main road goes left into a wash. The track was still open in 2012 but?  Follow the track to a fork in the wash where it goes up between the forks. Keep going and park at N39 12779, W113 43595. Head for the main cyn right of the peak and go left up a draw at 13383, 42877 to a saddle then left to the top at 13758, 43380 el 8144. 1400 gain, 3 hours. It would be easy to circle the peaks of the summit area.

KING TOP is an easy hike but you'll lose all your paint. Turn south off 50 at mp 24.5. Drive toward the towers then go left just before them. In just over 2 miles is a T. Go left for a couple of miles down a gentle canyon then the road makes a hard right up another canyon. It ends 7 miles from the T. The last 4 miles is overgrowing 4wd. Walk up the gully on the closed road. When the road cuts hard left, stay in the gully over the rise then hit the rd again. Follow it thru a gap then go left to King Top at N38 58858, W113 31834 el 8350. 2 hours, 700 gain. Nice pj forest. Now go home and repaint your truck. Mtn bikes would work starting from the towers as there are no steep grades from there.

INDIAN PEAK el 9790 has a good route up the south ridge. Turn south off Utah 21 at mp 37.3 or west of mp 42. Go about 15 miles on a graded road to a fork at N38 19609, W113 43323. Go right on a good road for 6 and a half miles to a cabin and pond at the WMA camp area. Go another third mile then left at a fork. Go across a stream then take a right fork. Go 2 and a half miles on easy 4wd to the base of the peak at a T. Circle left for 2 and a half miles around the base to the fence at the WMA boundary. Hike a trail along the right side of the fence.When it fizzles in a gully,keep going up with the fence to your left and the crest to the right. When the slope steepens, move close to the fence then aim for a saddle on the crest at 15492, 52479 el 8900. The rest is obvious. The reg is at 16023, 52523 and approved by the Postmaster General. Mtn bikes would work for the last 5 or 6 miles. I'd be nervous to take a passenger car in here.

The MOUNTAIN HOME RANGE has an easy 4wd road on the crest to get close to the high peak. Turn west off Utah 21 at about N38 37898, W113 51281. I think this is around mp 24. Follow a good road SW and keep right at a main fork. At the foot of the range is another main fork right before water tanks. Veer right here and go NW along the foot of the range for a mile then the road turns into the range and starts turning south. There is a crappy section of road here but it smooths out soon. Keep going south and the road will climb onto the crest and end at 9300 feet. Then just walk down to a saddle then go left around the base of Battleship Rock. Once past the rock it's an easy stroll to the Needle BM and reg at N38 29396, W113 57479 el 9480. Not approved by the Postmaster General. 2 hours, 800 gain. I came down east off the crest on a good road but it kept going south so I used a rough ATV track to go down Cottonwood Cyn to get back. The road up is smooth enough for mtn bikes once you get past the crappy section where the road enters the range. It gets steep but you get to coast nearly all the way back. Battleship Rock looked climbable.

The BURBANK HILLS are near Baker. Turn south off US 50 at mp 16 and proceed on a graded road to a fading road at N38 57522, W113 45455. Follow this easy 4wd road west into a canyon then into a pj forest. Park within a quarter mile of a ridge which is at 50150, 49121. Hike up the easy ridge to the Juniper BM at 49923, 48596 el 7800 which is the high point. 1 hour, 800 gain. There are many ways in here, but no water.

GRAHAM PEAK el 7560 is the high point of the Silver Island Range. There are 3 or 4 ways up, the north ridge is a cake walk IF you can get there. There's nothing to stop jeeps getting there, just slow going. Take I-80 to exit 4 and go north a mile and a quarter then take a left fork that goes 3 miles to Leppy Pass. Go right of a building on a major dirt road for over a dozen miles to a 4wd road reading N40 57760, W113 53175. This 4wd road and the last 6 miles of the main road were hit hard by August 2015 floods.There were a million minor ruts across the main road and some deep ones. The Donner party would have turned back on this mess, but I saw a grader headed that way the next day. Drive up the 4wd road to a fork at 57764, 49771 el 5100. The right fork goes to a guzzler which had water then the road soon fades. But take the left fork for a fifth mile to another fork el 5200. Look for a faint road dropping down to a wash on the left. Soon that road is overgrown, but it's easy to hike east up the wash into a canyon and on into the obvious low saddle el 6200 on the north ridge. If you get confused, aim for 57989, 47724 el 6100 where some bolts and hangers were installed. Huh? Just keep walking up the ridge from there. There are some minor bumps on the north ridge but its easy to walk the right side of them and cut off 20 or 30 feet. As the ridge starts to top out, stay on the left side to a saddle at 57256, 47292 el 7400 then it's a fifth mile to the reg.  4 hours, 2300 gain. A nice, unspoiled area. This hike is so easy you might want to carry a sack of rocks just to keep from feeling guilty. Posted August 2015.