Duchesne County High Point Trip Report
Kings Peak
Date: July 21, 1997
Author: David Olson
The usual trip up Kings Peak starts at the Henry's Fork trailhead north of the
Uintah Mountains, in Summit county, south of Mountain View WY.
It is at least a seven-mile, half-day hike to a decent campsite in Henry's Fork Basin.
One popular camping spot is Dollar Lake, one-quarter mile west of the trail
and not easily seen from the trail.
The next morning you have three choices for a route to Kings Peak.
The Rangers and safety conscious recommend hiking up to Gunsight Pass,
down the south side to a trail junction and then up to Anderson Pass north of Kings Peak.
Start early for this.
The gung-ho and impatient recommend hiking cross-county through the upper Henry's Fork Basin
to a steep couloir that climbs to a saddle a short distance northeast of Anderson Pass.
This is reported to be filled with rocks. The middle course is to hike up to Gunsight Pass
and then traverse the face southwest of the pass.
The middle of the face has steep and firm chutes that you can climb up.
The far end of the face is less steep but is covered with loose rocks.
This route is at least one hour faster than the Ranger-recommended route.
If you climb the chutes, take care to mark the very top of your chute,
where you come out on the gentle southeast side of unnamed 13,103',
so you can find it on the way back.
Kings Peak has a considerable reputation for lightning hazard.