DESERET PEAK or BUST!
UTAH PEAK SERIES #2
8am-NOONish
7.5 miles out and back
3,600 + feet in elevation gain
Goal top of the mountain
and
GCY0EG Deseret Peak Utah
Deseret Peak is the highest summit in the Stansbury Mountains. It is an impressive and prominent mountain. This mountain is one of the few in the West Desert with a nice system of hiking trails. It is clearly visible for many miles around, particularly from across the Great Salt Lake to the north and the desert valleys to the west. It has large cliffs that drop precipitously down toward South Willow Canyon. While the Wasatch Range may be crowded with hikers on the weekends, you can expect more solitude here.
Plan to meet at the trail head between 7:45 and 8am. We will leave promptly at 8am as a group but I don't plan on us staying as a group since individual pace may very. We will regroup at the summit for the official event picture. After that the time is yours. The planned route up and back is South Willow Creek in blue below. If you choose you can do the loop through Pockets Fork (in red) for your return trip. This will add a few miles onto your hike (see "Hitting the Trail" Option #2 below). I plan to be back to the trail head by NOON!
I also want to stress the difficulty of this hike. Over 3,600 feet in elevation gain in just over 3.5 miles is not an easy climb! With that said I don't want to discourage any one who would like to attend. Come and hike until you fell you need to turn around or you reach your own goal. On the first hike in this series I had 9 Cachers attend and only myself and one other finished the hike.
Pack with the temperatures of early fall and predawn in mind. Bring snacks and plenty of water!
Deseret Peak Hike Details
Elevation at trailhead – 7418 feet
Elevation at Deseret Peak summit – 11,031 feet
Elevation gain – 3,613 feet
Difficulty – Strenuous
Trail – well maintained, dirt, rock, some scree (small loose rocks)
Amount of water recommended – 2 liters
Bathrooms – Yes, located at trailhead
Seasons to climb – early summer to mid fall
How to get there:
Take Interstate 80 West from Salt Lake City. Go about 20 miles on I-80, then take Exit 99, which takes you to Highway 36. Drive south on Highway 36 for about 3.5 miles. Take the right turn onto UT-138. Stay on UT-138 for 11 miles, and almost drive all the way through Grantsville. (UT-138 becomes Main Street) Turn left (south) onto West Street. There should be a sign for South Willow Canyon. After 5.1 miles south on West Street/Mormon Trail, take a right turn onto South Willow Canyon Road and go for 7.3 miles. The last four miles are unpaved, but a passenger car should have no problem on the road. The road ends at the Loop Campground. Follow the unpaved road to the end of the campground and you’ll see a small parking area, bathrooms, and a sign that reads Mill Fork Trailhead.
Hitting the Trail!
At the start of the hike you’ll find yourself in relatively shady aspen trees that gradually give way to conifers as you gain altitude. At 0.7 miles from the trail head, you’ll cross a small stream, which is usually only ankle deep. Shortly after the crossing, you’ll come to a trail junction. Take the trail on the left to Deseret Peak. There should be a trail marker as well.
Around 1.1 miles from the trail head, the trees will give way to valley with several switchbacks, that for the next 2.3 miles will gain 2,200 feet of elevation. Take plenty of breaks and enjoy the scenery. The last part of the climb to the ridge is the steepest, and the loose scree make the going a little slow.
Once on top of the ridge, it is relatively flat. Take a minute to catch your breath, take a picture or two, admire your progress and then get ready to start the last leg of the hike. By this time, you’ve hiked 3.0 miles and gained a total of 2624 feet of elevation from the trail head. Now begins your march to the summit of Deseret Peak. A couple of trails convene at the top of the ridge. Take the one that heads right. (west) Deseret Peak is to the southwest.
At this point you are out of the trees and the hiking surface is primarily rock. There is little shade on the final summit push, so come prepared with a hat and sunglasses. From the top of the ridge, which felt more like a saddle to me, is only 0.9 miles to the summit. Along the summit trail, don’t be tricked by the false summits. Upon reaching the top of Deseret Peak, you’ll see why it’s so special. Since it is so isolated, no other mountain ranges block the views. It is one of the few peaks that has unobstructed views of the vast Bonneville Salt Flats. On a clear day, it is not unusual to spot Pilot Peak, some 60 miles to the west in Nevada, and 60 miles to the south you can see Mount Nebo, the highest peak in the Wasatch Mountains.
After plenty of pictures and a snack, be sure to sign the climber’s log, found in a small bottle on the summit, and take one last look at the beautiful expanse in all directions. To return to the trailhead, you have two options:
Option 1 – You can retrace your steps and return the way you came. Going back this way seemed to be shorter, faster, and easier to follow than Option 2.
Option 2 – You can do a big loop by taking a trail that continues up and over Deseret Peak and takes you over the other peaks to the south, then down a ridge trail that can be a little tricky to follow. At 2.3 miles from the summit, you’ll find a sign pointing to South Willow Fork to the left, and the Loop Campground, where your car is parked, to the right. Take the right, and follow this trail which is better maintained than the previous parts. From this point, you are 2.2 miles away from the trailhead, where you started, and the hiking is easy. At 1.5 miles after you turned right on your current trail, you’ll come to another trail intersection. Go left. This completes the loop and puts you back on trail you started from the parking lot. Retrace your steps back to your car!
About this series
Back on 09/19/2010 I had my first event GC2EB9G MILLICENT or BUST! The goal to make it to the peak of Millicent from Solitude over Twin Lakes Pass then ascending Mary Jane and Wolverine. It was a total success! This is a continuation from that first mountain peak hike.
THESE ARE SERIOUS HIKES FOR SERIOUS HIKERS!
If you are working on The NightFox's Hiking Challenge series this one does count (for more information see GC253HE The NightFox's Hiking Challenge 10: Bruce).