I've finally got the Lone Peak climb on the calendar. Advice needed.

[Iceaxe]

I've climbed all the routes.... and if tagging the summit is your main objective than Jacobs ladder is the route you want. It is the shortest and most simplistic to the summit. The outlaw cabin adds time and distance to the summit so tag it on the way down or save it for anther day. The cabin from trail of th eagle or cherry canyon is a great hike by itself.

[Sun Dance]

Others may disagree, but I thought the Alpine/Hammongog route was the easiest, except for the very last traverse between the South and North Summits.

I'll disagree. The lower portion of the route may be easier, but once you pass the second hamongog it's brutally steep! I'd much rather get the steep climb over with in the early morning on Jacob's Ladder when it's still cool and then have a flatter climb up into the cirque, enjoying the cool air above 9000'.

[BruteForce]

Easy climb, IMHO -- even once at the top, bush whacking across the creek to the summit (way off the beaten trail).

I'm curious to know what the fire damaged up there. Photos please.

[BruteForce]

So, what's the best Lone Peak route? Jacob's Ladder? I thought the Cherry Canyon/Bear Canyon route was a little longer but not as steep and had a spring that one could count on along the way for filling water reservoirs. I also heard that the cabin is easier to visit along that route.

Start in the corner of Alpine via the Lone Peak Wilderness trail (aka Dry Creek), then once you run out of trail, start the bush-wacking (or is the term scrambling now)..

[Sun Dance]

Start in the corner of Alpine via the Lone Peak Wilderness trail (aka Dry Creek), then once you run out of trail, start the bush-wacking (or is the term scrambling now)..

Dry creek trailhead is almost a mile away from the Hamongog Route trailhead. If you follow Dry Creek you will end up over the hill at Granite Flat in AF Canyon. Both trails actually take you into Lone Peak Wilderness, so make sure you know the route if you're heading for the peak.

[BruteForce]

Lots of Geocaches that can be plotted that will lead you to the top!

[Wasatch Rebel]

Lots of Geocaches that can be plotted that will lead you to the top!

That's a thought...but I might spend too much time looking for the geocaches and never make it to the top.

Start in the corner of Alpine via the Lone Peak Wilderness trail (aka Dry Creek), then once you run out of trail, start the bush-wacking (or is the term scrambling now)..

I always thought of bushwhacking as cutting through thick brush, instead of being on the trail.

[BruteForce]

I always thought of bushwhacking as cutting through thick brush, instead of being on the trail.

If approaching from the Alpine side (Dry Creek), the trail will end at a nice plateau, then its bush whacking and no trail the remainder of the way. Loads of rock scrambling, getting scraped up, etc.

[Pfrosty]

I was able to get my fifth summit over the weekend. I have been once up through Orson Smith, 3 times up Jacob's Ladder and once from Alpine. I enjoyed the hike the most from Alpine, although it is longer and I didn't care for the sketchy traverse over a snow bridge from the south peak to the main peak.



Not sure that is really applicable this time of year. However, my guess is that the traverse would be much worse on rock to get from the south to the main summit.

I will say, the key to this hike is starting early. From the Jacob's Ladder trail head, we started at 5am, summit by 9am, back to the car by 12:30. Our pace wasn't super fast and we took a few breaks and tanked up on water on the way down.

Kids??? It would make me nervous. Not so much due to the technical ridge line but the exposure if something were to happen. If you want to give your kids a good experience, there are many other climbs out there that would suffice. +1 for Pfeif.

If you have not been up there before you should find someone to guide you. I came across many groups Saturday morning that had no idea where they were. Two guys followed us out because they had gotten lost and approached from the south and never made it to the peak and then weren't sure how to get back. Route finding is tricky because there are no clear trails up above as it straddles a lot of granite.

With all that said. Lone Peak is an awesome area and a highly recomended hike. No matter how you do it, it's 6,000' + of climbing and is a grunt in both directions.

[Wasatch Rebel]

I still haven't managed to go up there, but I'm planning to this Friday. Aren't there any cairns up there to mark the trail? I've done both Kings and Nebo this year...any comparisons as to physical difficulty?

[Iceaxe]

Cairns just mean the guy before you was lost. Route finding once you reach the cirque is the tricky part, most folks get lost on the way back down because they fail to realize you must climb back over a small ridge to exit the crique and regain the trail. The route is on my website complete with GPS waypoints, that should make navigation simple.


Tap'n on my smart phone.

[Scott P]

I've done both Kings and Nebo this year...any comparisons as to physical difficulty?

Since you only did the northern route to the northern summit of Nebo, be aware that Lone Peak will be much more strenuous because of the elevation gain and scrambling. Kings Peak is easier, but longer than Lone Peak.

The peak isn't difficult or technical though. Lots of people do it every year. It certainly wouldn't hurt to try it.

[skiclimb3287]

Cairns just mean the guy before you was lost. Route finding once you reach the cirque is the tricky part, most folks get lost on the way back down because they fail to realize you must climb back over a small ridge to exit the crique and regain the trail. The route is on my website complete with GPS waypoints, that should make navigation simple.


Tap'n on my smart phone.

My favorite saying! Whenever I am on a route and someone in my group points out a cairn, I quickly respond "lost hikers build cairns too!"

Definitely go for it. I have been stormed off the mountain twice before finally summiting last year. It's steep, but a great hike. The scrambling to gain the summit is exposed, but easy.

I agree with ice. The trail over the ridge is easy to miss. When you enter the cirque, take a look back and landmark where the crossover is, so it is easy to spot on the way back down.

[Wasatch Rebel]

Cairns just mean the guy before you was lost. Route finding once you reach the cirque is the tricky part, most folks get lost on the way back down because they fail to realize you must climb back over a small ridge to exit the crique and regain the trail. The route is on my website complete with GPS waypoints, that should make navigation simple.

Thanks. I've visited your page and it has some great information. I'll enter those waypoints into my GPS.

[Wasatch Rebel]

Thanks, Skiclimb!

[Wasatch Rebel]

Since you only did the northern route to the northern summit of Nebo, be aware that Lone Peak will be much more strenuous because of the elevation gain and scrambling. Kings Peak is easier, but longer than Lone Peak.

The peak isn't difficult or technical though. Lots of people do it every year. It certainly wouldn't hurt to try it.

Thanks, Scott. That helps. I'll be heading up this morning.

[Wasatch Rebel]

So I did the hike yesterday, but the summit was not to be. About half way up that really steep section I got light-headed and never really shook it, and my legs just didn't have it. I've been having some medical issues lately and maybe that was part of it. Anyway, I kept going and made it up to the cirque, and then I was done. Beautiful up there though. I got lost a couple of times on the way down (ironically, one of them was NOT when I was coming out of the cirque, because I had set a waymark for that spot), but figured my way back to the path rather quickly. So the bottom line is, I need to address these health issues and do more squats...

[Iceaxe]

On my first try I also only made it to the cirque, mostly because I kept losing the route. The good news is the cirque to the summit is easier then it looks and is the fun part of the hike. Better luck next time.


Tap'n on my smart phone.

[Wasatch Rebel]

On my first try I also only made it to the cirque, mostly because I kept losing the route. The good news is the cirque to the summit is easier then it looks and is the fun part of the hike. Better luck next time.

Thanks, Ice. I also appreciated the route description on your web page.