kings peak

An interactive choose your own adventure trip to Kings Peak.

It’s a beautiful Sunday (day of rest) late in the spring do you-
A) Sleep in, eat a huge plate of flap jacks, attend the proper church meetings (assuring your entry into at least one of the top 2 kingdoms of heaven), play a round of golf and let your sprained ankle heal up.
B) Sleep in, eat a huge plate of flap jacks, borrow some archaic ski gear from a friend and go for a 30mile roundtrip ski to Kings Peak (heaven).

The correct answer is (B), proceed to Evanston.

You arrive in Evanston, WY and have the following options-
A) Fuel up with gas, beef jerky, water and head to the trailhead.
B) Spend the day betting on the ponies, drink “real” beer, browse some of the finest porn shops around.

That’s right it’s (A) again, continue 50 miles to the Uintah Mountains.

It’s 12:30pm at the trailhead and with 30 miles and 4k feet of vert ahead, you decide to-
A) Pack light with the idea of summiting and returning that day.
B) Plan on spending the night because who wants to do 30 miles in a day.

Switching it up, (B) is the answer. Throw that 30lb pack on your back and start hoofing it.

You encounter nice and dry trail for the first 4 miles.

2 foot deep “speed bumps” of snow soon impede travel. What do you do?
A) Turn around because there is still plenty of time for beer, ponies and porn in Evanston.
B) Suck it up

That’s right you throw some duct tape around your boots and pant cuffs and trudge through it.

Breaking out of the trees for a moment you get your first glimpse of the summit. It appears-
A) Really far away
B) Really really far away
C) Where is it?

The answer is keep moving, it won’t get closer sitting there snapping photo’s.

You encounter a mixed bag of “skiing” conditions including-
A) Stream crossings
B) Mudd
C) Grass
D) Snow
E) All of the above

All of the above it is. (Thanks for the skis Guy, sorry you had to see how they were treated)

With the summit in sight (the large point on the right) do you-
A) Take the standard route through gunsight pass (tucks in lookers left and wraps around).
B) Take the direct route via the large chute (the gun barrell).

With hopes of cutting some mileage out of this slog you go with (B).

More decisions to be made. After 10 miles or so, it’s getting later in the day and you are wearing down. You make the call to-
A) Set up camp at the base of the chute and wait for an early morning climb to the summit
B) Ditch the overnight gear and go for the summit fast and light.
C) Continue on with all the gear and spend the night on the summit.

You melt some water and think this one over.

With plenty of daylight you decide to ditch unnecessary gear in hopes of gaining the summit peak and back before dark.

One of the backcountry skiers great dilemma’s (next only to choosing between a Subaru or Toyota) is-
A) Boot up the chute
B) Skin up the chute (these skis were fish scale)

Final answer is (A).

You have worked hard to get to this point. Sit back and enjoy the view down Henry’s Fork from whence you came.

Alright get up and get moving this peak won’t climb itself. At this point in time-
A) You are feeling the altitude (since you haven’t skied in weeks).
B) The boots you borrowed are giving you blisters.
C) The ridge is twice as long as it looks.
D) All of the above, but you could care less because you are all alone in one of the most beautiful settings on earth with no signs of coming down from this rocky mtn high.

Obviously (D).

On the ridge climb to the top you use the following for motivation-
A) Singing your favorite Marilyn Manson tunes.
B) Speaking in the broken French you barely remember from your LDS mission.
C) Wondering if it might be fun to blog about this trip as a “Choose your own adventure” story
D) All of the above.

Again with (D) all of the above.

Congratulations on making it to the summit and this far in the trip report! The summit is nice and calm, clear and anti-climactic. Great views! Looking East.

North into Henry’s Fork.

And the endless view to the West.

Having left the trailhead at 12:30pm it is now what time at the summit.
A) 6pm
B) 7pm
C) 8pm
D) Time for a snack

B and D.

Looks like the USGS has gone “green” with this new style of summit marker?

From the top the only choice is down. The best snow looks to be the East face which holds powder laced with stones.

Skiing down you-
A) Feel like it’s your first time ever on skis and barely manage to stay on your feet linking 3 turns.

It’s (A) and only (A), nothing resembling controlled skiing took place.

Looking closely you can make out the survival traverses used to descend the chute.

Back to the game of A, B and C. You find yourself back at the gear cache at 8pm. The plan was to bring a light summer bag and sleep with hot water bottles. Discovering you are low on fuel you-
A) Watch the sun setting and decide to camp here for the night anyway and ski out in the morning.
B) Watch the sun setting and realize the lower you go the warmer you’ll sleep and less you’ll have to travel in the morning.
C) Wonder how long it would take you to return all the way to the truck.

(B) with a little bit of (C) wins out. You pack up the gear and it’s off again.

You do your best Nordic Track impression on the flats and cover a lot of ground quickly.

With the sun getting lower you-
A) Freak out a little with the sight of recent cougar tracks and keep moving.
B) Make camp for the night.
C) Wonder how long it would take to return all the way to the truck.

Heavy on the (A) with sprinkles of (C) you keep moving swiftly blowing your whistle and banging your poles together to “scare” away lions and tigers and bears.

Congratulations you have made good choices that led to your safe return to the trailhead.
An 11 hour journey comes to an end!

Get some rest and we’ll see you next time.