BETA PHOTO: General View of Corner Canyon Approach Trail
Description
Alpine granite within view of the valley floor! The cirque has always been a bit of the Canadian Rockies right here in Salt Lake. Beautiful four to five hundred foot, almost vertical granite with cracks, seams, off-widths, chimneys, and exquisite face climbing surround an idyllic alpine meadow, with snowfields providing fresh water until late July. Routes range from 5.4 to 5.12. If you're stout enough to make the 5600'+ vertical, six-mile long grunt, the climbing will more than reward your efforts. For best effect, plan on spending 3 or 4 days and sampling a half-dozen or more of the best climbs. Don't leave without doing the "triple crown" of cirque climbs... "Triple Overhangs", 5.10a; "Vertical Smile", 5.10a; and "Undone Book", 5.9+ R. All three are correctly given three stars.
Getting There
The hike I take is a bitch and has minimal to no natural water until you're almost into the cirque. This lack of water has nearly killed a few folks, myself included. Take plenty of water and hike at a moderate pace. There are two or three well established approaches, but as of this date I've only used the Corner Canyon approach. I've heard both good and bad about the Alpine approach, but I can't address it accurately. There are a ton of hike descriptions for both on the web as well. As far as the Corner Canyon Approach goes, here's my version. Because most everyone knows where BCC and LCC are, I'll start there. Follow Wasatch Drive south from BCC or LCC. Stay on Wasatch as it meanders through the kings and their castles and ultimately turns west. After turning west, travel another couple of miles and at the first stop light, turn left onto Draper Parkway. Follow Draper Parkway south until it also bends and heads west. At the first light after it heads west, turn left onto 1300 East. Follow 1300 East to the "Roundabout". Exit east out of the roundabout onto Pioneer Road (12300 south). Follow this east until you hit 2000 East. Turn right, and head south as it transitions from pavement to dirt. I usually park about about 3 miles up this dirt road at an obvious pull-out (the Falcon guide book has a couple adequate maps, but some good route-finding skills are a bonus). Hump the packs on and head up the four-wheel drive trails to the north-east of the pull-out. Look up the hillside and you'll see two major rock outcroppings. Both of these have trails leading up to them, but you ONLY want to head to the east-most outcropping, creatively called "Lone Rock". By the time you reach this rock, you'll be covered in powdery dust and will start wondering what you've got yourself into. From Lone Rock, head north up the steep scrub-oak covered hillside, following a faint but visible trail. When you get to a steep ravine, don't descend into it, but follow the edge of the ravine east until you catch the trail that proceeds north again up the large ridge above you. Follow the steep trail and switch-backs all the way up this ridge, and after your intestines completely knot up and come out of your throat, you'll join another trail that comes in from the west (this is called the "Draper Ridge Trail", which I've descended before and is NOT recommended). As you head east on this trail the hike actually begins to be enjoyable. The scenery improves consistently until you feel as though you're in the Canadian Rockies. The trail is pretty obvious, and passes through a pine forest, then across a huge granite slab, and then up the drainage from the cirque itself. Where the trail becomes faint, look for cairns as they are plentiful. Once you begin moving up through the obvious talus towards the cirque itself, don't head north along another line of cairns. Stay eastbound and begin working your way over the huge boulders in the talus field. Once you crest the talus, you'll see the meadow and the cirque beyond. Work across the boulders to the meadow, drop the pack, stuff your head in the icy water, and prepare for some truly outstanding routes. Remember you are climbing/camping in a wilderness area, and please pack it ALL out. A few side notes; the water only lasts until late July so climbing in late summer and fall requires packing it in, emergency contact can be made via cell phone by standing within view of the valley (at least with AT&T), try to tread lightly in the camping areas so the meadow can maintain its pristine nature.
This route ascends the crack system that travels roughly right up the middle of the rectangular formation that extends out from the South Summit. This "thumb" formation was first ascended in 1959, via both sides of the formation. It wasn't until the Lowes showed up in 1970 that someone took a crack at the middle. Begin on the left side of a large blocky formation at the base of the "thumb" and ascend via a series of cracks to a belay at a pito...[more]
By Perin Blanchard Administrator From: Orem, UT Jul 27, 2008 CONDITION REPORT
Water conditions in the cirque on 26Jul2008:
Water is abundant (as are mosquitoes).
By Bobby Hanson From: Salt Lake City, UT Jul 18, 2005
The Corner Canyon road is currently closed due to "washed out and dangerous conditions". From the look of things, it may be a while before it is drivable by passenger cars, though we did see a police GMC go through there. This adds about 3 flat (but very warm) miles to the approach. Also, you can now avoid some of the steep 4x4 road at the start of the hike by starting up a bike trail 150 feet up road from the parking pullout (just before the hairpin turn).
I recently attempted this approach to Lone Peak, and found much of the information listed here outdated. Firstly, lots of new housing development has gone up around the old 'dirt road' and the dirt road no longer exists- it is paved. there is still, however, a dirt pull-out by the corner canyon road (which is gated and unusable to vehicles). also, a new trail head termed orson smith trailhead sign has been put up in the pull out. my best advice for those attempting lone peak is to research the heck out of the approach. this can best be done by simply googling lone peak, utah. i found much better beta and certainly interesting facts that would have actually made my climbing attempt a success. basically i can tell you what not to do. do not take trail of the eagle(although it is well maintained-accessed off the bonneville shoreline trail fron the orson smith trailhead), do not head for the outlaw cabin hamongog, and do not trust that cairns will be placed early on in the season. we took trail of the eagle, and though we did eventually reach the cirque, we were dumped out exactly across from the peak and bowl itself with a scary down climb to get into the cirque. we ran out of time becuase the approach took us so long and didn't get to climb after all that uphill torture. it's a beautiful inspiring place though- can't wait to go back and actually climb. still lots of snow in the cirque and melted run off for water.
By Bobby Hanson From: Salt Lake City, UT Jul 2, 2006
Polly, did you approach via Corner Canyon or via Alpine?
I parked my car at the dirt corner canyon pull-out (where there is a sign post for the gated corner canyon road). However, we did not start from the corner canyon road at all. we headed directly east on the orson smith trailhead(located in the northeast corner of the dirt pull-out), intersected the bonneville shoreline trail, and headed north to trail of the eagle. I think we could have made it into the cirque if we had continued east on the cherry canyon logging trail-i've read some reviews about getting to the cirque via this route. there was a critical moment there where we turned north instead of going straight east into cherry canyon. whoops.
The Jacob's Ladder trail is worth mentioning as a good approach to Lone Peak Cirque. Draper City has built a nice trail head called the Orson Smith Trail Head Park for accessing numerous trails at the foot of Lone Peak. You can drive from the Orson Smith Trail Head on a graded dirt road 2.5 miles into Corner Canyon to a gate and parking area at the start of the Jacobs Ladder Trail (elevation 5,700', GPS = N40.49398 W111.81595). It is 7 1/3 miles from the trail head to Lone Peak Cirque.
Orson Smith Trail Head Park 12600 South Highland Dr. (2000 East)
A slightly more direct route (steeper) to Lone Peak Cirque is via Alpine. This route starts from a neighborhood in north Alpine and follows a well used trail past First & Second Hamongog. The trail then heads right up the south face of Lone Peak followed by a scramble to the summit. Some route-finding may be necessary to navigate around (west) into Lone Peak Cirque to the base of the climbs.
Directions to the trail head in Alpine (elevation 5,400', GPS = N40.47919 W111.76209): Drive north on Main Street in Alpine. Turn RIGHT on 200 North. Turn LEFT on 200 East. 200 East becomes Grove Drive. Follow Grive Drive for about 1.5 miles and turn LEFT on Alpine Cove Drive. Turn LEFT on Aspen Drive where you will find the trail head.
Lone Peak Cirque
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