Kessler Peak in the Oquirrhs 2018

Last Saturday, 10 of us thrashed our way up the west side of Kessler Peak in the Oquirrhs. Kessler and its neighbor to the south, Farnsworth Peak, are the summits in the northern Oquirrhs which have transmitters (visible during the day) and lights (visible at night). Kessler is about 8810 ft elevation, so we had 4450 ft of elevation gain in 3 mi from the trailhead — much like doing Mt Olympus, except all off trail. We followed faint game trails when we could, trying to stay out of the thick oak brush. The footing was generally rocky and loose, and everyone took turns falling; no one was hurt (except for their dignity), but it made progress pretty slow. On the way down, everyone ran out of water, on a day that was 10° warmer than normal with relative humidity lower than 15%. I was staggering like a zombie long before I made it back to the cars.

On the plus side, a breeze from the north blew the wildfire smoke away from us. We got to see the remains of the tram that used to service the installation on top of Farnsworth Peak. I was surprised and impressed at how nice the fall colors were. And the view of the Great Salt Lake from the top is amazing — it looks positively oceanic, in spite of the current low water.

Much appreciation to the survivors: Stanley (co-organizer), Steve, Jim, Sue, Michele, Akiko, Nancy, Scott and Josh.

go to the Kessler Peak (Oquirrhs) gallery