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18359 Hits
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7 Votes
Page Type:
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Mountain/Rock |
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Lat/Lon:
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40.69326°N / 111.60427°W |
County:
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Summit County |
Activities:
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Hiking, Mountaineering, Skiing |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
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Elevation:
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9602 ft / 2927 m |
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Overview
Looming above the town of Park City on the northeastern section of the Central Wasatch Range is a well known but often neglected mountain known as Murdock Peak. In the summer the summit of this peak is a ghost town. In the winter however, the skiers and snowboarders of The Canyons take a 6 minute lift ride, hike less than 10 minutes and summit this mountain with little to no effort. The views from the summit are outstanding, and it offers an excellent perspective of just how big the Wasatch Range truly is. Being a part of the Wasatch Range this mountain recieves well over 500 inches of snowfall a year.
Looking down from the summit of Murdock Peak during a mid winter foggy day.Getting There
There are several starting locations for this peak. The most common is from the town of Park City. Another great starting location is from the top of Millcreek Canyon, which is reached via Salt Lake City. Yet another way to reach this peak is via the Wasatch Crest Trail via Guardsmans Pass (Upper Big Cottonwood Canyon).
Beautiful views down Big Cottonwood Canyon are common during the fall months along the Wasatch Crest Trail.
A view to the east from Murdock Peak. A Canyons lift terminal sits on the knob below Murdock's loose, bushy east faceRed Tape
The Canyons Ski Resort owns the east face of Murdock Peak. For those wanting to winter climb this peak (although with the crowds I would not want to) be sure not to be there when avalanche control is in progress. YOU WILL BE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING! The avalanche control team at The Canyons is legendary for "over shooting" Murdock Peak with thier avalauncher gun, so be sure to use extra caution while avalanche control is in progress.Camping
Camping is allowed in Millcreek Canyon, although you must camp more than a 1/2 mile from any road. Fire restrictions vary from year to year. Camping is NOT allowed on The Canyons Ski Resort property, although with some sweet talking, and if you know the right people....in theory permission could be obtained.External Links
The Canyons Ski Resort website can be found by clicking on this linkA semi accurate 7 day weather forecast can be found by clicking on this link NOAA
The metal posts on the left mark the Canyons ski area boundary to the top of Murdock Peak. Once up the east face, the summit zone mellows and becomes a rolling sage and juniper hilltop with spectacular views of the Park City area to the east