Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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40.81000°N / 110.954°W |
Route Type:
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Scramble |
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Time Required:
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Half a day |
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Difficulty:
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Class 2 |
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Approach
The Whitney Road is the main access to the trailhead. The Whintney Road is marked with a sign-post and is branches west off Highway 150 43 miles east and north of Kamas or 35 miles south of Evanston. This graded gravel road is good for all cars. From Highway 150, follow the Whitney Road west to the junction with the Whitney Reservior Road. This junction is just after the bridge that crosses the West Fork Bear River.If Moffit Peak is your destination and you drive a car, continue west on the Whitney Road to Moffit Basin. The road you want heads south and then east up a hill. At the beginning of the road is a "nature" sign. The road climbs the hill and then gets rough just over the top of the hill. Any car driven with care can make it to this point (in good weather). After the top of the hill, the road then becomes a 4wd track and heads southeast to Moffit Pass. A 4wd road continues west from Moffit Pass to Weber Canyon, but the gate is always locked just west of the pass. Moffit Pass can also be reached from Whitney Reservoir. Follow the Whitney Reservior Road and then take a right after about two miles (from the Whitney Road). The road stays above the reservoir on the west side. Turn right again at the sign for Beaver Lake. A 4wd track heads west from Beaver Lake to Moffit Pass. Beaver Lake can also be used to start the hike to Moffit Peak.
Route Description
This is the shortest route to Moffit Peak. If you drive a car, you will have to walk part of the way to Moffit Pass. From Moffit Pass, simply follow the ridge south and to the summit. The ridge is open and is a bit steep, but over-all, this is a fairly easy climb. About half the distance covered is boulder-hopping. From the summit, there are excellent views of the High Uintas Wilderness Area, Dry Fork, Weber Canyon/Holiday Park, the Wasatch Range, Evanston, and the Whitney Reservior. The views are well worth the effort to get there. The summit is only 2.5 miles round trip from Moffit Pass, but if you continue to peak 10,795 the round trip distance is about 6 miles. There are many places to explore.Extensions and Variations:
The ridges leading from the summit offer more cross-country routes. From the summit of Moffit Peak, the ridge west can be descended to a pass. From this pass, it is fairly easy to contour directly back to Moffit Pass by heading back to the north and slightly east.
From the pass mentioned above that is west of Moffit Peak, it is also possible to continue along the ridge and ascend two more peaks. These are Peaks 10,770 and 10,595.
From the summit of Moffit Peak, there are other possibilities to extend the hike as well. From the summit, it is possible to follow the ridge to the south. The ridge turns east after about a mile. The ridge is mostly open and easy fro cross-country travel. The ridge becomes fairly level and can be followed for several miles if you so desire.
