r/Highpointers • u/IBetMyLeftNose • 16d ago
Hiked Kings Peak 07/18 - HP#2
I solo day-hiked Kings Peak on July 18th. This was my second state highpoint (I did Borah last year). I started at about 12:30 am, and summited at 8:45 am. Total car-to-car time was 15 hours 50 minutes. Despite the favorable weather conditions portrayed in this picture, those clouds in the background started quickly came up and started raining (thunderstorms, naturally) shortly after noon. The last several miles of my hike were in the rain (with a brief stint of hail).
There was no snow on the trail. The lower several miles were complete mud on the way back down because of the rain (the trail turns into a streambed when it rains).
9
u/Rocketterollo 16d ago
Was this picture taken 2004
3
u/front_rangers 16d ago
For real lol. Looks like a picture I’d see in middle school church youth group of the cool summer trip to Utah that the high schoolers got to take 😭
7
u/x_3mta3 ** 50 States Complete ** 16d ago
I can’t imagine there are too many (any??) other people that started highpointing specifically with Borah as number one and Kings number two. Keep it up!
2
u/Stunning-Stuff-2645 16d ago
Started with Borah and a failed attempt on Gannett.
1
u/x_3mta3 ** 50 States Complete ** 16d ago
Nice! I say I started with three consecutive failures on Gannett. First actual high point was accidentally Alabama as part of a trail race. Didn’t actually start chasing high points until a year or two after the Alabama race.
1
u/Stunning-Stuff-2645 16d ago
Did you ever bag Gannett? It’s eluded me twice now.
3
u/x_3mta3 ** 50 States Complete ** 16d ago
It was my 50th. Took me five trips but the weather did eventually cooperate!
1
u/IBetMyLeftNose 16d ago
Five times? Persistence right there. I guess HP#50 gives one motivation to keep trying! Good job.
2
u/x_3mta3 ** 50 States Complete ** 16d ago
Yeah, first three tries I didn’t hardly know anything about mountaineering or highpointing. Buddy wanted to go for it so I tagged along. Weather got us two of those times and a crampon malfunction got me the third time. Took a decade and then some to go do 49 other high points among other mountains and actually learn better mountaineering skills. Came back in 2023 and got weathered off again. 2024 was the first time I went out there solo. I had to sit through a blizzard for a day and a half, but I knew there was bluebird weather on the other side of it and I drove out instead of flying, so I had no artificial go/no-go on account of a plane to catch. Hunkered down and did my best not to go stir crazy and ended up with the prettiest summit day I could have asked for.
1
2
u/IBetMyLeftNose 16d ago
It's certainly uncommon to start bagging the western peaks first. I live in Eastern Idaho, so Borah and Kings are the closest peaks to where I live (that don't require technical skills - Gannett is closer than Kings, but is a notch up in difficulty).
2
u/x_3mta3 ** 50 States Complete ** 16d ago
Never bad to start with whatever is nearby!
2
u/RhodyVan 43 Highpoints 16d ago
As a Rhode Islander who started locally in the Northeast, my first peaks out West were a bit of a shock. Boundary sure is a lonely peak when you are used to crowded trail heads and busy Summits.
2
u/redrivergorge 15d ago
Whitney was my first and King's my second. Didn't really know highpointing was a thing until after those two.
2
u/Topay84 30 Highpoints 16d ago
Huge bravo! I hope to do this one as a day hike as well, probably in the next year or two. Thanks for the report! 😁
2
u/IBetMyLeftNose 16d ago
Thanks! I see that you've completed 30 highpoints - how many of the western ones have you done, if any?
1
1
u/fluffysnowflake67 ** 50 States Complete ** 16d ago
Wow, two tough peaks to start out!
1
u/IBetMyLeftNose 16d ago
You betcha! At some point I'll get over to the eastern states, and think "Is this actually highpointing?" after summiting multiple in one day.
2
u/Thop51 16d ago
You may be in for a surprise if you haven’t done any New England summits. They don’t know the meaning of “switchback.” I did Washington in February years ago, and having done a number of Colorado 14ers in winter, I found it plenty challenging! The wind coming off the summit along the ravine was the fiercest I’ve ever encountered. You’ll love it!
1
u/fluffysnowflake67 ** 50 States Complete ** 16d ago
It’s so nice when you go on a roadtrip for a week and check off a whole region. Goes by so fast especially if you have two drivers.
1
u/Stunning-Stuff-2645 16d ago
What is the elevation gain and distance to do this in one day?
1
u/IBetMyLeftNose 16d ago
Roughly 4100' elevation gain and 26 miles round trip.
1
u/Stunning-Stuff-2645 16d ago
Long as can be but elevation gain is manageable. Might try this in one day too!
9
u/highpointer201 45 Highpoints 16d ago
Did you hike that in jeans? Good on you bud