As with many of the peaks in the Uinta Mountains, these ones do not have names. All three peaks lie on the same ridge between the upper Uinta River drainage and the West Fork Whiterocks River drainage. None have trails to the summit. There are two benchmarks on the ridge, but neither is on the summit of one of the peaks, but are on minor highpoints connecting to higher ground. There are actually several summits on the ridge, but these three have over 300 foot prominence from the connecting saddles and would be considered individual peaks by US standards.

"North Cleve" is the highest point just to the north of the Cleve benchmark and is at 12,524 feet elevation with 1092 feet prominence above the connecting saddle. Farther south is Peak 12,127 (aka Penny Nickle Peak after the lake with that name) which has 365 foot prominence above the connecting saddle.

"West Clover" is the highest point not far west of the Clover Benchmark and is at 12,425 feet elevation with 663 feet of prominence above the connecting saddle.

These peaks are rounded and not as rugged as some of the peaks in the Northeast Uintas, but are worthwhile destinations. These peaks are almost never visited, but are some of the easier to access 12'ers in the Uintas. While most of the 12'ers in the Uintas require multi-day approaches, these peaks can be climbed on day trips, though doing all three in a day is a really long one-day hike.

Three separate pages seemed like overkill for three un-named peaks that share many of the same routes, so they will be included on this one page, to avoid duplicating many of the routes and information.

The Uinta Mountains are one of the few mountain ranges in North America that run east to west rather than north to south. Within the Uinta Mountains are about 2000 lakes, and some 900-1000 are full of trout. Along with the San Juans in Colorado, the Uintas have more contiguous area above timberline than any other area in the Continental United States. This is a beautiful area with many lakes, meadows, wildflowers, and some rugged peaks. Solitude is usually easy to come by once you leave the popular fishing holes behind.

Utah's 12,000+ Foot Peaks With 200+ Feet Prominence

Utah's 12,000+ Foot Peaks With 300+ Feet Prominence

Fox-Quent Pass is at the northern terminus of the ridge connecting these three peaks (mid-August 1995).

Getting There

There are several driving routes to the trailhead, but this is the quickest. A good road map is needed. From Roosevelt, take State Highway 121 north. This is where the elbow in Highway 40 is, right downtown, so the turnoff is easy to locate. Stay on Highway 121 north, follow it as is makes a sharp turn at Neola and heads due east. The highway will reach a "T" and turn south. At the "T", turn left (north) to the town of Whiterocks. From Whiterocks, drive northwest along the paved road. Not long after passing the fish hatchery, will be another junction. Go straight (not left). The road heads north, then east, then north again. At the next intersection, go straight and to the Elkhorn Guard Station. Continue straight on the Elkhorn Loop Road, up Pole Mountain, and to Forest Road 110 before heading to Pole Creek Lake. Don't take the Elkhorn Loop to Pole Creek Lake, but turn right onto Forest Road 110. If you reach Pole Creek Lake, you overshot the turnoff. Follow Forest Road 110 north for about four miles to the signed (for West Fork Whiterocks Trailhead) turnoff to the left. Turn left to the trailhead. Most of the Elkhorn Loop as well as Forest Road 110 is gravel, but usually in good condition for cars, provided you drive slowly.

"North Cleve" is to the left. Peak 12,001 is the peak on the right. Fox-Quent Pass is between the two(mid-August 1995).

Routes Overview

These are overviews only. See the route pages for much more detail.

"North Cleve"

The easiest route up this peak is from Fox-Quent Pass and south along the ridge. The east ridge from just north of Cleveland Lake is another route and is the shortest option. The saddle between "North Cleve" and Peak 12,127 appears easily accessible from the east or west, so you can find your own route from the south.

Fox-Quent Pass is along the route to "North Cleve".

Peak 12,127

The peak can be climbed from the north and south ridge and while climbing all three peaks in one shot. To climb the peak separately, the most practical route would be from the saddle north of the peak and between this peak and "North Cleve".

"West Clover"

The northeast ridge of the Clover benchmark then west to the summit is the most practical route. From the West Fork Trailhead, you actually cross some rough logging roads. If you can find the beginning of the roads, you can probably shorten the hike with a 4wd, but I didn't try driving them, or using another trailhead, since I didn't know they existed until crossing them on the way to the peaks. The easiest route up "West Clover" actually appears to be from the south from Pole Creek Lake and then the Rock Creek Lakes, but I haven't tried this route, so you will have to explore the route on your own. The northwest ridge of peak leads to Peak 12,127 and can be used to climb all three, or two peaks in one shot.

Note: Apparently a blowdown storm has effected the routes through the forest to timberline on West Clover (according to the other summit log). It wasn't there in 1992 or in August 1995, but on Flat Top Benchmark (south of Emmons) we found one in August 1997 that caused route problems. It was probably the same storm, and it must have happened sometime between those dates. If you have updated route info, please post.

The Grand Tour

It is possible to climb all three peaks in one shot. From the trailhead, hike up to Fox-Quent Pass. From Fox-Quent pass, follow the ridge south to "North Cleve", south to Peak 12,127, southeast to "West Clover", over to Clover benchmark, and finally, use the northeast ridge of Clover benchmark to descend off the ridge. This is a great route if no thunderstorms are present, but be aware that you will be above the timberline for a long distance, and this area receives many electrical storms. Don't attempt it if there are and thunderstorms present. This route can be done in one very long day for a strong climber.

Red Tape

No permits are required.

When To Climb

July through September is the normal hiking/climbing season here. Mosquitoes can be especially thick in July. Winter road closures are a really long way from the trailhead, and climbing these peaks would require well over a week's time when the roads are closed. It is highly probable that these peaks haven't yet seen a winter ascent. If you did try it, I would estimate that it may take ten days or so.

"North Cleve" and Cleve Benchmark from Cleveland Lake in mid-August.

Camping

There are several backcountry campsites in the basins surrounding the peaks.

Mountain Conditions

Weather Forecast for Central Uinta Mountains

Here are some average highs and lows from the 12,139 foot elevation (3700 meters) in the Uintas (about the same altitude as the summit):

MONTH	HIGH	LOW
JAN	14	-1
FEB	16	1
MAR	19	4
APR	27	11
MAY	35	18
JUN	45	25
JUL	55	32
AUG	53	31
SEP	45	24
OCT	34	15
NOV	22	8
DEC	17	3

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