SummitPost.org

I haven't backpacked in 20 years, but I've got a funny window to do just that this month: all of a Sunday and Monday; I can also leave Saturday night around 6:00 pm, which could be enough time to reach a trailhead and find a campsite (maybe). (I wish I had one more day so I could hike for day, have a summit day, and hike back for a day...but I don't.)

I want to build this trip around a summit opportunity, and ideally one that I couldn't do in a day hike -- I want to make the most of this trip! Building it around more than one summit would also be fine. I'd love to summit a peak over 11,000 feet, but that's not a must. I live in the Salt Lake valley and can reach both the Wasatch and Oquirrh mountains in around an hour; I'm not sure about the Uintas.

For context, I'm kicking the tires for an August trip to King's Peak; I want to see what works and what doesn't, be forced to find and purify water, try my stove, etc. I'm reasonably fit. I'm nervous about Class 3 routes, but I've done one (Mt. Olympus) and it turned out fine; I need to get over that nervousness. Class 3 is likely my limit for now, though.

Given those parameters, where would you recommend I go? Thanks in advance!

There are lots of choices. How about Gobblers Knob, for example? If backpacking in, I'd come in from the Mill Creek side.

Timpanogos from Timpooneke might be good. The Aspen Grove trail doesn't have any campsites until Hidden Lake, so it may be hard to do that one by leaving late.

If really short on time the first night you could pack into Dog Lake, Desolation Lake, or Lake Mary and climb the peaks from there.

Timpanogos is looking like a great option -- good spots to camp, a couple nearby trails and smaller summits to explore, and probably more than I could do in a day hike. Thanks!

I'll probably do Raymond as a day hike; I tried it earlier this year but was turned back by the snow.

Hiking into the lakes on Saturday night is something I have to look into more.