bykyrb - Aug 6, 2023 7:40 pm Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2023
Fir trees are your friend!
The easiest route for bushwhacking is to head for the stand of fir trees that run from near the start to the peak just south of the summit. There is a lot less brush under those trees. Stay just in the south edge of them, along the sub ridge. It might seem like you are going out of your way heading northwest towards the bottom of those trees, but it is well worth it. Unfortunately I have not found a good route to get TO the trees. :-)
utahjimk - Jul 12, 2021 7:31 am Date Climbed: Jul 10, 2021
with WMC group
This one plus Horse Mountain. The drive (complete Squaw Peak road / FR 027 from north end to south end) was part of the adventure - thanks to Andy for driving us!
PrinceOfNorway - Oct 8, 2015 10:00 am Date Climbed: Oct 3, 2015
Bushwacking the Buckley
I will give you directions from the Kolob basin overlook thing. Hit the four-wheeler tracks in the grass and follow them to the top of the hill thing. This is probably where you'll lose the trail. Cross the saddle, heading toward the south ridge. You'll see a grove of aspen. There is a faint trail just to the south of this grove. Unfortunately, this faint trail will disappear a few hundred feet up. At that point you'll just have to fight the brush.
The best part about this hike was the moose family we saw near the top and the views of everything beautiful in Utah County.
abrennalinerush - Oct 3, 2015 11:08 pm Date Climbed: Oct 3, 2015
Bushwhacker's Delight
Clouds obscured many of the towering nearby peaks, but you can't argue that it was stunning in its own right.
I ran 10 miles from Rock Canyon to Kolob Basin Overlook and then bushwhacked it up the East side up to the saddle, then made my way along the ridge to the summit. Running home was brutal because it was 2pm at that point and I was running out of water.
Unfortunately, my car couldn't quite make it up the rutted dirt road to the parking lot.
Followed the mostly snow free trail up Slate Canyon to about 7120' and then took the trail that turns south and soon was walking in snow. At a convenient place, I left the trail and went SW to the top of Buckley's easternmost north ridge. I followed this ridge to the summit of the north peak. Then I went to the south peak and on to Horse Mountain. From Horse Mountain, I descended to the gully just to its west and followed the gully back to the trail. It took 3:23 to get to Buckley, 25 more minutes to get to Horse Mountain, and 1:48 to get back to my car, for a round trip time of 5:36.
The initial bit after leaving the trail was a bit brushy, but the brush clears out pretty quick. Even though it was 37F when I left SLC, there was not a solid refreeze, but once I got up to about 8000' it was mostly ok but still soft in a few spots.
DarrenKnezek - Feb 28, 2012 12:35 am Date Climbed: Feb 25, 2012
Northwest Ridge summiting Toad Head along the way
Climbed with the Utah Climbing Club. Started around 5am. Hiked pretty much straight up to the summit of Toad Head. Took about 2 hours. No down climb off the east end of Toad Head. Went down 50 feet and walked around its south side. Continued up the NW ridge through a little brush until we bumped into the cliff line. Went south around it, then a long snowshoe to the top of the peak following the ridge. Great day, great summit, great company!
Dean - Sep 20, 2010 8:42 pm Date Climbed: Sep 20, 2010
From east
Went up from the Kolob overlook and met a hiker who had just been to the summit, Bob Sorenson (register entry). I pretty much followed his footprints up to the ridgeline as I made my way up the steep brushy slopes. Upon reaching the summit, I found the register, a 16 oz water bottle with papers stuffed inside so I put a new register container in its place. Enjoyed the hike and the views. Drove up via Provo canyon Squaw Peak road and went out that way. The fall colors were really nice.
aprovance - Aug 12, 2009 4:37 pm Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2009
Via Kolob Basin Overlook
Routefinding at it's best. A really fun hike, not too bad as long as you pick a good route up. Fifty minutes to summit. Found the registry in the cairn at the top, and put paper and a pen in the plastic bottle and put it in an old camo colored carrying case I found on the way up. Last to sign it was Bruce Christensen, whose entry is right below this one. Didn't see a soul or even hear an ATV!
There's a well-maintained trail up Slate Canyon, which then turns into an unmaintained (and hard to follow) track intersecting the Squaw Peak Trail at the Kolob Canyon Overlook. I was hiking in July, and undergrowth was quite thick. It was slow going, and it's easy to lose the trail. I was also alone, which in retrospect was stupid. I had a GPS with a rough estimate of the route pre-programmed.
On the way up, I stopped at Knight Spring to refill my water bottles. Which was lucky, because I didn't encounter any water above that on the mountain. I reached Kolob overlook and walked a little further up Horse Mountain for lunch. Lots of biting flies, a little unpleasant. I turned back far short of the summit, because my water was running low and the flies were driving me crazy. On the way back down, I sprained my ankle quite badly stepping in a dry stream bed. That reminded me why not to do this alone -- I never saw another person all day. Because of my injury, I had a hard time following my exact path back down, but using the GPS I managed to get back to Knight Spring to rest a while and rejuvenate. Finally managed to get off the mountain around nightfall.
My recommendations: summiting via Slate Canyon & Kolob Overlook could be done in one day, but you'd need to be in pretty good shape and I don't recommend it alone (because you'll probably not encounter another soul most of the day). Much easier to just drive to the overlook and hike from there, or else camp near Knight Spring and make a two-day trip of it. Having said that, I fully intend to get this peak, maybe by this route again...
Bruce Christensen - Apr 29, 2008 12:23 pm Date Climbed: Apr 29, 2008
Via Little Rock Canyon
Finally made it up this thing with my friend John via Little Rock Canyon. I'd never been up that canyon, but it is absolutely beautiful. The going was fun and easy about halfway up the canyon, and then it turned into nasty screen and scrub oak bushwhacking. We reached the drainage that flows from the saddle and then tagged both summits. Started at 5:30 a.m., took 7 hours to summit.
Glissaded down the snowfield from the saddle to the drainage between Buckley and Horse mountains and exited via Slate Canyon. That route was quick and easy. About 2.5 hours from the north summit to the Slate Canyon trailhead.
peachey - Oct 29, 2007 11:13 am Date Climbed: Oct 27, 2007
Fun climb!
I climbed up from the Kolob Basin Overlook, hit both peaks, and was back to my car in about 2 hours. The views were spectacular! I placed a geocache at the top.
Bruce Christensen - Oct 26, 2007 10:26 pm Date Climbed: Oct 26, 2007
Made it halfway up the west side
I've been eying Buckley for a long time, and I finally decided to go up and check it out today. I parked at the end of Mountain View Parkway (just off State Street) and just started walking straight up the ridge. I started at 4pm, so I didn't expect to make it all the way to the top.
I gained the first 2000 feet (to 6500 feet) in about an hour. It was pretty quick going over grass, dirt, and occasional talus. There were a few sections of scrub oak, but nothing too bad.
The second hour was a different story. The scrub oak got pretty dense in a lot of places, which slowed me down quite a bit. There was also some third class scrambling in one small section. (I avoided scrambling or downclimbing on the way back, so I guess I didn't really need to climb.)
I made it to about 7700 feet before turning around. It levels out right there, and you can see both the north and the south summit. There's a relatively flat spot there were you could camp. It looked from there that you could probably follow the ridge all the way to the north summit, but there's a medium-size cliff band that you'd have to go around.
The views of the sunset over Utah Lake were great, as usual.
I stayed at 7700 feet for about 20 minutes and then headed back down. I reached the car a little before 8pm.
Tracy - Oct 16, 2007 2:23 am Date Climbed: Feb 26, 1986
climbed up Toad Head on the west side
David Raymert and I did a night hike up to the top of Toad Head, elevation 7369 feet.
14 or 15 months later, my wife Lori and I were traveling the Hobble Creek Canyon to Provo Canyon Squaw Peak Trail Road in our old '63 Volkswagon bus and 3/4s of a mile north of the road's highpoint at Kolob Basin Overlook we found a huge snowdrift blocking the road where the road turns east for a short stretch. Trying to go back uphill was slippery and we almost made it, but just north of Kolob Basin Overlook, the bus kept trying to slide off the road to the west. We decided to abandon the vehicle for the night and hike down Slate Canyon in the dark without flashlights. Lori slipped a few times and her shins got quite bloody (It's more than 20 years later, and she still reminds me of that!). We bummed a ride back to our basement apartment in north Provo from some kids who were 4-wheelin' in 'Mom's Suburban' near the mouth of Slate Canyon. The next day, I drove back with a Hi-Lift jack, some wooden planks, and my brother and we were able to get the bus out. All that effort in the general vicinity and I still haven't bagged the peak!
vanman798 - Oct 16, 2007 12:04 am Date Climbed: Oct 12, 2007
From the East Side
Nice 1/2 day hike, offering excellent views of the valley and all seven of the highest peaks in Utah County. No trail, and no people!
bykyrb - Aug 6, 2023 7:40 pm Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2023
Fir trees are your friend!The easiest route for bushwhacking is to head for the stand of fir trees that run from near the start to the peak just south of the summit. There is a lot less brush under those trees. Stay just in the south edge of them, along the sub ridge. It might seem like you are going out of your way heading northwest towards the bottom of those trees, but it is well worth it. Unfortunately I have not found a good route to get TO the trees. :-)
utahjimk - Jul 12, 2021 7:31 am Date Climbed: Jul 10, 2021
with WMC groupThis one plus Horse Mountain. The drive (complete Squaw Peak road / FR 027 from north end to south end) was part of the adventure - thanks to Andy for driving us!
PrinceOfNorway - Oct 8, 2015 10:00 am Date Climbed: Oct 3, 2015
Bushwacking the BuckleyI will give you directions from the Kolob basin overlook thing. Hit the four-wheeler tracks in the grass and follow them to the top of the hill thing. This is probably where you'll lose the trail. Cross the saddle, heading toward the south ridge. You'll see a grove of aspen. There is a faint trail just to the south of this grove. Unfortunately, this faint trail will disappear a few hundred feet up. At that point you'll just have to fight the brush.
The best part about this hike was the moose family we saw near the top and the views of everything beautiful in Utah County.
abrennalinerush - Oct 3, 2015 11:08 pm Date Climbed: Oct 3, 2015
Bushwhacker's DelightClouds obscured many of the towering nearby peaks, but you can't argue that it was stunning in its own right.
JonScottBikes - Jul 30, 2015 5:53 pm Date Climbed: Jul 29, 2015
Ran from Rock CanyonI ran 10 miles from Rock Canyon to Kolob Basin Overlook and then bushwhacked it up the East side up to the saddle, then made my way along the ridge to the summit. Running home was brutal because it was 2pm at that point and I was running out of water.
ZeeJay - Apr 23, 2014 6:28 pm Date Climbed: Apr 23, 2014
via Slate CanyonUnfortunately, my car couldn't quite make it up the rutted dirt road to the parking lot.
Followed the mostly snow free trail up Slate Canyon to about 7120' and then took the trail that turns south and soon was walking in snow. At a convenient place, I left the trail and went SW to the top of Buckley's easternmost north ridge. I followed this ridge to the summit of the north peak. Then I went to the south peak and on to Horse Mountain. From Horse Mountain, I descended to the gully just to its west and followed the gully back to the trail. It took 3:23 to get to Buckley, 25 more minutes to get to Horse Mountain, and 1:48 to get back to my car, for a round trip time of 5:36.
The initial bit after leaving the trail was a bit brushy, but the brush clears out pretty quick. Even though it was 37F when I left SLC, there was not a solid refreeze, but once I got up to about 8000' it was mostly ok but still soft in a few spots.
DarrenKnezek - Feb 28, 2012 12:35 am Date Climbed: Feb 25, 2012
Northwest Ridge summiting Toad Head along the wayClimbed with the Utah Climbing Club. Started around 5am. Hiked pretty much straight up to the summit of Toad Head. Took about 2 hours. No down climb off the east end of Toad Head. Went down 50 feet and walked around its south side. Continued up the NW ridge through a little brush until we bumped into the cliff line. Went south around it, then a long snowshoe to the top of the peak following the ridge. Great day, great summit, great company!
Dean - Sep 20, 2010 8:42 pm Date Climbed: Sep 20, 2010
From eastWent up from the Kolob overlook and met a hiker who had just been to the summit, Bob Sorenson (register entry). I pretty much followed his footprints up to the ridgeline as I made my way up the steep brushy slopes. Upon reaching the summit, I found the register, a 16 oz water bottle with papers stuffed inside so I put a new register container in its place. Enjoyed the hike and the views. Drove up via Provo canyon Squaw Peak road and went out that way. The fall colors were really nice.
aprovance - Aug 12, 2009 4:37 pm Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2009
Via Kolob Basin OverlookRoutefinding at it's best. A really fun hike, not too bad as long as you pick a good route up. Fifty minutes to summit. Found the registry in the cairn at the top, and put paper and a pen in the plastic bottle and put it in an old camo colored carrying case I found on the way up. Last to sign it was Bruce Christensen, whose entry is right below this one. Didn't see a soul or even hear an ATV!
lowellstewart - Jul 23, 2009 2:53 pm Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2008
Via Slate CanyonThere's a well-maintained trail up Slate Canyon, which then turns into an unmaintained (and hard to follow) track intersecting the Squaw Peak Trail at the Kolob Canyon Overlook. I was hiking in July, and undergrowth was quite thick. It was slow going, and it's easy to lose the trail. I was also alone, which in retrospect was stupid. I had a GPS with a rough estimate of the route pre-programmed.
On the way up, I stopped at Knight Spring to refill my water bottles. Which was lucky, because I didn't encounter any water above that on the mountain. I reached Kolob overlook and walked a little further up Horse Mountain for lunch. Lots of biting flies, a little unpleasant. I turned back far short of the summit, because my water was running low and the flies were driving me crazy. On the way back down, I sprained my ankle quite badly stepping in a dry stream bed. That reminded me why not to do this alone -- I never saw another person all day. Because of my injury, I had a hard time following my exact path back down, but using the GPS I managed to get back to Knight Spring to rest a while and rejuvenate. Finally managed to get off the mountain around nightfall.
My recommendations: summiting via Slate Canyon & Kolob Overlook could be done in one day, but you'd need to be in pretty good shape and I don't recommend it alone (because you'll probably not encounter another soul most of the day). Much easier to just drive to the overlook and hike from there, or else camp near Knight Spring and make a two-day trip of it. Having said that, I fully intend to get this peak, maybe by this route again...
Bruce Christensen - Apr 29, 2008 12:23 pm Date Climbed: Apr 29, 2008
Via Little Rock CanyonFinally made it up this thing with my friend John via Little Rock Canyon. I'd never been up that canyon, but it is absolutely beautiful. The going was fun and easy about halfway up the canyon, and then it turned into nasty screen and scrub oak bushwhacking. We reached the drainage that flows from the saddle and then tagged both summits. Started at 5:30 a.m., took 7 hours to summit.
Glissaded down the snowfield from the saddle to the drainage between Buckley and Horse mountains and exited via Slate Canyon. That route was quick and easy. About 2.5 hours from the north summit to the Slate Canyon trailhead.
peachey - Oct 29, 2007 11:13 am Date Climbed: Oct 27, 2007
Fun climb!I climbed up from the Kolob Basin Overlook, hit both peaks, and was back to my car in about 2 hours. The views were spectacular! I placed a geocache at the top.
Bruce Christensen - Oct 26, 2007 10:26 pm Date Climbed: Oct 26, 2007
Made it halfway up the west sideI've been eying Buckley for a long time, and I finally decided to go up and check it out today. I parked at the end of Mountain View Parkway (just off State Street) and just started walking straight up the ridge. I started at 4pm, so I didn't expect to make it all the way to the top.
I gained the first 2000 feet (to 6500 feet) in about an hour. It was pretty quick going over grass, dirt, and occasional talus. There were a few sections of scrub oak, but nothing too bad.
The second hour was a different story. The scrub oak got pretty dense in a lot of places, which slowed me down quite a bit. There was also some third class scrambling in one small section. (I avoided scrambling or downclimbing on the way back, so I guess I didn't really need to climb.)
I made it to about 7700 feet before turning around. It levels out right there, and you can see both the north and the south summit. There's a relatively flat spot there were you could camp. It looked from there that you could probably follow the ridge all the way to the north summit, but there's a medium-size cliff band that you'd have to go around.
The views of the sunset over Utah Lake were great, as usual.
I stayed at 7700 feet for about 20 minutes and then headed back down. I reached the car a little before 8pm.
Tracy - Oct 16, 2007 2:23 am Date Climbed: Feb 26, 1986
climbed up Toad Head on the west sideDavid Raymert and I did a night hike up to the top of Toad Head, elevation 7369 feet.
14 or 15 months later, my wife Lori and I were traveling the Hobble Creek Canyon to Provo Canyon Squaw Peak Trail Road in our old '63 Volkswagon bus and 3/4s of a mile north of the road's highpoint at Kolob Basin Overlook we found a huge snowdrift blocking the road where the road turns east for a short stretch. Trying to go back uphill was slippery and we almost made it, but just north of Kolob Basin Overlook, the bus kept trying to slide off the road to the west. We decided to abandon the vehicle for the night and hike down Slate Canyon in the dark without flashlights. Lori slipped a few times and her shins got quite bloody (It's more than 20 years later, and she still reminds me of that!). We bummed a ride back to our basement apartment in north Provo from some kids who were 4-wheelin' in 'Mom's Suburban' near the mouth of Slate Canyon. The next day, I drove back with a Hi-Lift jack, some wooden planks, and my brother and we were able to get the bus out. All that effort in the general vicinity and I still haven't bagged the peak!
vanman798 - Oct 16, 2007 12:04 am Date Climbed: Oct 12, 2007
From the East SideNice 1/2 day hike, offering excellent views of the valley and all seven of the highest peaks in Utah County. No trail, and no people!