Lowe Peak Oquirrh Mountains

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Distance: 12 mile loop
Elevation Gain: 6,500 feet
Summit Elevation: Lowe is 10,589 feet
Access: Gravel/Dirt

Lowe Peak is the second highest mountain in the Oquirrhs but the most popular by far. Because the entire route is on BLM lands, most people feel comfortable climbing it. To do the loop in this report, some private lands are crossed between Lowe and Bald. Doing the trip in spring with snow, you likely won't see anybody at all.

Take the Ophir turnoff of State Route 73 between mile markers 4 and 5. Drive up 3.5 miles to Ophir, then 1.5 miles to the end of the road. You'll pass a county campground and there is also camping near the trailhead. Most cars should be able to get to the trailhead although there are a couple water crossings in spring. If you climb here too early, the road will still have snow increasing your hiking distance.

Hike the trail as it crosses back and forth over the creek (bring poles in early season). After a 1.3 miles you hit a large meadow with Lowe to the east. Climb up the drainages on it's west face. These drainages hold snow through May. The drainages fork several times, all will get you to the ridge south of the summit. I kept to the right taking the largest ones into some Aspens. Once on the ridge, a small trail will take you north to the summit. An ice axe and snowshoes/crampons were nice for the hard pack steep snow sections. A register from 1996 is on the summit. To reach Rocky Peak, drop down the NW ridge 800 feet, traverse around or over point 10,160. There were seriously huge cornices here, be careful in early season. Rocky Peak is a good scramble, definitely the most "alpine" like summit I've done yet in the Oquirrhs. Its still easy enough, I was able to keep my snowshoes on up the east ridge and down the southwest ridge. Continuing on the ridge is peak 9530, one I call "Balboa" peak. In summer, there is a trail here traversing around the peak. Drop down Balboa to a large saddle with an old corral. Roads access from both sides. Climbed directly up 1500 feet to Sharp Mountain, a sub peak of Bald. Traversed easily over to East Bald Mountain. Benchmark here with commanding views. Dropped to the west in order to grab West Bald Mountain. An ATV trail climbs to it's summit from the pass. As shown on the map, to return, I followed a road around East Bald Mountain until I could drop into Chandler Fork. Dropped down until I found the road coming up to a old mining claim. I cut off the bottom of the road in order to drop through the forest directly to my waiting car at the trailhead. **Others have climbed via the Serviceberry Canyon Road. I show much of it being private property but there are no signs according to other accounts. Same for the road/ATV trail up Chandler Fork, I thought it was private as well but there were no signs. Both have no gates.

and traverse to East Bald Mountain

Looking north to the Kelsey Peaks, Butterfield Canyon peaks, Nelson Peak, Farnsworth Peak

Panoramic showing Flat Top Mountain, Ophir Canyon, East Bald Mountain and Rocky Peak

Last few feet up Lowe Peak

The drainages up Lowe Peak

Below: Black is road or ATV, blue is trail and yellow is off trail

Lowe Peak and Rocky Peak from Serviceberry Canyon

East Bald Mountain from West Bald Mountain

East Bald Mountain & Sharp Mountain from Balboa Peak

Rocky Peaks west ridge

Point 10,160 and Lowe Peak from Rocky Peak

North ridge of Lowe Peak