Find Nearby Peaks

This peak is not in the book. Published November 2020

---

Peak 7283 and Peak 7042 are two ranked summits that are hidden from view from Kepps Crossing Road by an intervening ridge. It takes some work to reach these peaks (which are only about a mile apart) due to the Tex Creek drainage that must be crossed in order to reach them. Thankfully, this is predominantly open terrain so navigation is not much of a problem. This area is a patchwork of private and public land but the routes described for these two peaks are entirely on BLM land. USGS Point Lookout

Access

Park along Kepps Crossing Road in a pullout just past a gully that sits southwest of Peak 7283. To minimize the ups and downs on this journey, you must find this specific gully. It is located exactly 12.7 miles east on Eagle Pass Road (which merges into Kepps Crossing Road) from its junction with Bone Road just south of the Sunnyside Road/Bone Road junction southeast of Idaho Falls. This pullout is about a mile south of a hairpin right/south turn in Kepps Crossing Road where the road crosses a small creek. The elevation at this pullout is 6,100 feet and the GPS coordinates are: 43.3827⁰N, 111.6429⁰W. There are no roads or trails to help you on this journey. It is a 100% bushwhack. Tex Creek is bigger and more problematic than the USGS map suggests.

Southwest Ridge, Class 2

The Climb

From the parking pullout near the base of the side gully, bushwhack east up the east side of the dry gully to reach a shoulder (of sorts) and cross the intervening ridge that sits between Kepps Crossing Road and the Tex Creek drainage just north of Point 6462. The terrain up to this point is open scrub and sagebrush. From the flat high point area, descend east-northeast through thicker brush and some aspens to reach Tex Creek. Find a place to jump the creek amongst the willows then bash your way through a short patch of willows to reach the easy, open scrub slope on the north side of Tex Creek.

Scramble steeply north up a slope of field grass, scrub, and scattered brush to reach the southwest ridge of Peak 7283. Skirt some patches of loose scree in so doing. Follow an old cattle fence shown on the USGS map (only the metal posts remain) up the open ridge through a combination of easy short scrub and sagebrush requiring some weaving to navigate. The ridge meanders a bit, heading northeast initially then east then northeast again as it gains elevation. Finally, the ridge turns left/northwest to reach the open summit of Peak 7283. The summit has a very tall cairn.

Northwest Ridge/Face, Class 2

The Descent

From the summit, follow the open ridge northwest until the ridge becomes a face and the nice, open terrain becomes a thick pine forest. Maintain a northwest trajectory and descend through the thick forest to a saddle that connects Peak 7283 to Peak 7042. The forest ends and the terrain opens up as you approach the saddle. You will be happy to regain your visuals here.