You can scale peak and not get peaked

If you would like to traverse the backbone of the Wasatch Mountains, you can save a lot of effort by driving to the Francis Peak radar station domes before beginning a hike to Thurston Peak (9,706 feet), the highest point in Davis and Morgan counties.

You save a 4,000-foot initial climb from the valley by driving some 13 miles up Farmington Canyon on a dirt road to a site near Francis Peak — the walking-point elevation is 9,515 above sea level. Most cars can make this trip, though there are some bumps and hairpin turns to negotiate.

The rewards are eye-candy views every single second as a bird's-eye panorama opens up, not only of Davis County and the Great Salt Lake, but Morgan County and beyond to the east. There are no dull views on this hike, and there is always plenty to see.

Francis Peak, located directly east of the Kaysville I-15 exit, is a popular summertime scenic backway destination in Davis County.

Even non-hikers will find the view at Francis Peak alone worth the visit. However, you will likely meet few people north of Francis Peak. There's solitude there in abundance — in the back yard of the populous Wasatch Front, especially when the jeep road is still blocked by snow.

This trek is more of a challenge in late spring and early summer, when these large snow patches still block the roads and trails. Still, the snow adds some refreshing variety.

The first western canyon encounter past Francis Peak is Bair and next is Webb Canyon, with lakes directly east on the backside of the mountain.

There are three small lakes — Smith Creek Lakes — hidden on the east slope. Take the jeep trail's right (east) fork just past Bair Canyon to find these secluded bodies of water.

The "Snow Horse" formation is also visible in late spring just north of Webb Canyon. The figure appears every spring and was a prominent pioneer landmark.

The figure is located east of the Kaysville-Layton boundary at about the 8,500-foot elevation. The pioneers believed if the horse was still visible by the Fourth of July, there would be plenty of water all summer.

The tailless horse's legs are composed of deep, snow-covered gullies, and its head is a grassy area without sagebrush. Open ridges and several outcroppings of rock round out the horse's shape.

As the snow melts, the horse's legs get thinner and thinner. However, even after all the snow is gone, a vague outline remains.