75-year-old hikes all the tallest peaks in each of Utah’s counties

OGDEN — Kent Stanford is not the kind of guy who likes to sit back and do nothing with his free time, not after he was an Ogden firefighter and certainly not in retirement.

So, even though it may have come as a surprise to some when the 75-year-old decided to hike the tallest peak in each county in Utah, that wasn’t the case for anyone he was close to, including family.

They just wanted him to achieve his goal — carefully.

“I found a book … and I found a checklist of the highest peaks in each county and I thought that would be a good goal to go for,” Kent Stanford said. “For me, it was going to a new area and searching out the beauties in that new area. … It was just the solitude and beauty of being up there. But I let everyone know my plan when I left.”

He has been hiking since he was a little boy in Weber County, heading out with his father, who also enjoyed the outdoors.

He’s been hiking so much in Utah that it’s difficult to determine when this “county peaks” challenge actually began. He hiked with his father from childhood through his teenage years and, as an adult, Kent Stanford hiked with his own children.

He and his family believe he began recording his hiking endeavor on July 4, 1994, when he reached the summit of Thurston Peak — the highest peak in Davis County, at 9,707 feet.

After that feat, he topped each of the highest peaks across the state’s 29 counties, completing his goal July 31, when he and his sons stood atop Gilbert Peak, the highest point in Summit County — 13,448 feet. 

Along with no desire to sit and do nothing, Kent Stanford likes to challenge himself with difficult tasks — demonstrated by his days as a firefighter — and to accomplish them alone. He said being alone on the many peaks has been incredibly enjoyable, even though to others it may seem too risky for a 75-year-old man to hike alone.

“I always tell everyone where I’m going and when I’ll be there, when I’ll be back,” Kent Stanford said. “I’m pretty good about stopping when I know I’m not going to complete that peak on that day. Once, I tried to hike one peak after just completing another and I was tired. So I turned around.”

His son joined him for a few hikes, including the one in July to complete his father’s goal. He knew some of the trails would be tricky, so he flew in from San Diego, not only to spend time with his father, but also to ensure he was OK when out on these hikes.

“This last hike, there really isn’t a great trail to follow and so I wanted to make sure that he got up there and accomplished his goal, safely,” Brandon Stanford said. “He’s got a good determination. I’m super excited to see him do these types of things and want to see him continue to be healthy and active.”

Whether in Iron County or Washington County, Cache County or Tooele County, Kent Stanford was never really alone. Many four-legged creatures passed him along the way — including rabbits, elk, deer, and once, a bull moose — but never a bear. He saw bear tracks from time to time and “that was enough to spook me out a little,” he said.

But being in the outdoors — in the animals’ natural habitat — just reminded Kent Stanford of the beauty of the state of Utah. Not that he doesn’t notice this while golfing or hiking with his wife, Cindy, or when he plays sports like volleyball with fellow firefighters, or definitely when he chases tornadoes outside of Utah, giving him something by which to compare the Beehive State.

Now that he’s completed his county peaks challenge — after having two knee replacement surgeries — he will continue to work on his golf game while he’s in St. George and prepare for his next challenge — hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

“That’s one of the goals, but, really, I just want to stay active and stay healthy,” Kent Stanford said. “I’d like to say to people, ‘Do what’s fun, what makes your life easier and comfortable, it doesn’t have to be hard. Just do what you can to stay healthy.'”

His son agrees.

“We want him to stay active, but also to keep laughing and smiling … just have fun with life,” Brandon Stanford said. “They helped me achieve my goals, so as they get into these older years, if they want to do something hard, great!”