Mount Helen (Wyoming)

Mount Helen (13,626 feet (4,153 m)) is located in the Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming.[3] The peak is the fourth highest peak in the range[4] and the fifth tallest in Wyoming.[5] The summit is located in the Bridger Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest, immediately west of the Continental Divide. The eastern flanks of the mountain are covered in snowfields and glaciers, including Helen and Sacagawea Glaciers, all of which are in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest.

For the active stratovolcano in the state of Washington, see Mount St. Helens.
Mount Helen
Mount Helen
Location in Wyoming
Mount Helen
Location in the United States
Highest point
Elevation13,626 ft (4,153 m) [1]
Prominence820 ft (250 m) [1]
Coordinates43°09′04″N 109°37′52″W [2]
Geography
LocationSublette County, Wyoming, U.S.
Parent rangeWind River Range
Topo mapUSGS Gannett Peak
Climbing
First ascent1924 by Herman Buhl and Albert Ellingwood

Notable Ascents
  • 1974 Northwest Ridge of the First Tower, NCCS III F8 A1, 11 pitches. FA by Dean Hannibal, Dennis Turville and Lynn Wheeler.[6]

Hazards
Main articles: Hazards of outdoor recreation and Mountaineering § Hazards

Encountering bears is a concern in the Wind River Range, as well as in this nearby adjoining area.[7] There are other concerns as well, including bugs, wildfires, adverse snow conditions and nighttime cold temperatures.[8]

Importantly, there have been notable incidents, including accidental deaths, due to falls from steep cliffs (a misstep could be fatal in this class 4/5 terrain) and due to falling rocks, over the years, including 1993,[9] 2007 (involving an experienced NOLS leader),[10] 2015[11] and 2018.[12] Other incidents include a seriously injured backpacker being airlifted near SquareTop Mountain[13] in 2005,[14] and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparent accidental fall) in 2006 that involved state search and rescue.[15] The U.S. Forest Service does not offer updated aggregated records on the official number of fatalities in the Wind River Range.

References
  1. "Mount Helen, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  2. "Mount Helen". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  3. Gannett Peak, WY (Map). TopoQwest (United States Geological Survey Maps). Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  4. "Wind River Range". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  5. "Wyoming 13,000-foot Peaks". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  6. Hannibal, Dean (1975). "Mount Helen, Northwest Ridge of the First Tower". American Alpine Journal. New York: American Alpine Club. 20 (49): 138. ISBN 0-930410-72-6.
  7. Staff (April 24, 2017). "Bear Safety in Wyoming's Wind River Country". WindRiver.org. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  8. Ballou, Dawn (July 27, 2005). "Wind River Range condition update - Fires, trails, bears, Continental Divide". PineDaleOnline News. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  9. Staff (1993). "Falling Rock, Loose Rock, Failure to Test Holds, Wyoming, Wind River Range, Seneca Lake". American Alpine Club. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  10. MacDonald, Dougald (August 14, 2007). "Trundled Rock Kills NOLS Leader". Climbing. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  11. Staff (December 9, 2015). "Officials rule Wind River Range climbing deaths accidental". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  12. Dayton, Kelsey (August 24, 2018). "Deadly underestimation". WyoFile News. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  13. Funk, Jason (2009). "Squaretop Mountain Rock Climbing". Mountain Project. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  14. Staff (July 22, 2005). "Injured man rescued from Square Top Mtn - Tip-Top Search & Rescue helps 2 injured on the mountain". PineDaleOnline News. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  15. Staff (September 1, 2006). "Incident Reports - September, 2006 - Wind River Search". WildernessDoc.com. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.