White Mountain (Wyoming)

White Mountain is a long mountain located in central Sweetwater County, Wyoming, near the cities of Rock Springs and Green River. The mountain is part of the Green River Formation, and contains communications towers that serve a number of purposes. Hundreds of carved figures also dot the sandstone cliffs at the White Mountain Petroglyph site and range from 200 to 1000 years old. Pilot Butte, located on top of White Mountain, is accessible from roads on the mountain.

White Mountain
White Mountain's highest point (minus Pilot Butte) located near Rock Springs, Wyoming
Highest point
Elevation7,623 ft (2,323 m)
Coordinates41°34′41″N 109°19′12″W 
Geography
LocationSweetwater County, Wyoming, U.S.
Climbing
Easiest routeRoads from Rock Springs and Green River
The central portion of the mountain, from Rock Springs, Wyoming

Geology

Like its neighbor, Wilkins Peak, White Mountain is a member of the Green River Formation, a formation of the intermontane Lake Gosiute environment during the Eocene epoch. White Mountain is part of the Rock Springs Uplift,[1] and some of the largest oil shale and trona beds in the region are located west of the mountain. White Mountain contains sediment from a subcategory of the Green River Formation, known as the Wilkins Peak Formation.[2][3]

The peak itself is 7,623 feet (2,323 m) in elevation and is located 5.4 miles (9 km) from Rock Springs, Wyoming and 8.85 miles (14 km) from Green River, Wyoming.

Communication uses

White Mountain houses communication radio towers for a number of local and regional uses. A tower for the radio station K299AG broadcasts a religious radio format on 107.7 FM. Programming on the station comes from KCSP-FM.[4] The local cable company, Sweetwater Television, owns the tallest tower, on the center of the mountain. This tower can be seen in the picture above. K28JU-D, the local PBS affiliate of KCWC-DT broadcasts from space on the tower as well, and as of August 2009, is the only television station broadcasting from White Mountain.[5] Located next to that tower are transmitters used by the local BLM office, as well as a tower for cellular telephones, owned by Union Wireless.[6]

On the side of the mountain facing Green River, two more radio towers are present. One of the towers is used for airport communications from a nearby airport. The other, owned by Verizon Wireless is used for cellular telephone transmissions.[7]

White Mountain, as seen from Wilkins Peak. Pilot Butte is to the left

Pilot Butte
Ancestral Shoshone petroglyphs (White Mountain Petroglyphs), carved into the soft sandstone

Pilot Butte is located directly on top of White Mountain, and was named by early travelers in the region as a signal that they were close to the Green River.[8] Pilot Butte is also a part of the Wild Horse tour, and several herds of wild horses have been spotted in the area.[9] The butte is the second highest point in the immediate region, the first being Aspen Mountain to the south. It is 7,949 feet (2,423 m) in elevation at its highest point. The butte can be hiked, and used to contain a steel ladder to assist in reaching the summit.[10]

Petroglyphs

Hundreds of carved figures dot the sandstone cliffs at the White Mountain Petroglyph site in Wyoming’s Red Desert. Etched into the stone surface some 200 to 1,000 years ago, several figures appear to portray bison and elk hunts while others depict geometric forms or tiny footprints. Handprints are worn into the rock as well, providing visitors with a compelling connection to those who used the site long ago. [11]

References
  1. Alan Caroll: Green River, Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  2. Eugster, H.P.; Hardie, L.A. (1975). "Sedimentation in an ancient playa-lake complex; the Wilkins Peak Member of the Green River Formation of Wyoming". Bulletin of the Geological Society of America. 86 (3): 319–334. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1975)86<319:SIAAPC>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 20 Apr 2008.
  3. "Green River Formation". University of California Museum of Paleontology. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
  4. Radio-locator Query for K299AG
  5. http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?list=0&facid=167610
  6. White Mountain, Rock Springs Side
  7. White Mountain, Green River Side
  8. Wyoming Places Wiki / Pilot Butte
  9. Wyoming Wild Horses - Pilot Butte Scenic Loop Tour
  10. A Little Grace: Hiking up Pilot Butte, Wyoming
  11. https://travelwyoming.com/listing/rock-springs/white-mountain-petroglyphs
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