Fremont Peak (Wyoming)
| Fremont Peak | |
|---|---|
 Fremont Peak at center from near Island Lake | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 13,751 ft (4,191 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 1,184 ft (361 m)[1] |
| Coordinates | 43°07′29″N 109°37′05″W / 43.12472°N 109.61806°W[2] |
| Geography | |
  Fremont Peak | |
| Parent range | Wind River Range |
| Topo map | USGS Fremont Peak South |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1842 Fremont and others |
Fremont Peak is the third highest peak in the state of Wyoming, surpassed only by Gannett Peak and Grand Teton, and straddles the boundary between Fremont and Sublette counties in the Wind River Range.[3] It is named for American explorer John C. Frémont who climbed the peak with Charles Preuss and Johnny Janisse from August 13 to August 15, 1842.[1][4] Kit Carson had been with the climbing party on its first attempt at the peak, but had gone back for supplies the day Fremont and his men reached the summit. Carson is thought by some to have been the first to climb neighboring Jackson Peak. At that time, Fremont Peak was mistakenly thought to be the highest mountain in the Rocky Mountains, although there are actually over 100 higher peaks in the Rocky Mountain range.
Geography
The peak is located on the Continental Divide and is the second highest peak in the remote Wind River Range after Gannett Peak. The east flank of the peak is in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest, while the west side is in the Bridger Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest. The Upper Fremont Glacier is located on the north slopes of the mountain.
Climate
| Climate data for Fremont Peak 43.1228 N, 109.6142 W, Elevation: 13,268 ft (4,044 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 17.1 (−8.3) |
16.3 (−8.7) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
36.1 (2.3) |
46.5 (8.1) |
56.0 (13.3) |
54.8 (12.7) |
46.2 (7.9) |
34.0 (1.1) |
22.9 (−5.1) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
33.0 (0.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 7.8 (−13.4) |
6.6 (−14.1) |
11.8 (−11.2) |
16.6 (−8.6) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
35.1 (1.7) |
43.6 (6.4) |
42.4 (5.8) |
34.9 (1.6) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
13.7 (−10.2) |
7.6 (−13.6) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −1.6 (−18.7) |
−3.2 (−19.6) |
1.7 (−16.8) |
6.0 (−14.4) |
14.6 (−9.7) |
23.7 (−4.6) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
30.1 (−1.1) |
23.6 (−4.7) |
13.8 (−10.1) |
4.5 (−15.3) |
−1.5 (−18.6) |
11.9 (−11.2) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.54 (90) |
3.62 (92) |
3.97 (101) |
5.78 (147) |
4.48 (114) |
2.99 (76) |
1.78 (45) |
2.01 (51) |
3.05 (77) |
4.03 (102) |
3.25 (83) |
3.54 (90) |
42.04 (1,068) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group[5] | |||||||||||||
Climbing
Due to the remote location and difficult ascent, most mountain climbers spend a total of three to five days hiking up to the mountain, climbing to the summit and then later hiking back to their starting point.
Hazards
Encountering bears is a concern in the Wind River Range.[6] There are other concerns as well, including bugs, wildfires, adverse snow conditions and nighttime cold temperatures.[7]
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,[8] 2007 (involving an experienced NOLS leader),[9] 2015[10] and 2018.[11] Other incidents include a seriously injured backpacker being airlifted near SquareTop Mountain[12] in 2005,[13] and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparent accidental fall) in 2006 that involved state search and rescue.[14] The U.S. Forest Service does not offer updated aggregated records on the official number of fatalities in the Wind River Range.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Fremont Peak, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ "Fremont Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Fremont Peak South, WY (Map). TopoQwest (United States Geological Survey Maps). Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 132.
- ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.
- ^ Staff (April 24, 2017). "Bear Safety in Wyoming's Wind River Country". WindRiver.org. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Ballou, Dawn (July 27, 2005). "Wind River Range condition update - Fires, trails, bears, Continental Divide". PineDaleOnline News. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Staff (1993). "Falling Rock, Loose Rock, Failure to Test Holds, Wyoming, Wind River Range, Seneca Lake". American Alpine Club. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ MacDonald, Dougald (August 14, 2007). "Trundled Rock Kills NOLS Leader". Climbing. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Staff (December 9, 2015). "Officials rule Wind River Range climbing deaths accidental". Casper Star-Tribune. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Dayton, Kelsey (August 24, 2018). "Deadly underestimation". WyoFile News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Funk, Jason (2009). "Squaretop Mountain Rock Climbing". Mountain Project. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Staff (July 22, 2005). "Injured man rescued from Square Top Mtn - Tip-Top Search & Rescue helps 2 injured on the mountain". PineDaleOnline News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ Staff (September 1, 2006). "Incident Reports - September, 2006 - Wind River Search". WildernessDoc.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
