Mount Helen
North aspect
Highest point
Elevation13,620 ft (4,150 m)[1]
Prominence820 ft (250 m)[1]
Coordinates43°09′04″N 109°37′52″W / 43.15111°N 109.63111°W / 43.15111; -109.63111[2]
Geography
Mount Helen is located in Wyoming
Mount Helen
Mount Helen
Location in Wyoming
Mount Helen is located in the United States
Mount Helen
Mount Helen
Location in the United States
LocationSublette County, Wyoming, U.S.
Parent rangeWind River Range
Topo mapUSGS Gannett Peak
Climbing
First ascent1924 by Herman Buhl and Albert Ellingwood

Mount Helen (13,620 feet (4,150 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.

Notable Ascents

Hazards

Main articles: Hazards of outdoor recreation and Mountaineering § Hazards

Encountering bears is a concern in the Wind River Range.[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. ^ a b "Mount Helen, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "Mount Helen". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. 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. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ MacDonald, Dougald (August 14, 2007). "Trundled Rock Kills NOLS Leader". Climbing. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Dayton, Kelsey (August 24, 2018). "Deadly underestimation". WyoFile News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  13. ^ Funk, Jason (2009). "Squaretop Mountain Rock Climbing". Mountain Project. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.

External links

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