The Sphinx (Wyoming)
| The Sphinx | |
|---|---|
  The Sphinx Location in Wyoming  The Sphinx Location in the United States | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 13,264 ft (4,043 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 298 ft (91 m)[1] |
| Coordinates | 43°09′56″N 109°38′53″W / 43.16556°N 109.64806°W[2] |
| Geography | |
| Location | Fremont / Sublette counties, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Parent range | Wind River Range |
| Topo map | USGS Gannett Peak |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Batholith |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1929 (Kenneth Henderson and Robert Underhill) |
The Sphinx is a 13,264-foot (4,043 m) mountain in the Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming.[3] The summit is on the Continental Divide in both Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forests and it is .38 mi (0.61 km) east-southeast of Mount Woodrow Wilson.[1] The Dinwoody Glacier flows from the north slopes of the peak, while Sphinx Glacier is on the southwest flank of the mountain.[3]
Hazards
[edit]Encountering bears is a concern in the Wind River Range.[4] There are other concerns as well, including bugs, wildfires, adverse snow conditions and nighttime cold temperatures.[5]
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,[6] 2007 (involving an experienced NOLS leader),[7] 2015[8] and 2018.[9] Other incidents include a seriously injured backpacker being airlifted near SquareTop Mountain[10] in 2005,[11] and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparent accidental fall) in 2006 that involved state search and rescue.[12] The U.S. Forest Service does not offer updated aggregated records on the official number of fatalities in the Wind River Range.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "The Sphinx, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
- ^ "The Sphinx". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
- ^ a b Gannett Peak, WY (Map). TopoQwest (United States Geological Survey Maps). Retrieved December 8, 2013.
- ^ 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.
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