The Sphinx (Wyoming)

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The Sphinx
The Sphinx is located in Wyoming
The Sphinx
The Sphinx
Location in Wyoming
Highest point
Elevation13,264 ft (4,043 m)[1]
Prominence298 ft (91 m)[1]
Coordinates43°09′56″N 109°38′53″W / 43.16556°N 109.64806°W / 43.16556; -109.64806Coordinates: 43°09′56″N 109°38′53″W / 43.16556°N 109.64806°W / 43.16556; -109.64806[2]
Geography
LocationFremont / Sublette counties, Wyoming, U.S.
Parent rangeWind River Range
Topo mapUSGS Gannett Peak
Geology
Mountain typeBatholith
Climbing
First ascent1929 (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[]

Main articles: Hazards of outdoor recreation and Mountaineering § Hazards

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[]

  1. ^ a b c "The Sphinx, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  2. ^ "The Sphinx". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Gannett Peak, WY (Map). TopoQwest (United States Geological Survey Maps). Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  4. ^ Staff (April 24, 2017). "Bear Safety in Wyoming's Wind River Country". WindRiver.org. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  5. ^ Ballou, Dawn (July 27, 2005). "Wind River Range condition update - Fires, trails, bears, Continental Divide". PineDaleOnline News. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  6. ^ Staff (1993). "Falling Rock, Loose Rock, Failure to Test Holds, Wyoming, Wind River Range, Seneca Lake". American Alpine Club. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  7. ^ MacDonald, Dougald (August 14, 2007). "Trundled Rock Kills NOLS Leader". Climbing. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  8. ^ Staff (December 9, 2015). "Officials rule Wind River Range climbing deaths accidental". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  9. ^ Dayton, Kelsey (August 24, 2018). "Deadly underestimation". WyoFile News. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  10. ^ Funk, Jason (2009). "Squaretop Mountain Rock Climbing". Mountain Project. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Staff (September 1, 2006). "Incident Reports - September, 2006 - Wind River Search". WildernessDoc.com. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
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