Steeple Peak
Geography
The peak is situated 1.5 mile west of the Continental Divide in the remote Wind River Range. It is set in the Bridger Wilderness, on land managed by Bridger-Teton National Forest. It is on the ridge between Haystack Mountain 1.2 mile to the north, and parent East Temple Peak 0.37 mile to the south. Other neighbors include Schiestler Peak, 2.2 mile to the northwest, and Temple Peak 1.25 mile southwest. Topographic relief is significant as the northwest aspect rises 1,500 feet (460 meters) above Deep Lake in one-half mile. Access is via a half-day hike on the Big Sandy Trail. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Big Sandy River, which in turn is a tributary of the Green River.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Steeple Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers. Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Steeple_Peak%2C_East_Temple_Peak.jpg/400px-Steeple_Peak%2C_East_Temple_Peak.jpg)
Climbing
Established climbing routes:
- South Ridge – class 5.8 – 1961 – Yvon Chouinard, Art Gran, John Hudson
- North Ridge and Upper West Face – 1964 – Richard Ream, Gerry Holdsworth
- East Ridge – 1979 – Alan Bartlett, David Black, Rick Bradshaw
- West face Major dihedral – class 5.11 – 1995 – Tim Wolfe, Chris Abbott, Susan Wolfe
- North Ridge (aka Great North Chimney) – (III 5.8)
Hazards
Encountering bears is a concern in the Wind River Range. There are other concerns as well, including bugs, wildfires, adverse snow conditions and nighttime cold temperatures.
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, 2007 (involving an experienced NOLS leader), 2015 and 2018. A 54-year-old climber from Durango fell 400–800 feet to his death from Steeple Peak in 2017. Other incidents include a seriously injured backpacker being airlifted near Squaretop Mountain in 2005, and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparent accidental fall) in 2006 that involved state search and rescue. The U.S. Forest Service does not offer updated aggregated records on the official number of fatalities in the Wind River Range.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Haystack_Mountain%2C_Steeple_Peak%2C_East_Temple_Peak.jpg/400px-Haystack_Mountain%2C_Steeple_Peak%2C_East_Temple_Peak.jpg)
See also
References
- ^ "Steeple Peak, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ^ Joe Kelsey, 2013, Climbing and Hiking in the Wind River Mountains, Falcon Guides, ISBN 9781493001354, page 385.
- ^ "Steeple Peak - 12,060' WY". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ^ Orrin H. Bonney, Lorraine G. Bonney, 1965, Guide to the Wyoming Mountains and Wilderness Areas, Sage Books, page 211.
- ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.
- ^ Joe Kelsey, 2013, Climbing and Hiking in the Wind River Mountains, Falcon Guides, ISBN 9781493001354, page 430.
- ^ Richard Ream, North America, United States, Wyoming, Wind River Range, Steeple Peak, North Ridge and Upper West Face, 1965, Americanalpineclub.org
- ^ Staff (April 24, 2017). "Bear Safety in Wyoming's Wind River Country". WindRiver.org. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
- ^ Ballou, Dawn (July 27, 2005). "Wind River Range condition update - Fires, trails, bears, Continental Divide". PineDaleOnline News. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
- ^ Staff (1993). "Falling Rock, Loose Rock, Failure to Test Holds, Wyoming, Wind River Range, Seneca Lake". American Alpine Club. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ MacDonald, Dougald (August 14, 2007). "Trundled Rock Kills NOLS Leader". Climbing. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ Staff (December 9, 2015). "Officials rule Wind River Range climbing deaths accidental". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ Dayton, Kelsey (August 24, 2018). "Deadly underestimation". WyoFile News. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ Nick Learned, Climber Falls to His Death in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, August 31, 2017, k2radio.com
- ^ Funk, Jason (2009). "Squaretop Mountain Rock Climbing". Mountain Project. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Staff (September 1, 2006). "Incident Reports - September, 2006 - Wind River Search". WildernessDoc.com. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
External links
- Steeple Peak rock climbing: Mountainproject.com
- Weather forecast: National Weather Service
- 2017 fatality