Steeple Peak is a 12,040-foot-elevation (3,670 meter) summit located in Sublette County of Wyoming, United States.

Steeple Peak
Northwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation	12,040 ft (3,670 m)[1][2]
Prominence	400 ft (120 m)[1]
Parent peak	East Temple Peak (12,605 ft)[3]
Isolation	0.37 mi (0.60 km)[3]
Coordinates	42°42′53″N 109°09′33″W[1]
Geography
Steeple Peak Location in Wyoming Show map of Wyoming Steeple Peak Steeple Peak (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Sublette County, Wyoming, U.S.
Parent range	Wind River Range
Topo map	USGS Temple Peak
Geology
Type of rock	granite
Climbing
First ascent	August 22, 1961 Chouinard[4]
Easiest route	class 5.8[3] South ridge

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 (457 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.[5] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer.

Climbing

Established climbing routes:[6]

• South Ridge – class 5.8 – 1961 – Yvon Chouinard, Art Gran, John Hudson
• North Ridge and Upper West Face – 1964 – Richard Ream, Gerry Holdsworth[7]
• 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.[8] There are other concerns as well, including bugs, wildfires, adverse snow conditions and nighttime cold temperatures.[9]

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,[10] 2007 (involving an experienced NOLS leader),[11] 2015[12] and 2018.[13] A 54-year-old climber from Durango fell 400-800 feet to his death from Steeple Peak in 2017.[14] Other incidents include a seriously injured backpacker being airlifted near Squaretop Mountain[15] in 2005,[16] and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparent accidental fall) in 2006 that involved state search and rescue.[17] The U.S. Forest Service does not offer updated aggregated records on the official number of fatalities in the Wind River Range.

See also

• List of mountain peaks of Wyoming

References

External links

• Steeple Peak rock climbing: Mountainproject.com
• Weather forecast: National Weather Service
• 2017 fatality