Klondike Peak

Klondike Peak (13,120 ft (4,000 m)) is located in the northern Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming.^[3] Situated 4 mi (6.4 km) north of Gannett Peak, Klondike Peak is within the Bridger Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest and west of the Continental Divide. The summit of Klondike Peak is partially capped by a small glacier and the northwest flank of the peak is the origination point of J Glacier, while Sourdough Glacier lies just to the northeast.^[3] Klondike Peak is the 26th tallest peak in Wyoming.^[4]

Klondike Peak
Klondike Peak and Sourdough Glacier
Highest point
Elevation	13,120 ft (4,000 m)[1]
Prominence	664 ft (202 m)[1]
Coordinates	43°14′11″N 109°41′17″W[2]
Geography
Klondike Peak Location in Wyoming Show map of Wyoming Klondike Peak Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Sublette County, Wyoming, U.S.
Parent range	Wind River Range
Topo map	USGS Gannett Peak
Climbing
First ascent	1961 (Bill Kerns and Finis Mitchell)[1]
Easiest route	Scramble

Hazards

Main articles: Hazards of outdoor recreation and Mountaineering § Hazards

Encountering bears is a concern in the Wind River Range.^[5] There are other concerns as well, including bugs, wildfires, adverse snow conditions and nighttime cold temperatures.^[6]

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,^[7] 2007 (involving an experienced NOLS leader),^[8] 2015^[9] and 2018.^[10] Other incidents include a seriously injured backpacker being airlifted near SquareTop Mountain^[11] in 2005,^[12] and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparent accidental fall) in 2006 that involved state search and rescue.^[13] The U.S. Forest Service does not offer updated aggregated records on the official number of fatalities in the Wind River Range.

Moon over Klondike Peak

References

1. "Klondike Peak, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
2. "Klondike Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
3. Gannett Peak, WY (Map). TopoQwest (United States Geological Survey Maps). Retrieved October 19, 2013.
4. "Wyoming 13,000-foot Peaks". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. MacDonald, Dougald (August 14, 2007). "Trundled Rock Kills NOLS Leader". Climbing. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
9. 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.
10. Dayton, Kelsey (August 24, 2018). "Deadly underestimation". WyoFile News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
11. Funk, Jason (2009). "Squaretop Mountain Rock Climbing". Mountain Project. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
12. 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.
13. 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.