Mount Lester

Last updated
Mount Lester
Mount Lester, Wind River Range.jpg
North aspect, with Island Lake
Highest point
Elevation 12,342 ft (3,762 m) [1]
Prominence 1,182 ft (360 m) [1]
Parent peak Faler Tower (12,607 ft) [2]
Isolation 2.18 mi (3.51 km) [2]
Coordinates 43°03′57″N109°37′25″W / 43.06583°N 109.62361°W / 43.06583; -109.62361 Coordinates: 43°03′57″N109°37′25″W / 43.06583°N 109.62361°W / 43.06583; -109.62361 [3]
Geography
USA Wyoming location map.svg
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Mount Lester
Location in Wyoming
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Mount Lester
Mount Lester (the United States)
Location Sublette County, Wyoming, U.S.
Parent range Rocky Mountains
Wind River Range
Topo map USGS Fremont Peak South
Geology
Type of rock granitic
Climbing
Easiest route class 3 scrambling [2]

Mount Lester is a 12,342-foot-elevation (3,762-meter) mountain summit located in Sublette County of Wyoming, United States. [3]

Contents

Description

The peak is situated in the remote Wind River Range, which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains. It is set four miles west of the Continental Divide. within the Bridger Wilderness, on land managed by Bridger-Teton National Forest. The nearest town is Pinedale, 21 miles to the southwest. Lester ranks as the 115th-highest peak in Wyoming, and topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 2,000 feet (610 meters) in one-half mile. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use in 1914 when published in an USGS bulletin. [3] [4]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Mount Lester 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. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Green River.

Hazards

Encountering bears is a concern in the Wind River Range. [6] There are other concerns as well, including bugs, wildfires, adverse snow conditions and nighttime cold temperatures. [7]

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, [8] 2007 (involving an experienced NOLS leader), [9] 2015 [10] and 2018. [11] Other incidents include a seriously injured backpacker being airlifted near Squaretop Mountain [12] in 2005, [13] and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparent accidental fall) in 2006 that involved state search and rescue. [14] The U.S. Forest Service does not offer updated aggregated records on the official number of fatalities in the Wind River Range.

See also

Related Research Articles

Mount Warren is located in the Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The peak is the third peak in the range and the fourth tallest in Wyoming. The summit is located in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest and rises above several glaciers, the best known being Dinwoody Glacier which is immediately north of the summit tower. The mountain abuts, but is not within, either Bridger National Forest or Sublette County, Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Sacagawea</span> Mountain in Wyoming, United States

Mount Sacagawea is the eighth-highest peak in the U.S. state of Wyoming and the seventh-highest in the Wind River Range. It was named after Sacagawea, the young Lemhi Shoshone woman who accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition as an interpreter and guide. The Upper Fremont Glacier is located southeast and the Sacagawea Glacier is northeast of the mountain. Straddling the Continental Divide, Mount Sacagawea is one mile (1.6 km) northwest of Fremont Peak.

Mount Woodrow Wilson is located in the Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Mount Woodrow Wilson is the eighth-highest mountain in the range and the ninth-highest in Wyoming. The summit is located in the Bridger Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest on the Continental Divide, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) south of Gannett Peak. The flanks of the mountain are covered in snowfields and glaciers, including Dinwoody Glacier to the northeast, Mammoth Glacier to the west and Sphinx Glacier to the south.

Mount Whitecap is located in the northern Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Situated 2.25 mi (3.62 km) southwest of Gannett Peak, Mount Whitecap is in the Bridger Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest. Baby Glacier lies just to the east of the peak and Split Mountain is 1 mi (1.6 km) southeast. Mount Whitecap is the 30th tallest peak in Wyoming.

American Legion Peak is located in the northern Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Situated 1 mi (1.6 km) east of Bow Mountain and a couple miles west of Mount Helen, American Legion Peak is the 17th tallest peak in Wyoming. The small American Legion Glacier descends from the east slopes of the mountain and Henderson Peak lies to the south.

Mount Koven is located in the Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Mount Koven is the 16th highest peak in Wyoming. The summit is on the Continental Divide in both Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forests and it is .75 mi (1.21 km) north-northwest of Gannett Peak. The Gannett Glacier flanks the peak to the east, while Minor Glacier is just southwest of the mountain.

Twin Peaks is located in the Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Twin Peaks is the 20th highest peak in Wyoming. Twin Peaks is in the Bridger Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest and is .58 mi (0.93 km) southwest of Mount Woodrow Wilson and about the same distance southeast of Split Mountain. Mammoth Glacier flows from the north slopes of the peak while the smaller Twins Glacier flows to the southeast.

Split Mountain is located in the Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Split Mountain is the 22nd highest peak in Wyoming. Split Mountain is in the Bridger Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest and is about .70 mi (1.13 km) northwest of Twin Peaks and 1 mi (1.6 km) southeast of Mount Whitecap. Mammoth Glacier is on the northeast slopes of the peak while the smaller Baby Glacier flows down from a spur to the northwest.

Bastion Peak-Northeast Peak 13,476 ft (4,107 m) is located in the Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The peak is one of the highest in Wyoming, and is connected to its taller neighbor Bastion Peak by an arête to the southwest. An unnamed glacier lies below the precipitous east flank of the mountain, while Gannett Glacier is to the south.

Mount Washakie is located in the Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The mountain is on the Continental Divide in the Bridger Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest and Popo Agie Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest. Washakie Glacier lies .50 mi (0.80 km) to the southeast of the peak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Peak (Wyoming)</span>

Cathedral Peak is a mountain located in the southern Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Cathedral Peak is 1.5 mi (2.4 km) southwest of Mount Chauvenet in the Popo Agie Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest.

Mount Chauvenet is a mountain located in the southern Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Mount Chauvenet is 1.5 mi (2.4 km) northeast of Cathedral Peak in the Popo Agie Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest. Mount Chauvenet was one of the earliest peaks climbed by white explorers to the Wind River Range.

Bears Ears Mountain is a mountain located in the southern Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Bears Ears Mountain is 1.32 mi (2.12 km) east of Mount Chauvenet and consists of two peaks which from a distance resemble the ears on a bear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squaretop Mountain</span>

Squaretop Mountain is an 11,695-foot-elevation (3,565-meter) mountain summit located in Sublette County of Wyoming, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Rock (Wyoming)</span>

White Rock is a cliff with an 11,284-foot-elevation (3,439-meter) summit located in Sublette County of Wyoming, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haystack Mountain (Wyoming)</span> Mountain peak in Wyoming, US

Haystack Mountain is an 11,978-foot-elevation (3,651-meter) mountain summit located in Sublette County of Wyoming, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schiestler Peak</span>

Schiestler Peak is an 11,624-foot-elevation (3,543-meter) mountain summit located in Sublette County of Wyoming, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steeple Peak</span>

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider Peak</span>

Spider Peak is a 12,234-foot-elevation (3,729-meter) mountain summit located in Fremont County of Wyoming, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bollinger Peak</span> Mountain summit in Wyoming, USA

Bollinger Peak is a 12,232-foot-elevation (3,728-meter) mountain summit located on the shared border of Sublette County and Fremont County in the state of Wyoming, United States.

References

  1. 1 2 "Mount Lester, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lester, Mount - 12,342' WY". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  3. 1 2 3 "Mount Lester". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  4. ↑ USGS, 1914, US Government Printing Office, page 139.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ Staff (April 24, 2017). "Bear Safety in Wyoming's Wind River Country". WindRiver.org . Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  7. ↑ Ballou, Dawn (July 27, 2005). "Wind River Range condition update - Fires, trails, bears, Continental Divide". PineDaleOnline News. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  8. ↑ Staff (1993). "Falling Rock, Loose Rock, Failure to Test Holds, Wyoming, Wind River Range, Seneca Lake". American Alpine Club . Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  9. ↑ MacDonald, Dougald (August 14, 2007). "Trundled Rock Kills NOLS Leader". Climbing . Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  10. ↑ Staff (December 9, 2015). "Officials rule Wind River Range climbing deaths accidental". Casper Star-Tribune . Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  11. ↑ Dayton, Kelsey (August 24, 2018). "Deadly underestimation". WyoFile News. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  12. ↑ Funk, Jason (2009). "Squaretop Mountain Rock Climbing". Mountain Project . Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ Staff (September 1, 2006). "Incident Reports - September, 2006 - Wind River Search". WildernessDoc.com. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
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