Mount Sacagawea () is the eighth-highest peak in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...
and the seventh-highest in the
Wind River Range
The Wind River Range (or "Winds" for short) is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW–SE for approximately . The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and incl ...
.
It was named after
Sacagawea, the young
Lemhi Shoshone
The Lemhi Shoshone are a tribe of Northern Shoshone, also called the Akaitikka, Agaidika, or "Eaters of Salmon".Murphy and Murphy, 306 The name "Lemhi" comes from Fort Lemhi, a Mormon mission to this group. They traditionally lived in the Lemhi Ri ...
woman who accompanied the
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...
as an interpreter and guide. The
Upper Fremont Glacier
Upper Fremont Glacier is in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest in the U.S. state of Wyoming. This Wind River Range alpine glacier is associated with the largest grouping of glaciers in the U.S. Rocky Mountains and lies on the ...
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 Fremont Peak can refer to one of several peaks. In the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in Nor ...
.
Hazards
Encountering
bears is a concern in the Wind River Range.
There are other concerns as well, including
bugs,
wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...
s,
adverse snow conditions and
nighttime cold temperatures.
Importantly, there have been notable incidents, including
accidental death
An accidental death is an unnatural death that is caused by an accident, such as a slip and fall, traffic collision, or accidental poisoning. Accidental deaths are distinguished from death by natural causes, disease, and from intentional hom ...
s, 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.
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.
Gallery
File:Mount Sacagawea, Wyoming.jpg, Southwest aspect
File:Mount Sacagawea, Fremont Peak.jpg, Mount Sacagawea (left) and Fremont Peak (right of center)
File:Mount Sacagawea WY.jpg, Southwest aspect at sunset
References
External links
General Information on the Wind River Range
Climbing the Wind River Rangemore
Shoshone National Forest Federal website
Continental Divide Trail information
Bridger–Teton National Forest
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Mountains of Fremont County, Wyoming
Mountains of Sublette County, Wyoming
Mountains of Wyoming
Shoshone National Forest
Sacagawea
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