| Shale Mountain | |
|---|---|
  Shale Mountain Location in Wyoming Show map of Wyoming Shale Mountain Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,405 ft (3,781 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 319 ft (97 m)[1] |
| Coordinates | 43°22′29″N109°42′28″W / 43.37472°N 109.70778°W /43.37472; -109.70778[2] |
| Geography | |
| Location | Sublette andFremont Counties,Wyoming, U.S. |
| Parent range | Wind River Range |
| Topo map | USGS Downs Mountain |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Shale Mountain (12,405 ft (3,781 m)) is located in the northernWind River Range in theU.S. state ofWyoming.[3] Shale Mountain straddles theContinental Divide and is in bothBridger-Teton andShoshone National Forests. Shale Mountain is 5 mi (8.0 km) north ofDowns Mountain.
Encounteringbears is a concern in the Wind River Range.[4] There are other concerns as well, includingbugs,wildfires,adverse snow conditions andnighttime cold temperatures.[5]
Importantly, there have been notable incidents, includingaccidental deaths, due tofalls from steep cliffs (amisstep could be fatal in thisclass 4/5 terrain) and due tofalling rocks, over the years, including 1993,[6] 2007 (involving an experiencedNOLS leader),[7] 2015[8] and 2018.[9] Other incidents include a seriously injured backpacker being airlifted nearSquareTop Mountain[10] in 2005,[11] and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparentaccidental fall) in 2006 that involved statesearch and rescue.[12] TheU.S. Forest Service does not offer updated aggregated records on the official number of fatalities in the Wind River Range.
| Climate data for Shale Mountain 43.3761 N, 109.7102 W, Elevation: 12,267 ft (3,739 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 19.1 (−7.2) | 18.7 (−7.4) | 23.9 (−4.5) | 29.8 (−1.2) | 38.7 (3.7) | 49.0 (9.4) | 58.8 (14.9) | 57.8 (14.3) | 48.9 (9.4) | 36.3 (2.4) | 24.7 (−4.1) | 18.4 (−7.6) | 35.3 (1.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 9.5 (−12.5) | 8.2 (−13.2) | 12.8 (−10.7) | 17.8 (−7.9) | 26.6 (−3.0) | 36.1 (2.3) | 45.0 (7.2) | 44.1 (6.7) | 35.9 (2.2) | 24.9 (−3.9) | 15.2 (−9.3) | 9.1 (−12.7) | 23.8 (−4.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −0.2 (−17.9) | −2.3 (−19.1) | 1.7 (−16.8) | 5.8 (−14.6) | 14.4 (−9.8) | 23.2 (−4.9) | 31.2 (−0.4) | 30.4 (−0.9) | 22.9 (−5.1) | 13.5 (−10.3) | 5.7 (−14.6) | −0.2 (−17.9) | 12.2 (−11.0) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.23 (82) | 3.25 (83) | 4.00 (102) | 5.20 (132) | 4.58 (116) | 2.95 (75) | 1.89 (48) | 1.91 (49) | 2.70 (69) | 3.25 (83) | 3.40 (86) | 3.26 (83) | 39.62 (1,008) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group[13] | |||||||||||||
To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clickingCoordinates (underLocation); copyLatitude andLongitude figures from top of table; clickZoom to location; clickPrecipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click30-year normals, 1991-2020; click800m; clickRetrieve Time Series button.
