Two Ocean Mountain

Location in Wyoming

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Two Ocean Mountain

Two Ocean Mountain (the United States)

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CountryUnited StatesStateWyomingCountyTetonProtected areaBridger-Teton National ForestParent rangeRocky Mountains
Wind River RangeTopo mapUSGS Lava MountainGeologyType of rockBrecciaClimbingEasiest routeclass 4 scrambling^[1]

Two Ocean Mountain is a 10,724-foot-elevation (3,269-meter) summit in Teton County, Wyoming, United States.^[3]

Description

Two Ocean Mountain is the northernmost peak of the Wind River Range which is a subrange of the Rocky Mountains.^[4] It is set along the Continental Divide, one mile southwest of Togwotee Pass, on land managed by Bridger-Teton National Forest. The nearest towns are Jackson 39 miles (63 km) to the southwest and Dubois, 27 miles (43 km) to the southeast. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains east into headwaters of the Wind River and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean, whereas the west slope drains into tributaries of the Snake River and ultimately the Pacific Ocean. The east slope of the mountain is the source of the Wind River and topographic relief is modest as the summit rises 1,400 feet (430 meters) above the river in 1.25 mile (2 km).^[5] Two Ocean Mountain can be seen from the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway which provides year-round access to the mountain except during blizzards.^[2] The mountain was called "the Two Ocean Mountain winter sports area" in the mid-1900s.^[6] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.^[3]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Two Ocean Mountain is located in a subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.^[7] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter and as thunderstorms in summer.

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] Other incidents include a seriously injured backpacker being airlifted near Squaretop Mountain^[14] in 2005,^[15] and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparent accidental fall) in 2006 that involved state search and rescue.^[16] The U.S. Forest Service does not offer updated aggregated records on the official number of fatalities in the Wind River Range.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Two Ocean Mountain - 10,724' WY". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
^ ^a ^b Becky Lomax, Moon Yellowstone & Grand Teton: Hike, Camp, See Wildlife, Avalon Publishing (2020), ISBN 9781640498181
^ ^a ^b ^c "Two Ocean Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
^ "Two Ocean Mountain, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
^ "Wind River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
^ Togwotee Pass Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding, January 30, 2023, Peakrover.com, Retrieved 2023-07-20.
^ 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.
^ Staff (April 24, 2017). "Bear Safety in Wyoming's Wind River Country". WindRiver.org. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
^ Ballou, Dawn (July 27, 2005). "Wind River Range condition update - Fires, trails, bears, Continental Divide". PineDaleOnline News. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
^ Staff (1993). "Falling Rock, Loose Rock, Failure to Test Holds, Wyoming, Wind River Range, Seneca Lake". American Alpine Club. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
^ MacDonald, Dougald (August 14, 2007). "Trundled Rock Kills NOLS Leader". Climbing. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
^ Staff (December 9, 2015). "Officials rule Wind River Range climbing deaths accidental". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
^ Dayton, Kelsey (August 24, 2018). "Deadly underestimation". WyoFile News. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
^ Funk, Jason (2009). "Squaretop Mountain Rock Climbing". Mountain Project. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
^ 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.
^ Staff (September 1, 2006). "Incident Reports - September, 2006 - Wind River Search". WildernessDoc.com. Retrieved February 17, 2019.