Fremont Peak

August 23-25, 2007

When I came to Pinedale, I had plans to climb Gannett Peak, the highest in the state at 13,804 ft. After I learned at climbing Gannett involved a 40-mile round trip, dodging glacier crevasses, climbing ice walls, and clinging to a razor-thin ridge at the top, I began to look for other choices. Fremont is the obvious choice - third highest in the state at 13,745 ft, easily (well sort of) climbed without ropes, and the dominant feature of the mountain skyline as seen from Pinedale. At 32 miles round trip, it is still a rather long hike. As I was reluctant to try the climb alone, I convinced Ryan and Nick to come along. Our original plan was to hike 6 miles in Thursday after work, hike to the base of the peak Friday, summit Saturday, and hike back out on Sunday. That changed a bit, or I wouldn't be sitting here writing this early Sunday afternoon.

We set off without incident and hiked the rather monotonous 5-mile trail through forest to Photographer's Point, where--well, the place was named for a reason.

Fremont Peak (center) from Photographers Point

We hiked another 1.5 miles or so to a little pond in a valley, where we set up camp. Ryan has a heavy-but-functional 4-man tent that gave us plenty of room to sleep without knocking heads or otherwise becoming more intimately acquainted with one another than would be appropriate for three male housemates.

Most of the food went in the bear canister, and what wouldn't fit we hung from a tree. Ryan made a small campfire, and Nick and I took night photos in the moonlight.

30 seconds, ISO 800

30 seconds with headlamp effects

The temperature dropped below freezing - probably about 30 degrees, but I stayed warm with my zero-degree bag and warm clothes on.

Day 2

We set off at 9:15, and quickly learned that our level hike had ended. After a 200 foot ascent to Hobbs Lake, the trail drops 200 feet, crosses a creek, then climbs 400 feet to Seneca Lake (10,300 ft).

Fremont Peak in the distance above Seneca Lake

After Seneca Lake, the trail climbs over two 10,600 ft passes before descending to Island Lake (10,300 ft).

Island Lake with Fremont Peak in the distance

Beyond Island Lake, the trail climbs slightly to an unnamed lake before the somewhat arduous ascent to Indian Basin (11,000 ft). We stopped to rest at the unnamed lake, as Ryan felt "like a bag of shit" and Nick felt "like throwing up."

Nick and Ryan resting near the unnamed lake

After about 15 minutes, we started the climb, but it soon became clear that Nick was more than simply exhausted. When he laid down and could go no further, we pulled out my wilderness first aid book and quickly diagnosed him with acute mountain sickness, the most common form of altitude sickness. We had to get him lower, but the lowest nearby option was about 10,400 ft. We climbed back down to the unnamed lake, made dinner, and let Nick sleep until he woke up feeling better at about 8 pm. I took a few more photos in this beautiful area.

Interesting cloud formations

Burnt-orange smoke-filtered sunset

Our tent and Fremont Peak at dusk

Fremont in the moonlight (ISO 800, 30 sec)

Aug. 25

Wake up about 6:30 am. Nick is feeling much better, but certainly wouldn't be able to do 3300 vertical feet. Ryan isn't feeling up to the climb either, so we change plans. Ryan and Nick will hike back to our previous campsite at a leisurely pace, and I will climb Fremont. I tell them to expect me sometime between 5 and 9 pm. So I have a solo trip after all.

It is about 30 degrees as I set out at 7:53 am, sucking ice shards out of my hydration pack and armed with 5 Clif bars, a bag of dried fruit, and four liters of water. My pack is left behind near the campsite - no sense in hauling extra weight up the mountain.

Backpack hidden behind a boulder - now if only the marmots don't find it...

As I climb into Indian Basin, I walk into the sunrise, and stop to remove my long underclothes and fleece.

Rather than following the trail through Indian Basin, I opt to work my way up the side-slope directly to the saddle point at 12,000 feet where the real ascent begins. I'm not sure this actually saved time and energy, as I was forced to ascend and descend to find passage along the slope.

Negotiating the sideslope approach to Fremont Peak (in background)

There is not much plant life up this high - just a few grasses and flowers that squeeze in among the rocks, but pikas and small birds are everywhere. Mostly White-crowned Sparrows and Black Rosy-finches feeding on the early-maturing crop of tiny seeds.

Black Rosy-finch

I reach the saddle at 9:30, eat a Clif bar, and examine the ascent ahead of me. From the bottom, it looks disconcertingly cliff-like.

Base of Fremont Peak, looking up at the ascent route.

The route is rated Class 3, meaning that the use of hands is necessary but risk of falling is minimal and no rope is required. The first pitch is close to a 50-degree angle but rather like climbing stairs with plenty of flat surfaces to step on. There are a few steep parts, such as this one (which I managed to avoid on the way down).

This is certainly the hardest climb I have done so far, simply because the grade (about a 40-degree angle) remains constant for 1700 vertical feet, as shown in the picture below (taken later in the day from Indian Basin).

The temperature drops rapidly as I climb, to around freezing or below (as evidenced by pockets of snow and ice that are not melting), and the wind rises to around 30 mph. Toward the top, the loose boulders give way to smooth, sloped gneiss. I am thankful for my grippy shoes here.

Smooth sloping gneiss near the top.

I reach the summit at 10:47 am, six minutes ahead of my estimated 3-hour ascent time. Story continues with part 2.