All Locations > Wyoming > Cody > N Fork of the Shoshone

West Sheep Mountain Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in West Sheep Mountain

Northeast Face T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R

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Elevation:	7,708 ft	2,349 m
GPS:	44.43837, -109.34362 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	191 total · 12/month
Shared By:	Eli Boardman on Sep 26, 2023
Admins:	Mike Snyder, Taylor Spiegelberg, Jake Dickerson Page Updates (admin only)

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Description

Sheep Mountain is a complex of several foothill peaks around 7,000-8,000 ft. that form the final buttress separating the North and South Fork of the Shoshone River where they join at Buffalo Bill Reservoir. The east and north peaks are simple walk-ups, but the west peak (Point 7803T on the USGS topo map) is topped by a large tower of crumbling rock that takes some trickery to surmount. The west peak was believed to be unclimbed until recently, offering the rare chance for an FA of a ranked Wyoming peak (P>300 ft.). Summit register placed by Eli Boardman and Josh Super on the first ascent (9/24/203); we found no evidence of prior parties.

Based on the topo map, West Sheep Mountain has a summit elevation of 7,803 ft. and a clean prominence of 443 ft., but based on sight-level measurements, we suspect the summit tower is missing contours and the peak is actually higher and more prominent. The summit tower is about 100 ft. tall on the north and 200 ft. tall on the south.

The rock quality is...not great.

Getting There

From the North Fork Highway, take the turn-off for Buffalo Bill State Park on Rd 6Kv and cross the bridge over the inlet to Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Turn left on a dirt road and park at the BLM Sheep Mountain Trailhead. A well-maintained but very steep trail leads south up a canyon to the grassy upper plateau. Continue south another mile or so to approach West Sheep. The giant summit tower is visible for the latter half of the approach.