Cell Service in Cirque of Towers?

I know from the infamous Wolf's Head rescue thread that there is cell reception high up on the peaks, but I was wondering if anyone knows what's the cell service situation in the Cirque itself (and/or how far one has to climb up to get descent service and what's the cell carrier Verizon? AT&T?). Need to be able to check voicemail once a day, thanks in advance!

Was there last summer and you'll have trouble getting any cell reception even up high. COT is very remote. I wouldn't count on getting cell reception at all once you turn off highway 191 between Rock Springs and Pinedale.

I was there last week. No cell whatsoever. ATT, Sprint or VZ...

You can rent a satellite phone, which will get reception anywhere, from what I understand.

I have had good luck with inmarsat. Iridium was not reliable for me.

Was up there last week.
Provider: AT&T
Reception at:
Trailhead- nothing
Cirque- nothing
Summit of Pingora- nothing.

So, looking pretty bleak. Will try for Wolfs Head next time and see.

Closest cell towers are in Pinedale, I wouldnt bank on it

I remember getting very spotty verizon service from the top of the wolf's head when I was there in 2010. AT&T had nothing.

It's a safe bet to count on not having any service though.

My sense is that this is the wrong question to be asking.

How about: do I know how to place solid pro on lead, what are my and my partner's fitness levels, do I have spare webbing and leave behind anchors for rapid retreat, do I know how to prussik or otherwise ascend a fixed line, will I bring a headlamp and rain gear, will I get a predawn start, have my partner and I worked out a communication system (via rope signals) if we are out of earshot and the wind is howling, do I know how to climb and rap fast when a rabid storm is approaching and the chips are down?

The COT is a very stout one day hike from Big Sandy, and choppers are not always available. Cell phone coverage. real or imagined, provides a false sense of security. The Winds are not Chamonix where you wave your credit card to the pilot and get airlifted away.

tigerclaw wrote:My sense is that this is the wrong question to be asking. How about: do I know how to place solid pro on lead, what are my and my partner's fitness levels, do I have spare webbing and leave behind anchors for rapid retreat, do I know how to prussik or otherwise ascend a fixed line, will I bring a headlamp and rain gear, will I get a predawn start, have my partner and I worked out a communication system (via rope signals) if we are out of earshot and the wind is howling, do I know how to climb and rap fast when a rabid storm is approaching and the chips are down? The COT is a very stout one day hike from Big Sandy, and choppers are not always available. Cell phone coverage. real or imagined, provides a false sense of security. The Winds are not Chamonix where you wave your credit card to the pilot and get airlifted away.

Can you read? She said she needs to check voicemail.

I am not sure what to think of this question. As folks have said reception is pretty much none in the Cirque but a slight chance up high.

But it really begs the rhetorical question, are folks or their job that important? Yeah I know folks say as such, but if really that busy/important dropping $$ on sat phone would be in order or not going at all. No response is needed but IMHO there are few people in the world who are that important.

All that aside there are alternatives - day trip it. The hike in straight forward and takes about 4 hours. One could easily do a couple of climbs and come out all in a day.

Or checkin the morning before hiking in, do a climb, spend the night, climb the next day, hike out a check again. Ya did not note what time of day just that you check once a day.

I have spent a fair amount of time in there this summer, and to say "a couple climbs in a day" would be very ambitious and/or dangerous due to exhaustion; for a fit crew.

A team that can hike 20+ miles in a day and climb quickly could car to car an easier route in the cirque, but you would need to be pushing it...think...grand teton car to car in a day fitness, if not more.

Thank you guys, Lee, Jeff, Cameron, Charlie and Tyson, even Frank and Peter for helpful beta! Cragging and day trips in Tetons that is then... Was hoping to get on some granite and maximize the climbing/hiking ratio by going to the Winds. My current choss low fifth class pitch to horrible schwacking through scree ratio in San Juans is pretty low (as in 3000' elevation gain of scree hiking to 20' of 5.0). To the car-to-car suggestion people, yes my partner and I could definitely do that - was hoping to avoid that and save our knees before attempting the Grand Traverse in a day...

Allen Sanderson wrote:But it really begs the rhetorical question, are folks or their job that important?

Uhm... it kinda is, if you have been out of work for the past three years or so.

This thread along with this one begs a question - can one not hope to just get a straight yes or no answer to a plain simple question by not giving away lengthy tear-jerker sob story background info and without eliciting smart ass chuftard comments?

And what is right or wrong question to ask here on MP.com? What if someone wanted that extra assurance of having cell reception and in the event of no reception decided on not making that trip?