White Mountain (Wyoming)

Infobox Mountain
Name = White Mountain
Photo = WhiteMountainWY.jpg‎
Caption = White Mountain's highest point (minus Pilot Butte) located near Rock Springs, Wyoming
Elevation = convert|7623|ft|m|0
Range =
Location = Rock Springs, Wyoming
Coordinates = coord|41|34|47.43|N|109|19|20.38|W|type:mountain
Easiest route=Roads from Rock Springs and Green River

White Mountain is a long mountain located in central Sweetwater County, Wyoming, near the cities of Rock Springs and Green River. The mountain is part of the Green River Formation, and contains communications towers that serve a number of purposes. Pilot Butte, located on top of White Mountain, is also accessible from roads on the mountain.

Geology

Like its neighbor, Wilkins Peak, White Mountain is a member of the Green River Formation, a formation of the intermontane Lake Gosiute environment during the Eocene epoch. White Mountain is part of the Rock Springs Uplift. [ [http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~carroll/green_river.html Alan Caroll: "Green River", Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Wisconsin-Madison] ] The Rock Springs Uplift itself formed in the Late Cretaceous period by large-scale folding. [Selena Mederos, Basil Tikoff1 and Viki Bankey: "Geometry, timing, and continuity of the Rock Springs uplift, Wyoming, and Douglas Creek arch, Colorado", Rocky Mountain Geology, Volume 40, Number 2, p. 167-191, December 2005 [http://rmg.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/40/2/167 Abstract] ] Some of the largest oil shale and trona beds in the region are located west of the mountain. White Mountain contains sediment from a subcategory of the Green River Formation, known as the "Wilkins Peak Formation".cite journal
author = Eugster, H.P.
coauthors = Hardie, L.A.
year = 1975
title = Sedimentation in an ancient playa-lake complex; the Wilkins Peak Member of the Green River Formation of Wyoming
journal = Bulletin of the Geological Society of America
volume = 86
issue = 3
pages = 319-334
url = http://bulletin.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/86/3/319
accessdate = 2008-04-20] [cite web |url=http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/tertiary/eoc/greenriver.html |title=Green River Formation |accessdate=2008-04-19 |format=html |work= |publisher=University of California Museum of Paleontology]

The peak itself is convert|7623|ft|m|0 in elevation and is located convert|5.4|mi|km|0 from Rock Springs, Wyoming and convert|8.85|mi|km|0 from Green River, Wyoming.

Communication uses

White Mountain houses communication radio towers for a number of local and regional uses. A tower for the radio station K299AG broadcasts a religious radio format on 107.7 FM. Programming on the station comes from KCSP-FM. [ [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=K299AG&x=0&y=0&sr=Y&s=C Radio-locator Query for K299AG] ] The local cable company, Sweetwater Television, owns the tallest tower, on the center of the mountain. This tower can be seen in the picture above. Located next to that tower are transmitters used by the local BLM office, as well as a tower for cellular telephones, owned by Union Wireless. [ [http://www.angelfire.com/wy/wyscanner/white2.html White Mountain, Rock Springs Side] ] On the side of the mountain facing Green River, two more radio towers are present. One of the towers is used for airport communications from a nearby airport. The other, owned by Commnet Cellular is used for cellular telephone transmissions. [ [http://www.angelfire.com/wy/wyscanner/white1.html White Mountain, Green River Side] ] There are also two FM radio stations applying for construction permits on the mountain. [ [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=149110 FCC Query Results FACID 149110] ] [ [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=155246 FCC Query Results FACID 155246] ]

Pilot Butte

Pilot Butte is located directly on top of White Mountain, and was named by early travelers in the region as a signal that they were close to the Green River. [ [http://wiki.wyomingplaces.org/Pilot-Butte Wyoming Places Wiki / Pilot Butte] ] Pilot Butte is also a part of the Wild Horse tour, and several herds of wild horses have been spotted in the area. [ [http://www.wyomingtourism.org/cms/d/wild_horses.php Wyoming Wild Horses - Pilot Butte Scenic Loop Tour] ] The butte is the second highest point in the immediate region, the first being Aspen Mountain to the south. It is convert|7949|ft|m|0 in elevation at its highest point. The butte can be hiked, and contains a steel ladder to assist in reaching the summit. [ [http://alittlegrace.blogspot.com/2007/08/hiking-up-pilot-butte-wyoming.html A Little Grace: Hiking up Pilot Butte, Wyoming] ]

References