Elkhorn Peak

Elkhorn Peak

The eight foot summit cairn was built in 1878 by Henry Gannett and Allen D. Wilson which is still there. Although, it may have been rebuilt over time. This information and a similiar photo can be seen in the book, "Idaho: A Climbing Guide" by Tom Lopez
mountaingazelle
on Jun 8, 2007 1:06 am
Image ID: 299679

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lcarreau

lcarreau - Feb 22, 2008 11:52 pm - Voted 10/10

That's amazing...

it's been standing for well over 100 years???
Did they put cement or something inside the
joints to keep it solid? What about earthquakes? I would have thought an earthquake would have toppled it by now.

Just curious ... have you ever attempted to
climb Mount Hood when you were in Oregon? You have quite an impressive list on your "summit sign-in logs." Well, think I'll get back to watching 'Survivor Man.' I wonder how much snow is piled up atop Mount Olympus, now? Thanks, Melinda!

mountaingazelle

mountaingazelle - Feb 23, 2008 1:55 am - Hasn't voted

Re: That's amazing...

Thanks Larry. I thought the same thing. It is just made out of a solid pile of rocks and nothing else. This was the strongest cairn I have ever seen. It stood 2.5 feet higher than me and was very wide so it would take a strong earthquake to topple it over. My information is from the book, Idaho: A Climbing Guide by Tom Lopez. He has done tons of research on Idaho mountain climbing and history. Gannett and Wilson were reported to have built this cairn during their first ascent of Elkhorn Peak. No one knows for sure since none of us were alive back then.

Mount Hood is on my list. I’ve stayed away from it for a long time because it’s so popular and I like quiet mountains. Oregon is a long drive but I hope to climb it one of these days. Mount Olympus has a lot of snow but not as much as Ben Lomond :)

lcarreau

lcarreau - Feb 23, 2008 10:05 am - Voted 10/10

I'm willing to bet

that Kings Peak has a lot of snow on it, too.
Who is Ben Lomond??? If I ever have a
mountain named after me, it will be a quiet
one in the far corner of the desert; one that
receives very little snow and very few soles
of people's boots. Thanks for your great
contributions, Melinda!!! So very awesome.

mountaingazelle

mountaingazelle - Feb 23, 2008 11:06 am - Hasn't voted

Re: I'm willing to bet

Ben Lomond is one of the local mountains above Ogden. Don’t worry, many of the Salt Lakers don’t know about that area either. Ben Lomond is lower in elevation than most of the mountains located farther south but receives huge amounts of snow in winter. Well, of course, Kings Peak has a lot of snow. The Wasatch Mountain Club has their annual ski trip at the end of March. The Uintas actually receive less snow than some places in the Wasatch but they are higher in elevation so it takes longer to melt.

lcarreau

lcarreau - Feb 23, 2008 11:50 am - Voted 10/10

Yes...

You really seem to like that Ogden area.
People always change; mountains do not.
If I had a peak named after me, I would insist that people take their boots off before climbing. It would have the most awesome
north face, where people look up and gawk with their mouth wide open. I would only be open in summer, and I would make sure
everybody retuned to their vehicles in one
piece after the climb. : - )))

mountaingazelle

mountaingazelle - Feb 23, 2008 7:31 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Yes...

Yes, that area is where I hike a lot. To answer your question, the Ben Lomond in Utah was named after Ben Lomond in Scotland. The name of the mountain translates to “Beacon Hill” because it can be seen from many miles away. A Scottish woman thought it resembled the mountain in her homeland so that is how it got the name.

lcarreau

lcarreau - Feb 23, 2008 9:15 pm - Voted 10/10

Re: Yes...

The Ben Lomand in Scotland! I've heard about
Pilot Peak, (Dennis & Dean's page), out there near Wendover, Nevada. (What a hard life the pioneers had! No highway signs or GPS!!!)
When the pioneers came over, guess some of
them passed 'Ben Lomond' along the Oregon Trail. I just received some bad news that my
sister-in-law died in northern Utah. I will
soon be traveling up there to visit with
family, and find out first-hand how much
snow the Wasatch Range has. Take care, Melinda!
- Larry

mountaingazelle

mountaingazelle - Feb 24, 2008 3:02 am - Hasn't voted

Re: Yes...

The Wasatch Mountains and many of the peaks in the west desert were used as landmarks by the early pioneers. Utah was considered a desert wasteland that no one really wanted. That was until the Mormons came and said, This is the place!

I am sorry to hear about your sister-in-law. May she rest in peace. Be safe and take care, Larry!

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