Everything about Wasatch Mountains totally explained
The
Wasatch Range is a
mountain range that stretches about from the Utah-
Idaho border, south through central
Utah in the western
United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater
Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the
Great Basin region. The northern extension of the Wasatch Range, the
Bear River Mountains, extends just into
Idaho, constituting all of the Wasatch Range in that state.
According to the Utah History Encyclopedia, Wasatch in Ute means "mountain pass" or "low pass over high range."
History
Since the earliest days of settlement, the majority of Utah's population has chosen to settle along the range's western front, where numerous river drainages exit the mountains. The mountains were a vital source of water, timber, and granite for early settlers. Today, eighty-five percent of Utah's population lives within of the Wasatch range. This concentration is commonly known as the
Wasatch Front urban area and has a population of just over 2,000,000 residents.
Salt Lake City lies between the Wasatch Range and the
Great Salt Lake.
At,
Mount Nebo, a triple peak rising above
Nephi, Utah, at the southern end of the range, is the highest peak of the Wasatch. In many places the mountains rise immediately from the valley's base elevation of to well over 11,752 feet (3,582 m), producing steep inclines. This sharp "local relief" has reminded some mountain-lovers of the similar quick rise upward of the Tetons, north of the Wasatch in Wyoming. Other notable peaks include
Mount Timpanogos, a massive peak which looms over
Provo, Utah;
Lone Peak,
Mount Olympus, the
Twin Peaks, which overlook Salt Lake City; and
Ben Lomond just north of
Ogden, Utah.
Since they top out just below, Wasatch peaks are not especially high compared to the Colorado Rockies, and even the
Uinta Mountains, the other main portion of the Rocky Mountains in Utah. Yet they're sculpted by glaciers, yielding notably rugged, sweeping upland scenery comparing well with other prominent ranges of western North America. They also receive heavy falls of
snow, in many places over a year. This great snowfall, with its runoff, made possible the Mormon success story here, leading to a prosperous urban strip of some 25 cities along nearly of mountain frontage. Many
ski areas in the Wasatch take advantage of the snowfall, including
Alta,
Snowbird,
Brighton,
Solitude,
Sundance, and
Snowbasin. Due to low
relative humidity in wintertime, along with the added
lake effect from the Great Salt Lake, the snow has a dry, powdery texture which most of the local ski resorts market as "the greatest snow on earth!", perhaps only a mild overstatement. The
2002 Winter Olympic Games made especially good use of this high quality snow.
Several of the Wasatch canyons in the Lone Peak area, most notably
Little Cottonwood Canyon, have a number of high-quality
granite outcroppings, and make up a popular
climbing area such as the
Pfeifferhorn. Further north,
Big Cottonwood Canyon features tricky climbing on
quartzite.
The densely-vegetated narrow canyons of the Wasatch Range such as
Big Cottonwood Canyon and
Little Cottonwood Canyon are heavily visited; on September 25, 2005, 1,200 automobiles entered Little Cottonwood within one hour. The canyons are located within from downtown Salt Lake City and the year-round paved roadways can reach higher in elevation above the city's, within that same short distance.
Dirt roads readily drivable in passenger cars with moderate clearance stretch up from Park City, Heber, and Big Cottonwood Canyon. These reach about above sea level and provide impressive long-range high country views.
Recreation
In addition to the world class ski resorts, the Wasatch range is home to a host of other outdoor pursuits as well. Hundreds of miles of
mountain biking and
hiking trails wind through the canyons and alpine valleys of the Wasatch offering back country access in very close proximity to a large metropolitan area.
Outdoor enthusiasts can also find world class
rock climbing and
mountaineering on the towering granite and
quartzite peaks and in many of the surrounding canyons. Winter recreation includes excellent
ski touring &
ski mountaineering.
Alpine lakes and streams offer somewhat over-worked fishing opportunities. The
Wasatch Mountain Club calenders regular activities allowing one to experience the Wasatch Range. The
Utah Native Plant Society regularly conducts walks from spring until fall along the foothills of the Central Wasatch Front and in adjoining canyons as the seasons progress. A particularly spectacular location for wildflowers in the late summer is Albion Basin at the top of
Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Geology and natural history
Mount Nebo, highest peak of the Wasatch, is located at the southern edge of the range. Here the Wasatch Rocky Mountain topographic or geological province begins to extend into central Utah's
Great Basin and
Colorado Plateau, two other huge topographic provinces which cover the rest of the state of Utah and extend into adjoining states. The Colorado Plateau comes to its northwest corner here as it meets the southern end of the Utah Rockies. Immediately west of these two, the Basin and Range province begins
and stretches westward across Utah and Nevada until it reaches the Reno-Lake Tahoe region, where the Great Basin ends and the Sierra Nevada Mountains begin.
Images
Image:WasatchMtns ISS011-E-13889.jpg|Wasatch Mountains from space in the fall. Draper is along the west and Lone Peak casts its shadow in the upper right.
Image:Wasatch Range Salt Lake County UT United States 2006.JPG|View of the Wasatch Range from the Jordan Campus of Salt Lake Community College.
Image:SandyUtahView.JPG|A view of the Wasatch Mountains from a Sandy, Utah neighborhood.
Image:Utahbp.jpg|An area in the Wasatch Mountains on the Bountiful-Farmington Loop Road Scenic Backway.
Image:Wasatch Range Autumn.jpg|Wasatch Mountains in autumn.
Image:ProvoPeak.jpg|A view of Provo Peak from the top of Y-mountain.
Image:Folded_Rock_Provo_Canyon.JPG|A view of folded limestone on the north side of Cascade Mountain in Provo Canyon.
Image:Mount_Timpanogas.JPG|View of Timpanogas from the top of Y-mountain. Squaw Peak can be seen in the fore-ground
Further Information
Get more info on 'Wasatch Mountains'.
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