Casper Mountain
Encyclopedia
Casper Mountain is a long mountain at the north end of the Laramie Mountains
Laramie Mountains
The Laramie Mountains are a range of moderately high peaks on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S states of Wyoming and Colorado. The range is the northernmost extension of the line of the ranges along the eastern side of the Rockies, and in particular of the higher peaks of the...
overlooking Casper, Wyoming
Casper, Wyoming
Casper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
along the North Platte River
North Platte River
The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long counting its many curves, It travels about distance. Its course lies in the U.S...
. Casper Mountain is such in length that it's visible from Space, at the altitude that the ISS
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
and Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
fly. At a top elevation of 8130 feet (2,478 m), the mountain rises approximately 3000 feet (914 m) above Casper.
Attractions
Unlike many mountains in Wyoming, Casper Mountain is largely privately owned, however there are still several miles worth of canyons and hills for the adventurous backpacker.There are many recreation opportunities on the mountain. Casper Mountain has one of very few ski areas with a parking/entry point located above the resort. It is known as Hogadon Ski Area. Although small, the ski area provides the largest source of winter entertainment on the mountain. Other activities include cross country skiing and snowmobiling. A small area of the ski trails are lit at night, providing night skiing.
In the summer Casper Mountain can be a great place for camping, and in the fall some hunt for deer and elk. A trail known as "The Braille Trail" offers a short scenic hike, and is meant for those who are blind, but caters to everyone. The trail celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2010, and was visited by about 2,000 people. The area around the trail has picnic sites, and is popular during the summer. The trail is accessible on a road near the base of Tower Hill. Along with the Braille Trail, Casper Mountain has many other miles of trails for the avid hiker. At the base of the mountain's north side, lies Garden Creek Falls. The Casper Rotary Club manages the trails around the area and in December 2010 was beginning to renovate some of them in order to make them safer for hikers. The club plans to install low intensity lighting in the parking lot, to be powered by solar panels.
The mountain is also host to annual summer-solstice gathering at Crimson Dawn Ranch. This event, based upon children's stories told by a local woman to her children in the 1930s and '40s, has grown into a local tradition, with hundreds of families migrating up the mountain to see actors re-enact tales of witches and warlocks. The area around the ranch is reported to be haunted by the woman.
Casper Mountain is also home to Beartrap Meadow, a large open space at the base of the road leading to the far east side of the mountain. Large parties have and continue to be held in the meadow. Beartrap Meadow also houses several campsites for picnics and relaxing. Since 1994, Beartrap Meadow has been home to the popular Beartrap Summer Festival the third weekend of July which features bluegrass music and has included bands such as Ricky Skaggs, Earl Scruggs and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Wildlife
Wildlife on the mountain includes wild grouse, white tailed deer and elk, among other species native to Wyoming. Mountain lions have also been spotted on the mountain. On the west flank of the mountain, Jackson canyon, one of the largest migratory populations of bald eagles in the world take shelter during certain times of the year.Geology
The southern side of the mountain is bordered by another mountain known as Muddy Mountain, which in itself, has many recreation opportunities. Much has been discussed about Muddy Mountain's future. Although the main road on the mountain (Wyoming Highway 251Wyoming Highway 251
Wyoming Highway 252 is a north-south Wyoming state road located in Natrona County.-Route description:Wyoming Highway 252 begins its southern end at Natrona CR 505 in the census-designated place of Casper Mountain, south of the City of Casper....
) stays open year-round, the road to Muddy Mountain is usually closed during the winter, due to conditions, and the fact that a majority of Muddy Mountain is uninhabited. It remains open to snowmobiles however.
Although the mountain has seen its fair share of fires, in August 2006 a large wildfire known as the Jackson Canyon Fire burned 11,496 acres (40 km²) on the western end of Casper Mountain.
Broadcasting
All of Casper's high powered television stationTelevision station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
s originate from towers on the mountain, as do a vast majority of the area's FM radio signals. A cross country ski area cuts right through an area known as Tower Hill (see pictures), where the majority of the towers are located.
Casper Mountain also has a tower for local amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
operators. Broadcasting on 146.940 MHz, the repeater is known as W7VNJ.