The Wild Road to Jelm Mountain
Jelm Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.948m (9,671ft) above the sea level located in Albany County, in Wyoming, USA.
The road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s called Jelm Mountain Road. It’s a gravel 4wd track that can be loose and rocky with washouts. The road is graded occasionally during the summer and is blocked by snow typically December-May. It’s a bit rocky and muddy in places. When the road is rain washed, some steep sections can be a bit technical (loose rocks and gullies).
The summit offers great views of Laramie Basin and Laramie River valley. Starting from the paved WY-10 road, the ascent is 8.36km (5.2 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 624 meters. The average gradient is 7.46%. The weather can be extreme: winter temperatures can drop below -40 F and wind speeds can occasionally exceed 100 mph.
The summit hosts the Wyoming Infrared Observatory, an astronomical observatory founded in 1975. The summit was formerly used by the US Forest Service and BLM as a fire lookout station.
Pic&video: WyColo Experience