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[The Range] is
correctly represented in the view from the camp of
Island Lake
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In making an identification of the 1842
expeditionary route, and identity of the particular
peak climbed, all of the following have been
examined:
Fremont's narrative, as published in the
1843 Report to Senate of the United States.
Frémont's Tables of Astronomical
Observations, and Meteorological and
Barometric Registers--appendices to that
report.
The Report illustrations, drawn by Charles
Preuss.
The 1843 Frémont / Preuss map.
Expedition cartographer Charles Preuss's
diary.
See bibliography below.
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Frémont's 1842
Route to Frémont Peak
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 To
follow the route from Boulder Lake to Island Lake,
it is necessary to consider the 1843
Frémont/Preuss map which accompanied the
report. This is an actual size scan from that map
of the part of the area being considered. Note the
very small size. But the engraving contains very
fine detail--enough to enlarge many times.
There is, however, a problem with this area of
the map--it is distorted. That distortion is
because of a bad determination of longitude made at
Boulder Lake on August 10th. Whereas the
determination of longitude made at Two Buttes
[W109° 37' 51"] on the 9th was nearly
correct at W109° 58' 11', the determination at
Boulder Lake [W109° 41' 59"] on the
10th of W110° 08' 03" is puts that position on
the constructed map relatively too far west by some
twenty seconds of arc. Below, we shove it back
eastward with Photoshop.
 The
area north of Boulder Lake needs no correction, as
it was drawn using compass bearings only--there
were no astronomical observations made between the
10th and the 17th of August.
In this enlarged scan, the problem area has been
shifted east to compensate for the longitudinal
error. It now shows the route traces to be nearly
north from Boulder Lake, instead of northwest in
the uncorrected original. Because on the very small
size of the original engraving, some of the route
tracing cannot be resolved in the northernmost
portion.
Note: The features colored blue, to represent
water, are not necessarily actually water--this
coloring was done by hand on each individual print
by people who had no idea of the geography, and any
closed shape was painted blue.
There are two astronomical stations 
shown. The bottom one is the camp near Two Buttes
on the New Fork. The upper one is Boulder Lake.
Note the engraved date 15 Aug at the upper
right, which is the most easterly position--the
summit of Frémont Peak.
See a large trace of the route on an aerial
photo.
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A
Summary of Expedition Movements August 10
and 13, 1842
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8/10 Leaves camp on the New Fork
River (6933')
near Two Buttes and reaches
Boulder Lake
(7290').
Breaks last remaining barometer crossing
the stream.
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Fearing Indian trouble from
Jim Bridger's report on July 8, over
the next two days they build a
breastwork to protect the horses and
mules.
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8/11 Frémont repairs his
broken barometer.
The barometer repair.
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8/12 Frémont leaves the
camp in charge of Bernier with 15 men
mounted on mules and 1 pack mule with
supplies. They travel north-northeast, and
detour around the southwestern side of 3
lakes [Fremont Lake Reservoir
7418']
and then resume the march to the
northeast. They camp early, and
Frémont collects botanical
specimens and, with one of his men,
explores a route for the next morning.
From an elevation, he espies the "defile"
[Fremont Canyon] leading toward
the peaks, in which he plans to travel the
next day.
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8/13 Entering the Fremont
Canyon, they pass by several lakes,
and near noon, the canyon opens up at
Lost lake
(9755')
and they are presented with a view of the
peaks (1st Preuss drawing).
In the afternoon, Frémont leaves
the mules in charge of the camp (mule
camp), and with Carson, Maxwell,
Preuss, Lajeunesse, Ayer, Lambert,
Jannisse, and Descoteaux, proceeds
on foot toward the mountain
peaks without
supplies; deceived by the scale of the
scene, he believed that he would be able
to make the ascent and return before
nightfall. Their route was over many steap
ridges, and past many small deep
lakes.
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They arrive at Island
Lake (10346')
(second Preuss drawing). Preuss,
who did not enter it into his diary
until the 17th, says it was 11
a.m.--Frémont says it was 4 p.m.
They traveled on around the lake and
found a camp where the last pines
occured, just above the waterfall
(10446').
Too tired to attempt the peak, they
made an exposed camp without food,
blankets, or shelter.
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The climbing routes 8/14-8/15 of
the two attempts on the summit
of Fremont Peak--the first via
Titcomb Valley and second from
Indian Basin
(11000')
are described on the previous page.
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 This
view to the northeast, shows the route north from
the camp on the New Fork River near Two Buttes , to
Boulder Lake, and Fremont Lake (reservoir), and
then northeast up through Fremont Canyon to Lost
Lake:
August 13th: We soon entered the defile I had
seen the night before...[it]
continued for about three miles, when we suddenly
reached its termination in one of the grand views,
which, at every turn, meet the traveler in this
magnificent region. Here the defile up which we had
t raveled
opened out into a small lawn, where, in a little
lake [Lost Lake], the stream
[Fremont Creek] had its source. I
determined to leave our animals here [Mule
Camp] , and make the rest of our way on
foot.
This image was rendered from USGS DEM files
using MacDEM and POV_Ray. The Wind River Range, and
Frémont and Jackson Peaks, are  shown
as in the Preuss drawing above--the first view on
the approach as in the above quotation
(a),
and the second from Island Lake (b).
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For the routes (2 routes on two days)
of the actual climb of Frémont
Peak, return to the page
Wind River Range:
My own views on the peak climbed in 1842
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 Here
is a thoroughly rigorous scientific examination of
the Frémont barometric observations in the
Wind River Range by John
Grebenkemper. John says that this
conclusively shows that Fremont climbed Fremont
Peak in 1842.
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Bibliography:
Bowditch, Nathaniel, Ll. D.,
The New American Practical Navigator, E. and G. W.
Blunt, New York, 23rd Edition, 1853 (includes year
1842).
Frémont, J.C., Lieutenant, A
Report on an Exploration of the Country Lying Between the
Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains, on the Line of
the Kansas and Great Platte Rivers, Senate Document
243, Washington, 1843. Contains the 1843
Frémont/Preuss map.
Greely, Gen. A. W., American
Weather, Dodd, Mead & Company, New York,
1888.
Middleton, W. E. Knowles, A History
of the Barometer, The Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore,
1964.
Negretti & Zambra, A Treatise
on Meteorological Instruments, London,
1864.
Nicollet, Joseph Nicolas, Essay on
Meteorological Observations, Printed by order of the
War Department, Washington, 1839.
Nicollet, Joseph, eds. Bray, Martha
Coleman, The Journals of Joseph N. Nicollet,
Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, 1970.
Plympton, George W., The Aneroid
Barometer; Its Construction and Use, D. Van Nostrand
Company, New York, 1884.
Preuss, Charles, Exploring With
Frémont, Translated by Erwin G. and Elisabeth
K., Gudde, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman,
1958.
Williamson, R. S., On the Use of
the Barometer on Surveys and Reconnaissances: part I,
Meteorology in its Connection with Hypsometry; part II,
Barometric Hypsometry; New York, D. Van Nostrand,
1868.
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