Cloud Peak is the highest peak in the Bighorn Mountains of northern Wyoming. At 13,167 feet, it offers spectacular wilderness scenery and opportunities for adventure. This article presents 53 riddles related to Cloud Peak’s geography, history, climate, wildlife and more. The riddles engage the reader’s knowledge of this unique area while providing informative answers.
Geography
Riddle 1
I’m a high elevation wilderness area named after the highest peak in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains. Great Basin ecosystems meet Rocky Mountain ecosystems here. What am I?
Answer:
Cloud Peak Wilderness
Riddle 2
Glaciers carved my craggy granite summit over thousands of years. Cloud Peak Glacier still clings to my northern face. Name me.
Answer:
Cloud Peak
Riddle 3
I’m one of the major watersheds originating from the slopes of Cloud Peak. The Crow, Tongue, and Powder rivers begin with my snowmelt. Who am I?
Answer:
Cloud Peak watershed
Climate
Riddle 4
My climate is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Cloud Peak’s elevation keeps me frigid for much of the year. What climate zone am I?
Answer:
Alpine tundra climate
Riddle 5
Cloud Peak gets over 400 inches of this white powdery precipitation each winter. Massive drifts accumulate, fueling summer runoff. What am I describing?
Answer:
Snow
Riddle 6
In the summer, brief intense thunderstorms drop heavy rainfall on Cloud Peak. This precipitation occasionally comes with this dangerous weather phenomenon.
Answer:
Hail
History
Riddle 7
I’m the Native American tribe that inhabited the Bighorn Mountains for centuries before Europeans arrived. Cloud Peak was critical for my survival and spiritual beliefs. Who am I?
Answer:
Crow tribe
Riddle 8
I’m the 1877 conflict between the U.S. Cavalry and Nez Perce tribe involving over 1,000 soldiers. A key battle was fought near Cloud Peak at Canyon Creek. What historic event am I?
Answer:
Nez Perce War
Riddle 9
Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer led an 1874 expedition into the Bighorns to assess this tribe’s reaction to gold mining. Custer’s report led to the U.S. acquiring the Black Hills. What tribe?
Answer:
Sioux tribe
Wildlife
Riddle 10
I’m the biggest mammal found in Cloud Peak Wilderness. Grizzly bears, cougars, wolves and I roam Cloud Peak’s forests and alpine meadows. What am I?
Answer:
Elk
Riddle 11
Golden eagles and peregrine falcons nest on my precarious ledges. Ptarmigan and bighorn sheep graze my steep, rocky slopes. Name me.
Answer:
Cloud Peak
Riddle 12
I’m the official state mammal of Wyoming. Over 400 of me populate the Bighorn National Forest around Cloud Peak Wilderness. Identify me.
Answer:
Bison
Geology
Riddle 13
Glaciers during the Pleistocene Ice Age sculpted me into a dramatic peak with qualities of the rugged Tetons. Millions visit my national park annually. What famous peak am I describing?
Answer:
Mount Rushmore
Riddle 14
Cloud Peak has the only active one of me in the Bighorns. My shrinking mass still clings to Cloud Peak’s northern granite face. What am I?
Answer:
Glacier
Riddle 15
I’m a geologic feature created when a cirque glacier cuts into a mountain ridge. Cloud Peak has me below Bomber Mountain and West Tensleep Peak. What dramatic saddle-like formation am I?
Answer:
Arete
Ecosystems
Riddle 16
Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and quaking aspen cover me up to the tree line below Cloud Peak. My wildflowers bloom in July and August. What alpine ecosystem am I?
Answer:
Subalpine forest
Riddle 17
Only the hardiest tiny plants like mosses and lichens withstand my harsh conditions. I’m above 11,500 feet in elevation on Cloud Peak. What ecosystem am I?
Answer:
Alpine tundra
Riddle 18
Grasses, sagebrush and cacti dominate me on the eastern slopes of Cloud Peak down to 7,000 feet. Pronghorn graze my high plains. Coyotes and prairie dogs call me home. What ecosystem am I?
Answer:
Shortgrass prairie
Cloud Peak Wilderness
Riddle 19
Bomber Mountain, West Tensleep Peak and I make up the three highest summits in Cloud Peak Wilderness. I reign supreme at 13,167 feet. Name me.
Answer:
Cloud Peak
Riddle 20
My high elevation cirque once contained the largest glacier in Wyoming’s Bighorns. Though shrunk, I still cling tenaciously to Cloud Peak’s northern granite face. What am I called?
Answer:
Cloud Peak Glacier
Riddle 21
I begin as snowmelt from Cloud Peak’s glacier and alpine tundra. Flowing north for 130 miles, I provide water for Sheridan and rural communities. What major Bighorn River tributary am I?
Answer:
Tongue River
Recreation
Riddle 22
I’m the 18-mile route climbers attempt to summit Cloud Peak. My name describes fragile alpine meadows along my path that must be tread lightly. What famous route am I?
Answer:
Meadow Creek Trail
Riddle 23
We’re the challenging 25-mile route ascending Cloud Peak that involves traversing this geologic formation with steep 1,000 foot drops. Name us.
Answer:
Bomber Traverse
Riddle 24
Vast pine forests, craggy peaks and colorful wildflowers draw over 75,000 of us annually to hike Cloud Peak Wilderness. Who are we?
Answer:
Backpackers and day hikers
Climbing Cloud Peak
Riddle 25
I’m the month from mid-June to mid-July offering favorable weather to attempt summiting Cloud Peak. My longer days and drier conditions provide the best climbing window. What summer month am I?
Answer:
July
Riddle 26
We’re the winter climbing months between December to March when Cloud Peak’s bitter temps and heavy snows make summiting extremely dangerous. Name us.
Answer:
December through March
Riddle 27
Crampons, ice axe, helmet and rope are my vital climbing tools for tackling steep snowfields and Cloud Peak Glacier’s ice along the standard West Ridge route. What climbing discipline utilizes me?
Answer:
Alpine mountaineering
Hazards
Riddle 28
My high winds, freezing temperatures and blinding whiteouts have trapped countless climbers attempting Cloud Peak. Many have perished in my harsh conditions. What dangerous weather phenomenon am I?
Answer:
Winter storm / blizzard
Riddle 29
Forest fires chars thousands of acres in the Bighorns during dry years. In 2016, I ravaged 17,000 acres including 28 square miles within Cloud Peak Wilderness. Name me.
Answer:
Soliday fire
Riddle 30
Rocky Mountain forests around Cloud Peak harbor me beneath the pine needles. I caused the 2012 Mustang fire that burned 4,000 acres before containment. Identify me.
Answer:
Mountain pine beetle
Conservation
Riddle 31
President Hoover protected me as a primitive area in 1932 due to my stunning alpine scenery and Virginia Falls. FDR upgraded me to federally protected wilderness in 1964. What treasured landscape am I?
Answer:
Cloud Peak Wilderness
Riddle 32
Conservation groups strongly oppose fracking near Cloud Peak’s eastern slopes to access my fossil fuel deposit found at 9,000 feet depth. Identify me.
Answer:
Natural gas deposit / methane hydrate deposit
Riddle 33
I’m the act signed in 1964 establishing protected wilderness areas like Cloud Peak Wilderness for recreational activities that don’t impair natural ecosystems. Name this landmark conservation legislation.
Answer:
Wilderness Act
Unique Features
Riddle 34
My scenic cascades plummet 140 feet within West Tensleep Canyon. Cloud Peak hikers admire my beauty and cool spray. Identify me.
Answer:
Virginia Falls
Riddle 35
Goldenmantle ground squirrels and I thrive in Cloud Peak Wilderness during summer months. My unique name comes from hoary marmots’ grayish-white fur. Identify me.
Answer:
Hoary marmot
Riddle 36
My yellow-rumped variety breeds around tree line on Cloud Peak. Uniquely I can feed on conifer seeds allowing me to winter at high elevations. What hardiest bird am I?
Answer:
Warbler
Cloud Peak Legends
Riddle 37
Native Crow legends say I imprisoned a fierce winter spirit within Cloud Peak to bring summer’s blessing to the Bighorns yearly. Name me.
Answer:
Good Spirit
Riddle 38
Crow legends say Cloud Peak shelters me, a terrible winged creature with an icy heart who escapes each winter to ravage the Bighorns with killing cold. Who am I?
Answer:
Winter Manitou
Riddle 39
My Native Crow name for Cloud Peak describes lightning strikes that created the peak’s rugged granite spires resembling spears thrusting skyward. Translate my name.
Answer:
Awaxaweapáash / Cloud Peak
Photography
Riddle 40
Dazzling alpenglow creating fiery colors at sunrise / sunset results from sunlight striking this floating ice crystal atmosphere.
Answer:
Cirrus clouds
Riddle 41
This optical phenomenon creates rainbows around shadows projected on clouds opposite the sun. Seeing one atop Cloud Peak makes for an iconic shot.
Answer:
Glory
Riddle 42
This wide angle lens allows capturing sprawling Bighorn vistas from Cloud Peak summit in one stunning frame. Name this key landscape photography lens.
Answer:
Ultra wide angle lens
Training
Riddle 43
Climbers advise getting experience on these less demanding Rocky Mountain peaks before attempting rugged Cloud Peak.
Answer:
Beginner 14ers (Quandary Peak, Mount Bierstadt, Mount Democrat, Grays Peak, Torreys Peak)
Riddle 44
I’m the 11,900 foot Bighorn peak offering a good warmup for Cloud Peak’s granite slabs and steep snowfields. Just 6 miles north of Cloud Peak. Name me.
Answer:
Bomber Mountain
Riddle 45
Climbing this iconic Grand Teton peak via Owen-Spalding route makes excellent training for technical scrambling on Cloud Peak’s upper ridges. Identify me.
Answer:
Grand Teton
Weather
Riddle 46
This popular weather app provides Cloud Peak hikers hourly forecasts, wind speeds, temperature drops and storm warnings vital for safety.
Answer:
Mountain Forecast
Riddle 47
Sudden thunderstorms in summer bring this rapidly descending air current along Cloud Peak ridges, knocking climbers off their feet. Name me.
Answer:
Downdraft
Riddle 48
This early July weather indicator suggests prime conditions for climbing Cloud Peak. Seeing it means clear, dry weather is coming.
Answer:
Mare’s tails clouds
Flora & Fauna
Riddle 49
My yellow arrowleaf flowers bloom in July on Cloud Peak’s granite slopes signalling summer’s arrival after harsh winters. Identify me.
Answer:
Alpine bistort
Riddle 50
I’m the official state flower of Wyoming that blooms purple and white across Cloud Peak Wilderness from May through September. Name me.
Answer:
Indian paintbrush
Riddle 51
Bighorn sheep graze up to my namesake line in summer then descend when winter arrives in the high peaks. What is this Alpine ecology term?
Answer:
Timberline
Camping
Riddle 52
We’re the five designated backpacker campsites situated along the Meadow Creek Trail requiring use of bear canisters or hangs to secure from hungry grizzlies. Call us by our collective name.
Answer:
Bear Lakes
Riddle 53
Due to heavy bear activity the Forest Service mandates storing food in me, a National Park Service approved canister resistant to smashing by grizzlies. What am I called?
Answer:
Bear canister / bear vault
Conclusion
Exploring Cloud Peak Wilderness through informative riddles captivates adventure seekers while revealing this special region’s rugged beauty and wealth of natural wonders. The area’s soaring granite spires, colorful wildflowers, crystalline lakes and diversity of wildlife never cease to amaze those who journey into its high elevation realms. As America’s wilderness lands face growing pressures in coming years, cultivating appreciation of their value through creative approaches like these riddles fosters support for protecting their splendor. Whether you one day hike beneath Cloud Peak’s towering flanks or simply imagine its majestic vistas, may your connection with its untamed spirit endure, as wild and free as the winds racing across its peaks.
