American Peak | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 13,806 ft (4,208 m) [1] |
Prominence | 446 ft (136 m) [1] |
Parent peak | Jones Mountain (13,866 ft) [2] |
Isolation | 0.79 mi (1.27 km) [2] |
Coordinates | 37°53′58″N107°30′45″W / 37.8994199°N 107.5124755°W [3] |
Geography | |
Location | Hinsdale County Colorado, US |
Parent range | Rocky Mountains San Juan Mountains |
Topo map | USGS Handies Peak |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | class 2 [2] West ridge |
American Peak is a 13,806-foot-elevation (4,208-meter) mountain summit located in Hinsdale County, of southwest Colorado, United States. [3]
American Peak is situated 11 miles northeast of the community of Silverton, on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is situated four miles west of the Continental Divide. American Peak ranks as the 102nd-highest peak in Colorado, [2] and topographic relief is significant as the south aspect rises 2,800 feet (850 meters) above Snare Creek in approximately 1.5 mile. Neighbors include Handies Peak one mile to the north-northeast, and Jones Mountain, 0.8 mile to the west-southwest. The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 2005 by the United States Board on Geographic Names to recognize the American spirit and heritage, and the summit's proximity to American Basin. [3]
According to the Köppen climate classification system, American Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers. [4] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Gunnison River.
Sharkstooth Peak is a 12,468-foot-elevation (3,800-meter) mountain summit in Montezuma County, Colorado.
Niagara Peak is a high mountain summit in the San Juan Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains System, in southwestern Colorado.
Snowdon Peak is a 13,077-foot-elevation (3,986-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States. It is situated seven miles south of the community of Silverton, in the Weminuche Wilderness, on land managed by San Juan National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains range which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains of North America, and is set nine miles west of the Continental Divide. Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises 4,300 feet above the Animas River in approximately 1.5 mile. Neighbors include Mount Garfield three miles to the east-southeast, and Twilight Peak, which is the nearest higher peak, 3.7 miles to the south-southwest. This mountain can be seen from U.S. Route 550. The mountain is named after Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales.
Mears Peak is a 13,496-foot-elevation (4,114-meter) mountain summit located on the common boundary of Ouray County with San Miguel County, in Colorado, United States. It is situated six miles northwest of the community of Telluride, in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the Sneffels Range which is a subset of the San Juan Mountains, which in turn is part of the Rocky Mountains. Mears Peak is situated west of the Continental Divide, and 3.8 miles west of Mount Sneffels. Topographic relief is significant as the south aspect rises 4,900 feet above the San Miguel River in approximately 5.5 miles.
Precipice Peak is a 13,144-foot-elevation (4,006-meter) mountain summit located in Hinsdale County, of Colorado, United States. It is situated 10.5 miles northeast of the community of Ouray, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is situated west of the Continental Divide. Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 2,500 feet above the West Fork Cimarron River valley in approximately one mile. Neighbors include Dunsinane Mountain three-quarters of a mile north, Courthouse Mountain 2.4 miles northwest, and Redcliff 2.2 miles south. The mountain's name was officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names in 1966. It is so named because of a very prominent precipice on the mountain's east face.
Potosi Peak is a 13,786-foot-elevation (4,202-meter) mountain summit located in Ouray County of Colorado, United States. It is situated five miles southwest of the community of Ouray, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the Sneffels Range which is a subset of the San Juan Mountains, which in turn is part of the Rocky Mountains. It is situated west of the Continental Divide, 2.2 miles south of Whitehouse Mountain, and 2.5 miles southeast of Mount Sneffels. Potosi ranks as the 113th-highest peak in Colorado, and the fourth-highest in the Sneffels Range. Recreation enthusiasts heading for Yankee Boy Basin traverse below the southern base of the mountain. Topographic relief is significant as the southeast aspect rises 4,000 feet above the Camp Bird Mine in approximately 1.5 mile. The mining activity in the immediate area produced significant amounts of gold and silver. "Potosi" in Quechuan language translates to "great wealth.". The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use before 1899 when Henry Gannett published it in A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States.
Mount Emma is a 13,581-foot-elevation (4,139-meter) mountain summit located in San Miguel County of Colorado, United States. It is situated three miles north of the community of Telluride, on the south side of Yankee Boy Basin, in the Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the Sneffels Range which is a subset of the San Juan Mountains, which in turn is part of the Rocky Mountains. Mount Emma is situated west of the Continental Divide, two miles south of Mount Sneffels, and 0.8 mile south of Gilpin Peak, the nearest higher neighbor. Emma ranks as the 197th-highest peak in Colorado, and the 10th-highest in the Sneffels Range. Topographic relief is significant as the south aspect rises 4,830 feet above Telluride in approximately three miles. An ascent of Mt. Emma is a difficult climb with 2,180 feet of elevation gain covering three miles from Yankee Boy Basin, or 4,836 feet of elevation gain from Telluride. This mountain's name was officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Coxcomb Peak is a 13,656-foot-elevation (4,162-meter) mountain summit located on the common boundary of Hinsdale County and Ouray County, in Colorado, United States. It is situated nine miles northeast of the community of Ouray, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is situated west of the Continental Divide. Coxcomb ranks as the 171st-highest peak in Colorado, and topographic relief is significant as the south aspect rises 2,000 feet above Wetterhorn Basin in approximately one mile, and 4,400 feet above Cow Creek in three miles. Neighbors include Precipice Peak 2.7 miles to the north, Redcliff one-half mile north, Matterhorn Peak 2.3 miles to the east-southeast, and nearest higher neighbor Wetterhorn Peak 1.8 mile to the southeast. The mountain's descriptive name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use since at least 1906 when Henry Gannett published it in the Gazetteer of Colorado.
Stony Mountain is a 12,698-foot-elevation (3,870-meter) mountain summit located in Ouray County of southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated five miles southwest of the community of Ouray, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the Sneffels Range which is a subset of the San Juan Mountains, which in turn is part of the Rocky Mountains. It is situated west of the Continental Divide, 1.3 miles southwest of Potosi Peak, and 1.15 miles northeast of parent Mount Emma. Yankee Boy Basin is surrounded by Stony Mountain, Gilpin Peak, Mount Sneffels, Cirque Mountain, and Teakettle Mountain. Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises 2,000 feet above Sneffels Creek in less than one mile. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use before 1899 when Henry Gannett published it in A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States.
Darley Mountain is a 13,260-foot-elevation (4,042 meter) mountain summit located on the shared boundary of Hinsdale County with Ouray County, in southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated five miles southeast of the community of Ouray, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is west of the Continental Divide. Neighboring geographic features include Engineer Pass 0.6 mile to the southeast, Engineer Mountain 0.9 mile to the south, and nearest higher neighbor Wildhorse Peak 2.2 miles to the north. The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1992 by the United States Board on Geographic Names to commemorate George Marshall Darley (1847–1917), pioneering minister of the San Juan Mountains, who founded and built the first church in western Colorado in Lake City in 1876. Lake City is approximately 16 miles east of this mountain.
United States Mountain is a 13,036-foot-elevation (3,973-meter) mountain summit located in Ouray County of southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated six miles southwest of the community of Ouray, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the Sneffels Range which is a subset of the San Juan Mountains, which in turn is part of the Rocky Mountains. It is set west of the Continental Divide, 2.3 miles south of Potosi Peak, and 2.5 miles southeast of Stony Mountain. Recreation enthusiasts heading for Yankee Boy Basin traverse below the northern base of the mountain. Topographic relief is significant as the north aspect rises 3,300 feet above the Camp Bird Mine in approximately one mile. Mining activity in the immediate area produced significant amounts of gold and silver. The Hidden Treasure Mine is a gold mine located on the south slope at 11,759-feet elevation.
Engineer Mountain is a 12,968-foot-elevation (3,953-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States. It is part of the San Juan Mountains range which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is west of the Continental Divide. Engineer Mountain is a prominent landmark set 1.5 mile immediately west of Coal Bank Pass, and is visible from multiple viewpoints along Highway 550, making it one of the most photographed mountains in the San Juans. It is situated 11 miles southwest of the community of Silverton, on land managed by San Juan National Forest. Topographic relief is significant as the southwest aspect rises 3,800 feet above Cascade Creek in approximately two miles. Neighbors include Snowdon Peak seven miles to the east, and Twilight Peak, five miles to the southeast.
Cirque Mountain is a 13,686-foot-elevation (4,171-meter) mountain summit located in Ouray County of southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated six miles west of the community of Ouray, above the north side of Yankee Boy Basin, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the Sneffels Range which is a subset of the San Juan Mountains, which in turn is part of the Rocky Mountains. Cirque ranks as the 155th-highest peak in Colorado, and the ninth-highest in the Sneffels Range. It is west of the Continental Divide, 1.12 mile east of Mount Sneffels, and 0.59 mile west of Teakettle Mountain, which is the nearest higher neighbor. Topographic relief is significant as the north aspect rises 3,000 feet above Blaine Basin in one mile, and the south aspect rises over 2,000 feet above Yankee Boy Basin in less than one mile. These basins are cirques which were carved by ancient glaciers. The mountain's name has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.
Courthouse Mountain is a 12,152-foot-elevation (3,704-meter) mountain summit located on the shared boundary of Hinsdale County with Ouray County, in southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated 10.5 miles east of the community of Ridgway, and south of Owl Creek Pass, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is situated west of the Continental Divide. Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises nearly 2,000 feet above West Fork Cimarron River in approximately one-half mile, and with its prominence can be seen from Highway 550 near Ridgway. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use before 1906 when Henry Gannett published it in the Gazetteer of Colorado.
Redcliff is a 13,642-foot-elevation (4,158-meter) mountain summit located in Hinsdale County, in southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated nine miles northeast of the town of Ouray, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is situated west of the Continental Divide. Redcliff ranks as the 175th-highest peak in Colorado, and topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 2,300 feet above the West Fork Cimarron River valley in approximately one mile. Neighbors include Precipice Peak and Dunsinane Mountain along the west-middle Cimarron divide three miles to the north, and nearest higher neighbor Coxcomb Peak one-half mile to the south. An ascent of Redcliff involves 3,300 feet of elevation gain and 10 miles of hiking, round-trip. The mountain's name was proposed by the Colorado Mountain Club, and was officially adopted in 1966 by the United States Board on Geographic Names. It is so named because of a large reddish-colored cliff on the mountain's east face.
Ajax Peak is a 12,785-foot-elevation (3,897-meter) mountain summit located in San Miguel County of southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest, and is the iconic landmark visible three miles east of the community of Telluride. Ajax is set immediately south of Savage Basin and the ghost town of Tomboy, one mile southwest of Chicago Peak, and one mile west of Telluride Peak. It is also immediately northeast of Bridal Veil Falls, Colorado's highest waterfall at 365-feet high. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains. Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 3,800 feet above the box canyon in approximately one mile. The old mill town of Pandora at the base of Ajax Peak was hit by snow slides each winter, and one particularly bad event in 1884 came over the Ajax Mine and wrecked the mills.
Pilot Knob is a 13,738-foot-elevation (4,187-meter) mountain summit located on the shared boundary of San Juan County with San Miguel County, in southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated nine miles west of the community of Silverton, on land managed by San Juan National Forest and Uncompahgre National Forest. Pilot Knob is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is west of the Continental Divide. It ranks as the 132nd-highest peak in Colorado, and topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 4,000 feet above Trout Lake in three miles. Neighbors include Ulysses S Grant Peak 1.5 mile to the northeast, and Golden Horn one-half mile to the southeast. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was listed by Henry Gannett when he published A Gazetteer of Colorado in 1906. The peak is considered one of the most difficult to climb in Colorado because of its poor quality volcanic rock.
Carson Peak is a 13,662-foot-elevation (4,164-meter) summit in Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States.
Engineer Mountain is a 13,225-foot-elevation (4,031 meter) summit located on the boundary shared by Hinsdale County with Ouray County, in Colorado, United States.
Whitecross Mountain is a 13,553-foot-elevation (4,131-meter) summit in Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States.