Boulder Mountain | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | Bluebell Knoll |
Elevation | 11,317 ft (3,449 m) |
Prominence | 2,930 ft (890 m) |
Listing | Utah county high points (1st) [1] |
Coordinates | 38°07′30″N111°30′03″W / 38.1249834°N 111.500733°W [2] |
Geography | |
Country | United States |
State | Utah |
Counties | |
Parent range | Aquarius Plateau |
Topo map | USGS Blind Lake |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | Highway 12 |
Boulder Mountain (also known as Bluebell Knoll and Boulder Top) in Utah, United States makes up half of the Aquarius Plateau of South Central Utah in Wayne and Garfield counties. The mountain rises to the west of Capitol Reef National Park and consists of steep slopes and cliffs with over 50,000 acres (200 km²) of rolling forest and meadowlands on the top. [3] The mountain has a nearly flat summit of roughly 70 square miles. [4] The mountain is the highest timbered plateau in North America and is part of the Dixie National Forest.
Utah Scenic Byway 12 traverses the eastern side of the mountain from Torrey through Boulder and on to Escalante. A series of unpaved backcountry roads and jeep trails provide access to the top during the brief snow-free time, usually only a few months from July to September. These jeep trails were originally created as the main route for wagons traveling between Escalante and Boulder. [5] The trail was upgraded to a road in 1920 when the Ohio Drilling Company created a route to Wagon Box Mesa. [5] A famous road on the mountain, Hell's Backbone Road, forks from Scenic Byway 12. Hell's Backbone then runs west toward Posey Lake/Pine Creek Road. The road eventually winds back to the town of Escalante, which allows travelers to complete a 38-mile loop. [6]
Boulder Mountain has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc), bordering on an Alpine climate (Köppen ET) at the highest elevations around Bluebell Knoll.
Climate data for Bluebell Knoll (Boulder Mountain) 38.1566 N, 111.5096 W, Elevation: 11,289 ft (3,441 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 29.7 (−1.3) | 30.3 (−0.9) | 35.8 (2.1) | 40.9 (4.9) | 49.6 (9.8) | 61.9 (16.6) | 67.2 (19.6) | 64.9 (18.3) | 58.0 (14.4) | 47.3 (8.5) | 36.3 (2.4) | 29.3 (−1.5) | 45.9 (7.7) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.9 (−7.3) | 18.7 (−7.4) | 23.8 (−4.6) | 28.7 (−1.8) | 37.2 (2.9) | 48.1 (8.9) | 53.9 (12.2) | 52.3 (11.3) | 45.5 (7.5) | 35.4 (1.9) | 25.7 (−3.5) | 18.8 (−7.3) | 33.9 (1.1) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 8.1 (−13.3) | 7.1 (−13.8) | 11.9 (−11.2) | 16.6 (−8.6) | 24.9 (−3.9) | 34.4 (1.3) | 40.7 (4.8) | 39.7 (4.3) | 33.0 (0.6) | 23.5 (−4.7) | 15.1 (−9.4) | 8.2 (−13.2) | 21.9 (−5.6) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.12 (54) | 2.31 (59) | 2.46 (62) | 2.47 (63) | 2.21 (56) | 0.99 (25) | 2.79 (71) | 2.60 (66) | 2.22 (56) | 2.51 (64) | 2.05 (52) | 1.72 (44) | 26.45 (672) |
Source: PRISM Climate Group [7] |
Donkey Reservoir is high up on the northeastern slope of Boulder Mountain. Donkey Reservoir also has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc) but with higher average temperatures, due to its lower elevation.
Climate data for Donkey Reservoir, Utah, 2004–2020 normals: 9800ft (2987m) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 55 (13) | 55 (13) | 62 (17) | 68 (20) | 74 (23) | 83 (28) | 83 (28) | 82 (28) | 81 (27) | 68 (20) | 61 (16) | 53 (12) | 83 (28) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 47.4 (8.6) | 47.8 (8.8) | 54.9 (12.7) | 60.8 (16.0) | 68.5 (20.3) | 78.8 (26.0) | 80.6 (27.0) | 76.8 (24.9) | 72.3 (22.4) | 63.0 (17.2) | 55.3 (12.9) | 48.4 (9.1) | 81.2 (27.3) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.7 (0.9) | 34.0 (1.1) | 41.2 (5.1) | 46.6 (8.1) | 55.2 (12.9) | 68.6 (20.3) | 72.7 (22.6) | 69.5 (20.8) | 61.9 (16.6) | 49.6 (9.8) | 40.9 (4.9) | 32.5 (0.3) | 50.5 (10.3) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 19.9 (−6.7) | 20.7 (−6.3) | 27.7 (−2.4) | 33.4 (0.8) | 41.7 (5.4) | 53.5 (11.9) | 58.1 (14.5) | 55.6 (13.1) | 48.1 (8.9) | 36.9 (2.7) | 28.1 (−2.2) | 19.6 (−6.9) | 36.9 (2.7) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 6.1 (−14.4) | 7.4 (−13.7) | 14.2 (−9.9) | 20.2 (−6.6) | 28.1 (−2.2) | 38.3 (3.5) | 43.5 (6.4) | 41.8 (5.4) | 34.2 (1.2) | 24.3 (−4.3) | 15.2 (−9.3) | 6.7 (−14.1) | 23.3 (−4.8) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −16.1 (−26.7) | −13.7 (−25.4) | −7.6 (−22.0) | 2.5 (−16.4) | 14.2 (−9.9) | 24.8 (−4.0) | 34.8 (1.6) | 31.9 (−0.1) | 20.6 (−6.3) | 6.3 (−14.3) | −6.9 (−21.6) | −15.7 (−26.5) | −19.1 (−28.4) |
Record low °F (°C) | −29 (−34) | −21 (−29) | −15 (−26) | −3 (−19) | 5 (−15) | 21 (−6) | 29 (−2) | 26 (−3) | 13 (−11) | −11 (−24) | −19 (−28) | −26 (−32) | −29 (−34) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.47 (37) | 1.55 (39) | 1.80 (46) | 1.87 (47) | 1.59 (40) | 0.74 (19) | 2.26 (57) | 2.25 (57) | 1.90 (48) | 1.94 (49) | 1.51 (38) | 1.32 (34) | 20.2 (511) |
Source 1: XMACIS2 [8] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation) [9] |
Boulder Mountain is routinely held in high regard by Utahns as a fisherman's paradise. Fishing opportunities began on the mountain in the 1950s when juvenile fish(fry) were carried via horseback and planted in the area's high alpine lakes and streams. In 1971, the state record brook trout (7 pounds, 8 ounces) was caught in Boulder Mountain's waters. Brook trout are the prominent species stocked on Boulder Mountain. Colorado River Cutthroat are the fish species native to the area. In 2014, a committee consisting of anglers and residents convened to determine the future management of the fisheries on Boulder Mountain. [10] This committee assisted the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in resolving the issue of overpopulating brook trout in the alpine lakes of Boulder Mountain. Based on the discussion, 35 percent of the lakes would be managed for trophy brook trout. [11] The management plan categorized each lake into ten different sections: North Creek, North Slope, South Slope, East Slope, West Slope, Boulder Top, Griffin Top, and Escalante Mountain. [12] The management plan introduces splake, tiger, and cutthroat trout to the waters that the committee deemed appropriate. Colorado cutthroat populations have steadily decreased since the introduction of brook trout to the area. Emphasizing the importance of re-establishing a healthy population of native trout in the area, sterile brook trout (triploid) and other sterile trout species, such as tiger and splake trout, were introduced to increase fishing opportunities.
The Boulder Mountain cinquefoil (Potentilla angelliae) is a rare species of plant that is endemic to Boulder Mountain. [13] Acharophyte assemblage located at the Griffin Top section (Aquarius Plateau, Utah, USA) provides, for the first time, the relative age of the base of the Claron Formation. [14]
The mountain is home to some of the biggest elk in the state of Utah, consistently producing some of the largest bull elk during the hunt each fall. The mountain is also known for mule deer. Predators are also prevalent; mountain lions and black bears are commonly seen throughout the area.[ citation needed ]
The Scottish dream pop band Cocteau Twins named their fifth album Blue Bell Knoll after the mountain. [15]
Trout is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus, all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the family Salmonidae. The word trout is also used for some similar-shaped but non-salmonid fish, such as the spotted seatrout/speckled trout.
The White Mountains of California and Nevada are a triangular fault-block mountain range facing the Sierra Nevada across the upper Owens Valley. They extend for approximately 60 mi (97 km) as a greatly elevated plateau about 20 mi (32 km) wide on the south, narrowing to a point at the north, with elevations generally increasing south to north. The range's broad southern end is near the community of Big Pine, where Westgard Pass and Deep Springs Valley separate it from the Inyo Mountains. The narrow northern end is at Montgomery Pass, where U.S. Route 6 crosses. The Fish Lake Valley lies east of the range; the southeast part of the mountains are separated from the Silver Peak Range by block faulting across the Furnace Creek Fault Zone, forming a feeder valley to Fish Lake Valley. The range lies within the eastern section of the Inyo National Forest.
The Escalante River is a tributary of the Colorado River. It is formed by the confluence of Upper Valley and Birch Creeks near the town of Escalante in south-central Utah, and from there flows southeast for approximately 90 mi (140 km) before joining Lake Powell. Its watershed includes the high forested slopes of the Aquarius Plateau, the east slope of the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the high desert north of Lake Powell. It was the last river of its size to be discovered in the 48 contiguous U.S. states. The average discharge is approximately 146 cfs.
The Aquarius Plateau is a physiographic region in the High Plateaus Section of the Colorado Plateau Province. It is located within Garfield and Wayne counties in south-central Utah.
State Route 12 or Scenic Byway 12 (SR-12), also known as "Highway 12 — A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway", is a 123-mile-long (198 km) state highway designated an All-American Road located in Garfield County and Wayne County, Utah, United States.
The cutthroat trout is a group of four fish species of the family Salmonidae native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and Great Basin in North America. These four species are the Coastal, Westslope, Lahontan, and the Rocky Mountain. As a member of the genus Oncorhynchus, it is in the Pacific trout group, which includes the widely distributed rainbow trout. Cutthroat trout are popular gamefish, especially among anglers who enjoy fly fishing. The common name "cutthroat" refers to the distinctive red coloration on the underside of the lower jaw. The specific name clarkii was given to honor explorer William Clark, coleader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
The Bonneville cutthroat trout is a subspecies of cutthroat trout native to tributaries of the Great Salt Lake and Sevier Lake. Most of the fish's current and historic range is in Utah, but they are also found in Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada. This is one of 14 or so recognized subspecies of cutthroat trout native to the western United States.
Uncompahgre Peak is the sixth highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent 14,316-foot (4363.46 m) fourteener is the highest summit of the San Juan Mountains and the highest point in the drainage basin of the Colorado River and the Gulf of California. It is located in the Uncompahgre Wilderness in the northern San Juans, in northern Hinsdale County approximately 7 miles (11 km) west of the town of Lake City.
Dixie National Forest is a United States National Forest in Utah with headquarters in Cedar City. It occupies almost two million acres (8,000 km2) and stretches for about 170 miles (270 km) across southern Utah. The largest national forest in Utah, it straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River. In descending order of forestland area it is located in parts of Garfield, Washington, Iron, Kane, Wayne, and Piute counties. The majority of forest acreage lies in Garfield County.
Fish Lake is a high alpine lake located in the Fishlake/ Southern Wasatch Plateau region of south-central Utah, United States. It lies within and is the namesake of the Fishlake National Forest.
The Kaiparowits Plateau is a large, elevated landform located in southern Utah, in the southwestern United States. Along with the Grand Staircase and the Canyons of the Escalante, it makes up a significant portion of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument. Its extension to the southeast, Fiftymile Mountain, runs nearly to the Colorado River and Lake Powell, and is a prominent part of the northern skyline from the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
The Canyons of the Escalante is a collective name for the erosional landforms created by the Escalante River and its tributaries—the Escalante River Basin. Located in southern Utah in the western United States, these sandstone features include high vertical canyon walls, numerous slot canyons, waterpockets, domes, hoodoos, natural arches and bridges. This area—extending over 1,500 square miles (3,885 km2) and rising in elevation from 3,600 ft (1,097 m) to over 11,000 ft (3,353 m)—is one of the three main sections of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, and also a part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, with Capitol Reef National Park being adjacent to the east.
Seward Mountain is a mountain located in Franklin County, New York, of which it is the highest point. Seward Mtn. is named after William H. Seward (1801–1872), Governor of New York (1839–1842), and United States Secretary of State (1861–1869). The mountain is part of the Seward Mountains of the Adirondacks. Seward Mountain is flanked to the southwest by Donaldson Mountain, and to the east faces Seymour Mountain across Ouluska Pass.
The Northern Basin and Range ecoregion is a Level III ecoregion designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. states of Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and California. It contains dissected lava plains, rolling hills, alluvial fans, valleys, and scattered mountain ranges in the northern part of the Great Basin. Although arid, the ecoregion is higher and cooler than the Snake River Plain to the north and has more available moisture and a cooler climate than the Central Basin and Range to the south. Its southern boundary is determined by the highest shoreline of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, which once inundated the Central Basin and Range. The western part of the region is internally drained; its eastern stream network drains to the Snake River system.
Little Dell Reservoir is a reservoir in eastern Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, about 13 miles (21 km) east of Salt Lake City in the western Wasatch Mountains.
Vega State Park is a 1,823-acre (738 ha) Colorado state park in Mesa County, Colorado in the United States. Vega Reservoir is a fishing destination and is located at an elevation of 7,696 feet (2,346 m). Year-round recreational activities at Vega State Park include boating, hiking, snowmobiling and camping. The park was established in 1967 in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation which was responsible for the construction of Vega Dam and Vega Reservoir. It is located at the northeast edge of Grand Mesa National Forest in Western Colorado.
Bull Mountain, an officially unnamed summit in northern Utah, United States, has an elevation of 9,938 feet (3,029 m). It is the highest point in the Raft River Mountains and Box Elder County.
Fishing in Colorado has brought in a large amount of revenue for the state. In 2019 Colorado Parks and Wildlife estimated outdoor recreation contributed roughly 62 billion dollars to the state economy. Fishing was reported to be the 5th most popular outdoor activity and 110, 511 fishing and hunting combination licenses were sold. Ice fishing makes up part of this total fishing revenue and is a common annual sport for Colorado residents and out-of-state visitors. There is no legal definition of ice fishing season. Rather, people begin to ice fish once the lakes freeze over with thick enough ice. Colorado Parks and Wildlife also recommend that people always ice-fish with another person. Typically, this starts in December and ends in April for Colorado. Lakes size, depth, elevation, and seasonal weather can cause variance to the season. Once the lakes freeze over with thick enough ice, anglers go out onto the ice, drill holes through the ice, and fish for a variety of species.
Cooper Lake is an alpine freshwater lake located on the southern stretch outside of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Kittitas County, Washington. Because of its proximity to Cle Elum Lake and Kachess Lake, Cooper Lake is a popular area for hiking, camping and fishing. Cooper Lake, where two-pole fishing is permitted, is stocked annually with Kokanee salmon and several species of trout fish. Cooper Lake is the starting point for trails that lead to other Alpine lakes in the vicinity, including the Pete Lake and Spectacle Lake at the base of Chikamin Peak.
Blind Lake is a high alpine lake located on Boulder Mountain within Dixie National Forest. It is the largest and deepest lake on Boulder Mountain and was created as a reservoir in the early 1900s.
To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.
Media related to Boulder Mountain (Utah) at Wikimedia Commons