Bristol Head

Bristol Head
Bristol Head
	Southwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation	12,712 ft (3,875 m)
Prominence	1,201 ft (366 m)
Parent peak	Table Mountain (12,867 ft)
Isolation	7.26 mi (11.68 km)
Coordinates	37°47′37″N107°03′18″W / 37.7935139°N 107.0549953°W
Geography
	Bristol Head Location in Colorado Bristol Head Bristol Head (the United States)
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Mineral
Protected area	Rio Grande National Forest
Parent range	Rocky Mountains ; San Juan Mountains
Topo map	USGS Bristol Head
Geology
Rock age	Tertiary
Rock type	Dacitic lava, Breccia, Rhyolite
Climbing
Easiest route	class 1 hiking

Last updated December 18, 2024

Bristol Head is a 12,712-foot-elevation (3,875-meter) mountain summit in Mineral County, Colorado, United States.

Description

Bristol Head is located eight miles (13 km) southwest of the community of Creede, on land managed by Rio Grande National Forest. It is situated east of the Continental Divide in the San Juan Mountains which are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into the Rio Grande and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 3,900 feet (1,200 meters) above the river in three miles (4.8 km) and 3,250 feet (990 meters) above Santa Maria Reservoir in 1.2 mile (1.9 km). Access to the summit is via a 15-mile 4WD road which reaches a radio repeater at the top.^[5] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names,^[2] and was recorded in publications as early as 1876 since the peak served as a triangulation station for the Wheeler Survey.^[6]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Bristol Head is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.^[7] 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. Hikers can expect afternoon rain, hail, and lightning from the seasonal monsoon in late July and August.

Gallery

Northwest aspect viewed from North Clear Creek Falls overlook
South aspect
Bristol Head in 1874 by William Henry Jackson

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Bear Mountain is a 12,987-foot-elevation (3,958-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.

Carson Peak is a 13,662-foot-elevation (4,164-meter) summit in Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States.

Canby Mountain is a 13,478-foot-elevation (4,108-meter) mountain summit in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.

Greenhalgh Mountain is a 13,220-foot-elevation (4,030-meter) mountain summit in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.

Sheep Mountain is a 13,292-foot-elevation (4,051-meter) mountain summit in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.

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Pintada Mountain is a 12,840-foot (3,914 m) mountain summit in Rio Grande 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.

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References

1 2 3 4 5 "Bristol Head - 12,712' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
1 2 "Bristol Head". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved July 9, 2023.
↑ "Bristol Head, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
1 2 Geologic map of the Bristol Head Quadrangle, Mineral and Hinsdale Counties, Colorado, Thomas A. Steven, U.S. Geological Survey, 1967.
↑ The Best of Colorado 4-wheel Drive Roads, Adler Publishing (2007), ISBN 9780930657406, p. 155.
↑ George Montague Wheeler (1876), Annual Report Upon the Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian, US Government Printing Office, p. 89.
↑ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.

External links

Weather forecast: Bristol Head
National Geodetic Survey Data Sheet
Bristol Head (photo): Flickr

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[listsofjohn-1] 1 2 3 4 5 "Bristol Head - 12,712' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved July 9, 2023.

[GNIS-2] 1 2 "Bristol Head". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved July 9, 2023.

[pb-3] "Bristol Head, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved July 9, 2023.

[usgs-4] 1 2 Geologic map of the Bristol Head Quadrangle, Mineral and Hinsdale Counties, Colorado, Thomas A. Steven, U.S. Geological Survey, 1967.

[5] The Best of Colorado 4-wheel Drive Roads, Adler Publishing (2007), ISBN 9780930657406, p. 155.

[6] George Montague Wheeler (1876), Annual Report Upon the Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian, US Government Printing Office, p. 89.

[Peel-7] Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.

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