Cross Mountain (Colorado)

Cross Mountain
Cross Mountain
	East aspect
Highest point
Elevation	12,703 ft (3,872 m)
Prominence	203 ft (62 m)
Parent peak	Gladstone Peak (13,919 ft)
Isolation	1.02 mi (1.64 km)
Coordinates	37°49′56″N107°58′07″W / 37.8321257°N 107.9686907°W
Geography
	Cross Mountain Location in Colorado Cross Mountain Cross Mountain (the United States)
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Dolores / San Miguel
Protected area	Lizard Head Wilderness
Parent range	Rocky Mountains ; San Juan Mountains ; San Miguel Mountains
Topo map	USGS Mount Wilson
Geology
Rock age	Cretaceous
Rock type	Mancos Shale and Igneous rock
Climbing
Easiest route	class 2

Last updated December 18, 2024

Cross Mountain is a 12,703-foot-elevation (3,872-meter) summit on the border shared by Dolores and San Miguel County, in Colorado, United States.

Description

Cross Mountain is located 11 miles (18 km) southwest of the community of Telluride in the Lizard Head Wilderness, on land administered by Uncompahgre National Forest and San Juan National Forest. It is situated west of the Continental Divide in the San Juan Mountains which are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's south slope drains to the Dolores River via Slate Creek, whereas the north slope drains to the San Miguel River via Bilk Creek. Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises 2,100 feet (640 meters) above Slate Creek in 1.4 miles (2.3 km). An ascent of the summit involves hiking 4.3 miles (6.9 km) with 2,663 feet of elevation gain from the Cross Mountain Trailhead along Highway 145.^[1] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.^[3]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Cross Mountain has an alpine climate with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.^[6] 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. Climbers can expect afternoon rain, hail, and lightning from the seasonal monsoon in late July and August.

Related Research Articles

Sharkstooth Peak is a 12,468-foot-elevation (3,800-meter) mountain summit in Montezuma County, Colorado.

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.

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.

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.

Golden Horn is a 13,780-foot-elevation (4,200-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. Golden Horn 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 116th-highest peak in Colorado, and topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 3,800 feet in approximately 1.5 mile. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use in 1906 when Henry Gannett published it in A Gazetteer of Colorado.

Lookout Peak is a 13,661-foot-elevation (4,164-meter) mountain summit located on the shared boundary of San Juan County with San Miguel County, in southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated three miles east of the community of Ophir, and one mile immediately north of Ophir Pass, on land managed by San Juan National Forest and Uncompahgre National Forest. Lookout Peak 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 166th-highest peak in Colorado, and topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 3,000 feet in approximately one mile. Neighbors include Silver Mountain three miles to the west-northwest, Wasatch Mountain two miles north-northwest, and Golden Horn five miles south-southwest. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use in 1899 when Henry Gannett published it in A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States, and in 1906 when he published it in A Gazetteer of Colorado.

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

Mount Moss is a 13,192-foot-elevation (4,021-meter) mountain summit on the common boundary shared by La Plata County and Montezuma County in Colorado.

Centennial Peak is a 13,062-foot-elevation (3,981-meter) mountain summit in Montezuma County, Colorado.

Diorite Peak is a 12,761-foot-elevation (3,890-meter) mountain summit on the common boundary shared by La Plata County and Montezuma County in Colorado.

Spiller Peak is a 13,123-foot-elevation (4,000-meter) mountain summit on the common boundary shared by La Plata County and Montezuma County in Colorado.

Eureka Mountain is a 13,507-foot (4,117 m) mountain summit on the boundary shared by Custer and Saguache counties, in Colorado, United States.

Grizzly Peak is a 13,738-foot-elevation (4,187-meter) mountain summit on the boundary shared by Dolores County and San Juan County, in 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.

Sunshine Mountain is a 13,329-foot-elevation (4,063-meter) summit in Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States.

Grayrock Peak is a 12,504-foot-elevation (3,811-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.

Wood Mountain is a 13,682-foot-elevation (4,170 meter) summit located on the boundary shared by Hinsdale County with San Juan County, in Colorado, United States.

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

North Pole Peak is a 12,208-foot-elevation (3,721-meter) mountain summit located in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States.

References

1 2 3 James Dziezynski (2023), Best Summit Hikes in Colorado: 55 Classic Routes and 100+ Summits
1 2 3 4 5 "Cross Mountain - 12,703' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
1 2 "Cross Mountain". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved June 9, 2023.
↑ "Cross Mountain, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
1 2 Geologic map and sections of the Mount Wilson Quadrangle, Colorado, U.S. Geological Survey.
↑ 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

Cross Mountain Trail: usda.gov

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Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
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[Dziezynski-1] 1 2 3 James Dziezynski (2023), Best Summit Hikes in Colorado: 55 Classic Routes and 100+ Summits

[listsofjohn-2] 1 2 3 4 5 "Cross Mountain - 12,703' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved June 9, 2023.

[gnis-3] 1 2 "Cross Mountain". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved June 9, 2023.

[pb-4] "Cross Mountain, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved June 9, 2023.

[usgs-5] 1 2 Geologic map and sections of the Mount Wilson Quadrangle, Colorado, U.S. Geological Survey.

[Peel-6] 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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