Eagle Mesa

Eagle Mesa
Eagle Mesa
	Southwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation	6,624 ft (2,019 m)
Prominence	880 ft (268 m)
Parent peak	Brighams Tomb (6,739 ft)
Isolation	2.05 mi (3.30 km)
Coordinates	37°02′51″N110°07′18″W / 37.0476248°N 110.1216332°W
Geography
	Eagle Mesa Location in Utah Eagle Mesa Eagle Mesa (the United States)
Location	Monument Valley ; San Juan County, Utah, U.S.
Parent range	Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Monument Pass
Geology
Mountain type	Mesa
Type of rock	Sandstone
Climbing
Easiest route	class 5.x climbing

Last updated August 28, 2024

Eagle Mesa is a 6,624-foot-elevation (2,019-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.^[1]

Description

Eagle Mesa is situated 4.5 miles (7.2 km) northeast of Oljato–Monument Valley, Utah, on Navajo Nation land. It is an iconic landform of Monument Valley and can be seen from Highway 163.^[4] Precipitation runoff from this mesa's slopes drains to Mitchell Butte Wash and Train Rock Wash which are both part of the San Juan River drainage basin.^[3] Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,100 feet (335 meters) above surrounding terrain in 0.6 mile (1 km). The nearest higher neighbor is Brighams Tomb, 2.05 miles (3.30 km) to the east.^[2] This landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.^[1] Navajo names for the mesa are "Wide Rock", "Where the Eagles Roost", "Water Basket Sits", and "Trees Hanging from Surrounding Belt" because there were once numerous trees here.^[5] In Navajo mythology, Eagle Mesa is a place where spirits of the deceased may go.^[6] Eagle Rock Spire is a 300-ft tower on the northern tip of the mesa which requires class 5.9 climbing skill to reach the summit.^[7]^[8] Navajo names for this spire which resembles a perched eagle include "Eagle Alongside Mesa", "Big Finger is Pointed", and Tsé Łichii Dahazkani (Elevated Red Rock Sitting Up).^[5] The first ascent of the spire was made on April 23, 1970, by Fred Beckey and Eric Bjornstad.^[9]

Geology

Eagle Mesa is a mesa composed of three principal strata. The bottom layer is Organ Rock Shale, the next stratum is cliff-forming De Chelly Sandstone, and the upper layer is Moenkopi Formation capped by Shinarump Conglomerate. The rock ranges in age from Permian at the bottom to Late Triassic at the top. The buttes and mesas of Monument Valley are the result of the Organ Rock Shale being more easily eroded than the overlaying sandstone.^[10]

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Eagle Mesa. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. Summers average 54 days above 90 °F (32 °C) annually, and highs rarely exceed 100 °F (38 °C). Summer nights are comfortably cool, and temperatures drop quickly after sunset. Winters are cold, but daytime highs are usually above freezing. Winter temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) are uncommon, though possible. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.^[11]

Gallery

Southwest aspect. Eagle Rock Spire to left, Setting Hen to right.
Aerial view, south aspect
Aerial view, north aspect
Southwest aspect. Eagle Rock Spire to left, Setting Hen to right.
East aspect
Southwest aspect, from Highway 163
East-northeast aspect, from Highway 163. Eagle Rock Spire to right.

Related Research Articles

The East Temple is a prominent 7,709 feet (2,350 m) summit composed of Navajo Sandstone in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States. It is one of the notable landmarks in the park. The nearest neighbor is Twin Brothers, one-half mile to the north, and the nearest higher peak is The West Temple, 3.85 miles (6.20 km) to the west-southwest. The mountain is situated 1.8 miles northeast of the park headquarters, at the confluence of Pine Creek and the North Fork Virgin River. This feature's name was applied by John Wesley Powell during his explorations in 1872, and was officially adopted in 1934 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The first ascent was made in 1937 by Glen Dawson, Dick Jones, Homer Fuller, Wayland Gilbert, and Jo Momyer.

Checkerboard Mesa is an iconic 6,520+ ft elevation Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Kane County of southwest Utah, United States. Checkerboard Mesa is situated immediately southwest of the park's east entrance, towering 900 feet above the Zion – Mount Carmel Highway. Its nearest neighbor is Crazy Quilt Mesa, one-half mile immediately west, and separated by Checkerboard Mesa Canyon. This canyon holds pools of rainwater which provide a vital source of water for resident bighorn sheep. This peak was originally named Checkerboard Mountain by the park's third superintendent, Preston P. Patraw. The landform's toponym was officially adopted in 1935 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The descriptive name stems from the cliff's distinctive multitudinous check lines in cross-bedded white sandstone which give the impression of a checkerboard. The horizontal lines are caused by cross-bedding, a remnant of ancient sand dunes. The vertical and sub-vertical lines formed by the contraction and expansion of the sandstone caused by temperature changes, freezing and thawing cycles, in combination with wetting and drying. Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains into tributaries of the Virgin River.

Owl Rock is a 6,547-foot elevation sandstone summit located south of Monument Valley, in northeast Arizona. It is situated 7 miles (11 km) north of Kayenta on Navajo Nation land, and can be seen from Highway 163 perched on the east edge of Tyende Mesa, where it towers 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain. Its nearest higher neighbor is Agathla Peak, 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to the east-northeast, on the opposite side of this highway. Precipitation runoff from this feature drains into El Capitan Wash, which is part of the San Juan River drainage basin. The first ascent of Owl Rock was made in April 1966 by Fred Beckey and Harvey Carter by climbing cracks on the west face, and then bolting up a smooth south nose to the summit. They employed 20 pitons and 14 bolts on this route called Warpath. The descriptive name stems from its uncanny resemblance to an owl when viewed from the east. This feature is known as Bee 'Adizí in Navajo language meaning "spindle", and this sacred place is considered to be a spindle left behind by the Holy People. A newer name for it is Tsé Ts'óózí, meaning "Slim Rock".

Ant Hill is a 6,641-foot (2,024 m) summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States. It is composed of white Navajo Sandstone, and rises 1,400 feet above the Zion – Mount Carmel Highway. Ant Hill is situated 1.65 mi (2.66 km) east-northeast of The East Temple, and 2.4 mi (3.9 km) west-northwest of Checkerboard Mesa. Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains into tributaries of the Virgin River. Despite its benign name, an ascent of this mountain is a dangerous and exposed climb.

Crazy Quilt Mesa is a 6,760 ft (2,060 m) elevation white Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Kane County of southwest Utah, United States.

Bridger Jack Butte is a sandstone butte located in Bears Ears National Monument, in San Juan County, Utah, United States. Set at the northern tip of Bridger Jack Mesa and above the confluence of Indian and Lavender Creeks, the summit rises to an elevation of 5,890 feet, and towers over 700 feet above the surrounding terrain and floor of Lavender Canyon to its west. This landmark is situated four miles southeast of the Sixshooter Peaks, and is visible from State Route 211 between Newspaper Rock and the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. "Bridger Jack" was a Paiute medicine man.

Navajo Church is a 7,350-foot-elevation (2,240-meter) pillar in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States.

Northgate Peaks are two summits in Washington County, Utah, United States.

Greatheart Mesa is a 7,405 ft (2,257 m) summit in Washington County, Utah, United States.

Sentinel Mesa is a 6,450-foot-elevation (1,966-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States. It is situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the Monument Valley visitor center on Navajo Nation land and can be seen from Highway 163. The mesa is immediately northwest of the iconic West and East Mitten Buttes. The nearest higher neighbor is Brighams Tomb, 2.64 miles (4.25 km) to the north-northeast. Precipitation runoff from this mesa's west slope drains to Mitchell Butte Wash, whereas the east slope drains to West Gypsum Creek, which are both part of the San Juan River drainage basin. The "Sentinel" name refers to how the mesa oversees Monument Valley which the Navajo consider as one of the "door posts" to Monument Valley. The landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

Brighams Tomb is a 6,739-foot-elevation (2,054-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.

Mitchell Mesa is a 6,586-foot-elevation (2,007-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

Spearhead Mesa is a 5,998-foot-elevation (1,828-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

Rain God Mesa is a 5,921-foot-elevation (1,805-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

Camel Butte is a 5,847-foot-elevation (1,782-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

Elephant Butte is a 5,981-foot-elevation (1,823-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

Cly Butte is a 5,820-foot-elevation (1,774-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

Setting Hen is a 6,293-foot-elevation (1,918-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.

Mitchell Butte is a 6,383-foot-elevation (1,946-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

Gray Whiskers is a 6,385-foot-elevation (1,946-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

References

1 2 3 4 "Eagle Mesa". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2024-08-23.
1 2 3 4 5 "Eagle Mesa - 6,620' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
1 2 "Eagle Mesa, Utah". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
↑ American Cowboy, May-Jun 2006, Active Interest Media, Inc. p. 98.
1 2 Samuel Holiday, Under the Eagle: Samuel Holiday, Navajo Code Talker, University of Oklahoma Press, 2013, ISBN 9780806151038.
↑ Robert S. McPherson Dinéjí Na`nitin: Navajo Traditional Teachings and History, University Press of Colorado, 2018, ISBN 9781607322177.
↑ "Eagle Rock Spire, Utah". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
↑ "Eagle Rock Spire - 6,380' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
↑ First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-08-23.
↑ Monument Valley, Arizona, Arizona Geological Survey, Retrieved 2024-08-22.
↑ Climate Summary for Kayenta, Arizona

External links

Weather forecast: Eagle Mesa

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[gnis-1] 1 2 3 4 "Eagle Mesa". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2024-08-23.

[listsofjohn-2] 1 2 3 4 5 "Eagle Mesa - 6,620' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-08-23.

[pb-3] 1 2 "Eagle Mesa, Utah". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-08-23.

[4] American Cowboy, May-Jun 2006, Active Interest Media, Inc. p. 98.

[Holiday-5] 1 2 Samuel Holiday, Under the Eagle: Samuel Holiday, Navajo Code Talker, University of Oklahoma Press, 2013, ISBN 9780806151038.

[6] Robert S. McPherson Dinéjí Na`nitin: Navajo Traditional Teachings and History, University Press of Colorado, 2018, ISBN 9781607322177.

[pb2-7] "Eagle Rock Spire, Utah". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-08-23.

[listsofjohn2-8] "Eagle Rock Spire - 6,380' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-08-23.

[9] First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-08-23.

[10] Monument Valley, Arizona, Arizona Geological Survey, Retrieved 2024-08-22.

[11] Climate Summary for Kayenta, Arizona

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