Grayrock Peak

Grayrock Peak
Grayrock Peak
	East aspect
Highest point
Elevation	12,504 ft (3,811 m)
Prominence	764 ft (233 m)
Parent peak	Grizzly Peak (13,738 ft)
Isolation	3.55 mi (5.71 km)
Coordinates	37°40′25″N107°51′47″W / 37.6736929°N 107.8630918°W
Geography
	Grayrock Peak Location in Colorado Grayrock Peak Grayrock Peak (the United States)
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	San Juan
Protected area	San Juan National Forest
Parent range	Rocky Mountains ; San Juan Mountains
Topo map	USGS Engineer Mountain
Geology
Type of rock	Trachyte
Climbing
Easiest route	class 2 hiking

Last updated July 05, 2023

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

Description

Grayrock Peak is set west of the Continental Divide in the San Juan Mountains which are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. It is situated 28 miles (45 km) north of the community of Durango on land managed by San Juan National Forest. Grayrock is the highest point of Graysill Mountain.^[5] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Animas River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 3,400 feet (1,000 meters) above Cascade Creek in less than two miles. Neighbors include line parent Grizzly Peak 5.67 miles (9.12 km) to the north and Engineer Mountain, 3.54 miles (5.70 km) to the northeast.^[3] An ascent of the peak involves hiking 6.8 miles (10.9 km) with 2,104-feet of elevation gain.^[5] The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1908 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.^[2]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Grayrock Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone 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. Hikers can expect afternoon rain, hail, and lightning from the seasonal monsoon in late July and August.

Geology

Grayrock Peak is composed of trachyte, a light-colored extrusive igneous rock composed mostly of alkali feldspar. This rock falls from the high walls of the north cirque and forms a rock glacier that descends 1,000 feet and extends three-quarters of a mile.^[4]

Related Research Articles

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Tower Mountain, elevation 13,558 ft (4,132 m), is a summit in the San Juan Mountains located northeast of Silverton, 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.

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.

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.

Dunsinane Mountain, or officially Dunsinane, is a 12,742-foot-elevation (3,884-meter) mountain summit located in Hinsdale County, of Colorado, United States. It is situated 11 miles east of the community of Ridgway, 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 2,500 feet above the Middle Fork Cimarron River valley in approximately one mile. The mountain's name was officially adopted as Dunsinane by the United States Board on Geographic Names in 1966, and is so named because it resembles the castle Dunsinane of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Wildhorse Peak is a 13,266-foot-elevation (4,043-meter) mountain summit located in Ouray County, of Colorado, United States. It is situated five miles east 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. Neighbors include Darley Mountain 2.2 miles to the south, and Abrams Mountain five miles to the southwest. This distinctive peak abruptly rises 1,000 feet above the alpine tundra of American Flats, and topographic relief is significant as the northwest aspect rises 1,600 feet above Wildhorse Creek in less than one mile. The peak can be seen from Montrose and Highway 550. The first ascent of the summit was made August 25, 1899, by Eli Stanton, F. H. Stanton, and William Killen. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Graystone Peak is a 13,489-foot-elevation (4,111-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.

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.

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.

Proposal Peak is a 13,339-foot-elevation (4,066-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.

Emery Peak is a 13,321-foot-elevation (4,060-meter) summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.

References

1 2 3 4 5 "Grayrock Peak - 12,504' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
1 2 "Grayrock Peak". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2023-07-01.
1 2 "Grayrock Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
1 2 Ernest Howe (1909), Landslides in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado, Including a Consideration of Their Causes and Their Classification, US Government Printing Office, p. 38,39.
1 2 John Peel, Paul Pixler (2020), Hiking Trails of Southwestern Colorado, Fifth Edition, Graphic Arts Books, ISBN 9781513262987, p. 146.
↑ 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: Grayrock Peak
National Geodetic Survey data sheet

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Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
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[listsofjohn-1] 1 2 3 4 5 "Grayrock Peak - 12,504' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2023-07-01.

[gnis-2] 1 2 "Grayrock Peak". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2023-07-01.

[pb-3] 1 2 "Grayrock Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2023-07-01.

[Howe-4] 1 2 Ernest Howe (1909), Landslides in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado, Including a Consideration of Their Causes and Their Classification, US Government Printing Office, p. 38,39.

[Peeler-5] 1 2 John Peel, Paul Pixler (2020), Hiking Trails of Southwestern Colorado, Fifth Edition, Graphic Arts Books, ISBN 9781513262987, p. 146.

[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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