King-on-his-Throne

Last updated
King-on-his-Throne
King-on-his-Throne, n.jpg
North aspect
Highest point
Elevation 6,165 ft (1,879 m) [1]
Prominence 200 ft (61 m) [2]
Parent peak Brighams Tomb (6,739 ft) [2]
Isolation 0.4 mi (0.64 km) [2]
Coordinates 37°02′24″N110°04′44″W / 37.0398989°N 110.0790021°W / 37.0398989; -110.0790021 [1]
Geography
USA Utah relief location map.svg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
King-on-his-Throne
Location in Utah
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
King-on-his-Throne
King-on-his-Throne (the United States)
Location Monument Valley
San Juan County, Utah, U.S.
Parent range Colorado Plateau [3]
Topo map USGS Monument Pass
Geology
Age of rock Permian
Mountain type Butte
Type of rock Sandstone
Climbing
First ascent 1967

King-on-his-Throne is a 6,165-foot-elevation (1,879-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States. [1]

Contents

Description

King-on-his-Throne is situated 4.4 miles (7.1 km) north-northeast of the Monument Valley Tribal Park Visitor Center, on Navajo Nation land. It is an iconic landform of Monument Valley and can be seen from Highway 163. Precipitation runoff from this landform's slopes drains into the San Juan River drainage basin. [3] Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 565 feet (172 meters) above the surrounding terrain in 0.2 mile (0.32 km). This landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names. [1] It is so named because the butte resembles a king sitting on a throne looking south to the valley. [4] The first ascent of the summit was made in 1967 by Fred Beckey, Marlene Dalluge, Joe Brown, and Don Liska. [5]

Geology

King-on-his-Throne is composed of two principal strata. The bottom layer is slope-forming Organ Rock Shale and the upper stratum is cliff-forming De Chelly Sandstone. The rock was deposited during the Permian period. The buttes and mesas of Monument Valley are the result of the Organ Rock Shale being more easily eroded than the overlaying sandstone. [6]

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit King-on-his-Throne. 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. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butte</span> Isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top

In geomorphology, a butte is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word butte comes from the French word butte, meaning knoll ; its use is prevalent in the Western United States, including the southwest where mesa is used for the larger landform. Due to their distinctive shapes, buttes are frequently landmarks in plains and mountainous areas. To differentiate the two landforms, geographers use the rule of thumb that a mesa has a top that is wider than its height, while a butte has a top that is narrower than its height.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monument Valley</span> Region of the Colorado Plateau, US

Monument Valley is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of sandstone buttes, with the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. The most famous butte formations are located in northeastern Arizona along the Utah–Arizona state line. The valley is considered sacred by the Navajo Nation, the Native American people within whose reservation it lies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owl Rock</span> Landform in Navajo County, Arizona

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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinel Mesa</span> Mountain in 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle Mesa</span> Mountain in Utah, United States

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brighams Tomb</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spearhead Mesa</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rain God Mesa</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camel Butte</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elephant Butte (Monument Valley)</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cly Butte</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Setting Hen</span>

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitchell Butte</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gray Whiskers</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Rock (San Juan County, Utah)</span> Mountain in Utah, United States

Castle Rock is a 6,340-foot-elevation (1,932-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Indian (Utah)</span> Mountain in Utah, United States

Big Indian is a 6,120-foot-elevation (1,865-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rooster Rock (Arizona)</span>

Rooster Rock is a 5,985-foot-elevation (1,824-meter) summit in Apache County, Arizona, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunderbird Mesa</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

Thunderbird Mesa is a 5,814-foot-elevation (1,772-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stagecoach (San Juan County, Utah)</span>

Stagecoach is a 6,302-foot-elevation (1,921-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "King-on-his-Throne". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  2. 1 2 3 "King-on-his-Throne - 6,180' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  3. 1 2 "King-on-his-Throne, Utah". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  4. ↑ Monument Valley, City of Aztec, aztecnm.com, Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  5. ↑ First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  6. ↑ Monument Valley, Arizona, Arizona Geological Survey, Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  7. ↑ Climate Summary for Kayenta, Arizona
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.