The Titan (Fisher Towers)

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The Titan
The Titan aka Titan Tower at Fisher Towers, Utah.jpg
The Titan, south aspect
Highest point
Elevation 6,112 ft (1,863 m) [1]
Prominence 611 ft (186 m)Peak 6825 [1]
Parent peak Peak 6825 [2]
Isolation 0.56 mi (0.90 km) [2]
Coordinates 38°43′01″N109°17′58″W / 38.7170591°N 109.2995430°W / 38.7170591; -109.2995430 [3]
Geography
USA Utah relief location map.svg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
The Titan
Location in Utah
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
The Titan
The Titan (the United States)
CountryUnited States
State Utah
County Grand
Parent range Colorado Plateau [1]
Topo map USGS Fisher Towers
Geology
Age of rock Permian
Mountain type Pillar
Type of rock Sandstone
Climbing
First ascent 1962

The Titan is a 6,112-foot-elevation (1,863-meter) pillar in Grand County, Utah, United States.

Contents

Description

The Titan is located 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Moab, Utah, in the Fisher Towers, on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. It is the largest of the Fisher Towers which are near Castle Valley. The Titan is the steepest peak in the United States. [4] It has also been attributed to be the largest, free-standing, natural tower in the United States. The tower contains the Finger of Fate Route, first climbed in 1962, which is recognized in the historic climbing text Fifty Classic Climbs of North America and considered a classic around the world. [5] [6] [7] [8] Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 900 feet (274 meters) above the tower's base. Precipitation runoff from the tower drains to Onion Creek which empties into the Colorado River, approximately three miles to the west. Access is via Fisher Towers Road from Route 128 and hiking the Fisher Towers Trail. The Titan should not be confused with Titan Tower which is 0.8 mile to the east. [3] [9]

Climbing

The first ascent of the summit was made on May 13, 1962, by Layton Kor, Huntley Ingalls, and George Hurley via the class 5.8 Finger of Fate route. [10]

Rock-climbing routes on The Titan:

Geology

The Titan is composed of sandstone and mudstone of the Permian Cutler Formation with an Early Triassic Moenkopi Formation caprock. [18] There is an unconformity between the Cutler and the Moenkopi layers. [19] The reddish coloration of the rock is a result of varying amounts of hematite. [20]

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit The Titan. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. [21] Summers 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.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Layton Kor</span> American rock climber

Layton Kor was an American rock climber active in the 1960s, whose first ascents and drive for climbing are well known in the climbing world. His routes included many climbs in Eldorado Canyon, near Boulder, Colorado, The Diamond on Longs Peak, towers in the desert southwest, and Yosemite National Park, among other locations. Notable among his first ascents is the Kor-Ingalls Route on Castleton Tower and The Finger of Fate Route up the Fisher Towers' Titan; both routes are recognized in the historic climbing text Fifty Classic Climbs of North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisher Towers</span> Mountain in Grand County, Utah, United States

Fisher Towers are a series of towers made of Cutler sandstone capped with Moenkopi sandstone and caked with a stucco of red mud located near Moab, Utah. The Towers are named for a miner who lived near them in the 1880s. The Towers are world-renowned as a subject for photography and for its classic rock climbing routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finger of Fate (Fisher Towers)</span> Rock climbing route in Moab, Utah

Finger of Fate is a big wall aid climbing route located in Moab, Utah, on the Titan, the tallest of the Fisher Towers. It was first climbed in 1962. The route saw its first clean ascent in 1996 by Stevie Haston and Laurence Gauoult. The route is recognized in the historic climbing text Fifty Classic Climbs of North America and is considered a classic around the world.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Titan". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  2. 1 2 "Titan, The - 6,113' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  3. 1 2 "The Titan". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  4. ↑ Contiguous US Steepness List, listsofjohn.com, Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  5. ↑ Roper, Steve; Steck, Allen (1979). Fifty Classic Climbs of North America . San Francisco: Sierra Club Books. pp. 217–220. ISBN   0-87156-292-8.
  6. ↑ McDonald, Dougald; Chris McNamara (2002). Desert Towers Select. Supertopo LLC.
  7. ↑ Bjornstad, Eric (1999). Desert Rock III. Helena, MO: Chockstone, Falcon. ISBN   1-56044-754-0.
  8. ↑ Knapp, Fred (2002). Classic Desert Climbs (second ed.). Sharp End Publishing. ISBN   1-892540-17-7.
  9. ↑ "Titan Tower". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  10. ↑ First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  11. ↑ Finger of Fate, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  12. ↑ Cameron Burns, Selected Climbs in the Desert Southwest: Colorado and Utah, The Mountaineers Books, 1999, ISBN   9780898866575, p. 78.
  13. ↑ Sundevil Chimney, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  14. ↑ Naked Lunch, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  15. ↑ World's End, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  16. ↑ Gimp Warfare, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  17. ↑ Jade Gate, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  18. ↑ Castle Valley Overview United States of America, Virtual 3D Geoscience, v3geo.com, Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  19. ↑ Castle Valley Overview United States of America, Virtual 3D Geoscience, v3geo.com, Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  20. ↑ GeoSights: Fisher Towers – The towering red rock sculptures of Grand County, Utah, Carl Ege, Utah Geological Survey, Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  21. ↑ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L. & McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi: 10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 . ISSN   1027-5606. S2CID   9654551.
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