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
Rock age Permian
Mountain type Pillar
Rock type 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">Castleton Tower</span> Summit in Castle Valley, Utah, US

Castleton Tower is a 6,660-foot (2,030 m) summit on the northeastern border of Castle Valley, Utah. The Wingate Sandstone tower itself is 400 feet (120 m) high and stands on a 1,000-foot (300 m) Moenkopi-Chinle cone. Castleton Tower is a popular subject for photography and for its classic rock climbing routes, the most famous of which is the Kor-Ingalls Route featured in Fifty Classic Climbs of North America. It can be accessed by a trail that begins south of the tower at a primitive camp ground.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rectory (Utah)</span>

The Rectory is a 6,565-ft sandstone summit in Grand County of Utah, United States. The Rectory is located at Castle Valley, Utah, near the city of Moab. The Rectory is a thin 200 feet wide, and 1,000 feet long north-to-south butte with 200 ft vertical Wingate Sandstone walls tower standing on a 1,000 foot Moenkopi-Chinle base. Precipitation runoff from The Rectory drains into the nearby Colorado River. The nearest higher peak is Castleton Tower, 0.35 miles (0.56 km) to the south. Priest and Nuns are towers immediately north and part of The Rectory. Further northwest along the connecting ridge is The Convent, with a rock tower called Sister Superior between the two. The first ascent was made May 22, 1962, by Harvey Carter and Cleve McCarty via Empirical Route. Harvey Carter named this geological feature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Castle (Capitol Reef National Park)</span> Summit in the state of Utah, U.S.A.

The Castle is a 6,387-foot (1,947 m) summit in Capitol Reef National Park in Wayne County, Utah, United States. This iconic landmark is situated 0.5 mi (0.80 km) immediately north of the park's visitor center, towering nearly 800 feet (240 m) above the center and Utah State Route 24. Precipitation runoff from this feature is drained by tributaries of the Fremont River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chimney Rock (Capitol Reef National Park)</span> Geological formation in the American state of Utah

Chimney Rock is a 6,420-foot (1,960 m) summit in Capitol Reef National Park in Wayne County, Utah, United States. This landmark is situated 2.5 mi (4.0 km) northwest of the park's visitor center, towering over 300 feet (91 m) above Utah State Route 24. Chimney Rock is also 2.5 mi (4.0 km) northwest of another of the park's landmarks, The Castle. Precipitation runoff from this feature ends up in the Colorado River drainage basin. The Chimney Rock Trail is a 3.5-mile loop trail that takes hikers to a view of Chimney Rock from above Mummy Cliffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sixshooter Peaks</span> Pair of summits in San Juan County, Utah, United States

The Sixshooter Peaks are two iconic sandstone summits located in Bears Ears National Monument in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The larger and higher North Sixshooter Peak rises to an elevation of 6,379 feet, whereas South Sixshooter Peak rises to 6,154 feet, with approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) separation between the two. These buttes tower nearly 1,400 feet above the surrounding terrain, and are historic landmarks visible from State Route 211 between Newspaper Rock and the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. They are situated 1.5 mile outside the boundary of the park, and four miles northwest of Bridger Jack Butte. Variant names for the peaks include "North Six-Shooter Peak", "South Six-shooter Peak", "Six Shooter Peaks", and "Six-shooter Peak". They are so named because of their resemblance to a pair of revolvers pointing skyward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridger Jack Butte</span> Rock formation in 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Gossips</span> Natural rock formation in Utah, US

The Three Gossips is a 4,700-foot-elevation (1,433-meter) sandstone pillar in Grand County, Utah, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adobe Mesa</span>

Adobe Mesa is a 7,475-foot-elevation (2,278-meter) summit in Grand County, Utah, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingfisher Tower (Utah)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tower of Babel (Utah)</span> Summit in Utah, United States

Tower of Babel is a 4,655-foot-elevation (1,419-meter) summit in Grand County, Utah. It is located within Arches National Park and like many of the rock formations in the park, it is composed of Entrada Sandstone. The tower is 500 feet tall, and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 500 feet vertically above the main park road in approximately 200 feet laterally. Precipitation runoff from Tower of Babel drains to the nearby Colorado River via Courthouse Wash. This landform's descriptive toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names. This landform was shown briefly in the opening scene of the 1989 American action-adventure film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cottontail Tower</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ancient Art (Fisher Towers)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echo Tower</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Oracle (Fisher Towers)</span> 6,060 ft sandstone tower in Utah

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheep Rock (Arches National Park)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Butte</span>

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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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