Three Gossips

Last updated
Three Gossips
The Three Gossips in Arches National Park.jpg
East aspect
Highest point
Elevation 4,700 ft (1,433 m) [1]
Prominence 240 ft (73 m) [1]
Parent peak The Organ (4,735 ft) [1]
Isolation 0.28 mi (0.45 km) [1]
Coordinates 38°38′09″N109°36′11″W / 38.6358142°N 109.6031740°W / 38.6358142; -109.6031740 [2]
Geography
USA Utah relief location map.svg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Three Gossips
Location in Utah
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Three Gossips
Three Gossips (the United States)
CountryUnited States
State Utah
County Grand
Protected area Arches National Park
Parent range Colorado Plateau [3]
Topo map USGS The Windows Section
Geology
Age of rock Jurassic
Type of rock Entrada Sandstone [4]
Climbing
First ascent 1970
Easiest route class 5.7 climbing [1]

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

Contents

Description

Three Gossips is located within Arches National Park and it is an iconic rock feature visible from the main park road at the Courthouse Towers area. Like many of the rock formations in the park, it is composed of Entrada Sandstone which formed between 180 and 140 million years ago. [5] [6] The tower is 350 feet tall, [7] and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 500 feet (152 meters) above surrounding terrain in 0.15 miles (0.24 km). Precipitation runoff from Three Gossips drains to the nearby Colorado River via Courthouse Wash. The pillars were named for the shape of the rock which resembles three heads talking amongst themselves. [8] This landform's descriptive toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names. [2] This landform was shown briefly in the opening scene credits of the 1989 American action adventure film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade .

Climbing

The first ascent of the summit was made in October 1970 by Allen Steck and Steve Roper via the class 5.11 West Face. [9]

Other rock-climbing routes on Three Gossips:

Argon Tower (left) and Three Gossips (right) The Three Gossips, Park Avenue, Arches National Park (68895594).jpg
Argon Tower (left) and Three Gossips (right)

Access

The formation can be seen from Courthouse Towers viewpoint and can be accessed through a short hike down into a large wash towards the east side of the pillars. [14]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Three Gossips is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. [15] Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to experience Arches National Park, when highs average 60 to 80 °F (15 to 25 °C) and lows average 30 to 50 °F (0 to 10 °C). Summer temperatures often exceed 100 °F (40 °C). Winters are cold, with highs averaging 30 to 50 °F (0 to 10 °C), and lows averaging 0 to 20 °F (−20 to −5 °C). As part of a high desert region, it can experience wide daily temperature fluctuations. The park receives an average of less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain annually.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canyonlands National Park</span> National park in Utah, United States

Canyonlands National Park is a national park of the United States located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab. The park preserves a colorful landscape eroded into numerous canyons, mesas, and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. Legislation creating the park was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 12, 1964.

<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">Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness</span> Wilderness area

The Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness (BRCW) is located in western Colorado with a small portion extending into eastern Utah, USA, within the arid Colorado Plateau region approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of Grand Junction, Colorado. The wilderness lies on the northwest flank of the Uncompahgre Plateau. It is characterized by the high, east-west trending Black Ridge dissected by seven major canyon systems, draining into the Colorado River in Ruby Canyon. Elevations range from 4,700 feet (1,400 m) above sea level along the river to 6,800 feet (2,070 m). Canyons vary in length from several miles to twelve miles in length and may contain interesting side canyons. Geological features in these canyons include spires, windows, giant alcoves and desert varnish. Canyons may reach a depth of almost 1,000 feet (300 m), forming spectacular red rock cliffs. Spring runoff and summer thunderstorms create glistening waterfalls and plunge pools. Rattlesnake Canyon contains the second largest concentration of natural arches in the country. Mee Canyon is even more remote, and contains Arch Tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arches National Park</span> National park in Utah, United States

Arches National Park is a national park of the United States in eastern Utah. The park is adjacent to the Colorado River, 4 mi (6 km) north of Moab, Utah. The park contains more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the well-known Delicate Arch, which constitute the highest density of natural arches in the world. It also contains a variety of other unique geological resources and formations. The national park lies above an underground evaporite layer or salt bed, which is the main cause of the formation of the arches, spires, balanced rocks, sandstone fins, and eroded monoliths in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Titan (Fisher Towers)</span> Mountain in United States of America

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elephant Butte (Arches National Park)</span> Hill; highest point in Arches National Park, Utah

Elephant Butte is a 5,653-foot (1,723 m) summit in Grand County, Utah. It is located within Arches National Park, and is the highest point in the park. Like many of the rock formations in the park, Elephant Butte is composed of Entrada Sandstone. Elephant Butte is a flat-topped cap surrounded by numerous towers and fins including Parade of Elephants. Double Arch is also a natural feature of Elephant Butte and was used as a backdrop for the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Precipitation runoff from Elephant Butte drains east into the nearby Colorado River. The first ascent was made September 8, 1953, by Alex Cresswell and Fred Ayres.

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

Monster Tower is a 600-foot (180-meter) tall sandstone tower located in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park, in San Juan County, Utah, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washer Woman</span> Sandstone arch and tower in Utah, US

Washer Woman is a 500-foot (150-meter) tall sandstone arch and tower located in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park, in San Juan County, Utah. It is situated 300 feet northwest of the slightly higher Monster Tower. Washer Woman is so named because the feature gives the appearance of a washerwoman bent over a washtub. This geographical feature's name was officially adopted in 1986 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names after previously having similar names such as Washer-Woman Arch and The Washer Woman. Washer Woman and Monster Tower are an eroded fin composed of Wingate Sandstone, which is the remains of wind-borne sand dunes deposited approximately 200 million years ago in the Late Triassic. Airport Tower is set 1.6 mi (2.6 km) to the east, and Mesa Arch is situated 1.5 mi (2.4 km) to the west. A short hike to Mesa Arch provides the easiest view of Washer Woman. Access to this formation is via the four-wheel drive White Rim Road, which is the other option to see it. The top of this geological formation rises 1,300 feet above the road in approximately one mile. Precipitation runoff from Washer Woman drains southeast into the nearby Colorado River via Buck Canyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outlaw Spire</span>

Outlaw Spire, also known as "Hardscrabble Spire," is a sandstone pillar located within Canyonlands National Park, in San Juan County, Utah, United States. It is situated in the Island in the Sky District of the park at the top of Hardscrabble Hill at the western tip of Bighorn Mesa. This landform is composed of Wingate Sandstone, which is the remains of wind-borne sand dunes deposited approximately 200 million years ago in the Late Triassic. Precipitation runoff from Outlaw Spire drains into the nearby Green River which is 1,000 feet below, and less than one-quarter mile away from the tower in Labyrinth Canyon. Access is via the White Rim Road which skirts beneath this remote spire.

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

Argon Tower is a 4,750-foot-elevation (1,448-meter) pillar in Grand County, Utah. It is located within Arches National Park and like many of the rock formations in the park, Argon Tower is composed of Entrada Sandstone. The tower is 260 feet tall, and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 450 feet vertically above the Park Avenue Trail in 400 feet laterally. Precipitation runoff from Argon Tower drains to the nearby Colorado River via Courthouse Wash. This landform was shown briefly in the opening scene credits of the 1989 American action-adventure film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Penguins</span>

Three Penguins is a 4,488-foot-elevation (1,368-meter) summit in Grand County, Utah, United States.

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

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">The Organ (Arches National Park)</span>

The Organ is a 4,735-foot-elevation (1,443-meter) pillar in Grand County, Utah, United States

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Nefertiti Rock</span>

Queen Nefertiti Rock is a 4,741-foot-elevation (1,445-meter) pillar in Grand County, Utah. The feature is located within Arches National Park and like many of the rock formations in the park, Queen Nefertiti Rock is composed of Entrada Sandstone. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 400 feet above the Park Avenue Trail in 0.1 mile. Precipitation runoff from Queen Nefertiti Rock 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, and is so named because the feature resembles the head of Queen Nefertiti.

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

Cottontail Tower is a 5,980-foot-elevation (1,823-meter) pillar in Grand County, Utah, United States.

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

Sheep Rock is a 4,564-foot-elevation (1,391-meter) pillar 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, specifically the Slick Rock Member overlaying the Dewey Bridge Member. The tower is 440 feet tall, and is approximately 0.15 mile from the main park road. Sheep Rock is believed to be a remnant abutment of an ancient fallen arch. Precipitation runoff from Sheep Rock 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Victoria Rock</span>

Queen Victoria Rock is a 4,780-foot-elevation (1,457-meter) pillar in Grand County, Utah, United States.

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

Jello Tower is a 4,510-foot-elevation (1,375-meter) pillar in Grand County, Utah, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Candelabrum</span>

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

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

Mars Hotel is a 4,635-foot-elevation (1,413-meter) summit in Grand County, Utah, United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Three Gossips - 4,700' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  2. 1 2 "Three Gossips". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  3. ↑ "Three Gossips, Utah". Peakbagger.com.
  4. ↑ Pages of Stone, Lucy Chronic, The Mountaineers Books, 2004, ISBN   9781594853180.
  5. ↑ The Geologic Story of Arches National Park, Stanley William Lohman, US Geological Survey, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1975.
  6. ↑ The Three Gossips, United States Geological Survey, August 1, 2023
  7. ↑ “The Three Gossips”, Summitpost.com, August 1, 2023, https://www.summitpost.org/the-three-gossips/154843
  8. ↑ Fodor's The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the USA: All 63 Parks from Maine to American Samoa, Fodor's Travel, 2021, ISBN   9781640974623.
  9. ↑ First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  10. ↑ Lyon Trautner Route, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  11. ↑ Be There or Be Talked About, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  12. ↑ Speak No Evil, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  13. ↑ North America, United States, Utah, Arches National Park, Eric BjØrnstad, 1995, americanalpineclub.org
  14. ↑ The Three Gossips, Getting There, Summitpost.com, August 1, 2023
  15. ↑ 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.
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.