Wheeler Peak (New Mexico)

Last updated

Wheeler Peak
Wheeler Peak, NM.JPG
Wheeler Peak
Highest point
Elevation 13,167 ft (4,013 m)  NAVD 88 [1]
Prominence 3,409 ft (1,039 m) [2]
Parent peak Vermejo Peak
Listing
Coordinates 36°33′25″N105°25′01″W / 36.556855136°N 105.416947028°W / 36.556855136; -105.416947028 [1]
Geography
USA New Mexico relief location map.svg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Wheeler Peak
Location Taos County, New Mexico, U.S.
Parent range Taos Mountains
Topo map USGS Wheeler Peak
Climbing
Easiest route Williams Lake
Wheeler Peak and surrounding peaks, viewed from Eagle Nest, New Mexico Wheeler Peak from Eagle Nest, New Mexico.jpg
Wheeler Peak and surrounding peaks, viewed from Eagle Nest, New Mexico

Wheeler Peak is the highest natural point in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is located northeast of Taos and south of Red River in the northern part of the state, and just 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of the ski slopes of Taos Ski Valley. It lies in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. The peak's elevation is 13,167 feet (4,013 m).

Contents

Formerly named Taos Peak, after the nearby town of Taos, New Mexico, it was renamed Wheeler Peak in 1950. [3] A plaque at the summit states that the mountain was:

Named in honor of Major George Montague Wheeler (1832–1909) who for ten years led a party of surveyors and naturalists collecting geologic, biologic, planimetric and topographic data in New Mexico and six other southwestern states.

Nearby peaks and features

Just north of Wheeler Peak is Mount Walter. At 13,141 feet (4,005 m) it is the second highest named summit in New Mexico, but it is not usually considered an independent peak as it has only about 53 feet (16 m) of topographic prominence. It is sometimes mistaken for Wheeler Peak, since it is along the standard route to Wheeler. Lake Fork Peak at 12,881 feet (3,926 m) lies just across Williams Lake and to the west of Wheeler Mountain.

Taos Ski Valley lies to the northwest of Wheeler Peak, while both the town of Taos and Taos Pueblo are about 15 miles (24 km) to the southwest.

Wheeler Peak is the focus of the 19,661-acre (79.57 km2) Wheeler Peak Wilderness area in the Carson National Forest. Much of the mountain area just south of the peak is on Taos Pueblo land. Some 48,000 acres (190 km2) was returned to the pueblo from the Carson National Forest in 1970 [4] and another 764 acres (3.09 km2) in 1996. [5]

Climate

Climate data for Wheeler Peak 36.5619 N, 105.4181 W, Elevation: 12,789 ft (3,898 m) (1991–2020 normals)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)27.1
(−2.7)
27.3
(−2.6)
32.3
(0.2)
36.1
(2.3)
45.3
(7.4)
56.5
(13.6)
59.9
(15.5)
57.7
(14.3)
51.7
(10.9)
41.8
(5.4)
34.0
(1.1)
27.4
(−2.6)
41.4
(5.2)
Daily mean °F (°C)15.6
(−9.1)
15.5
(−9.2)
20.1
(−6.6)
24.4
(−4.2)
33.3
(0.7)
43.4
(6.3)
47.4
(8.6)
45.9
(7.7)
40.3
(4.6)
31.0
(−0.6)
23.0
(−5.0)
16.3
(−8.7)
29.7
(−1.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)4.2
(−15.4)
3.8
(−15.7)
7.9
(−13.4)
12.7
(−10.7)
21.2
(−6.0)
30.4
(−0.9)
34.8
(1.6)
34.0
(1.1)
28.8
(−1.8)
20.2
(−6.6)
11.9
(−11.2)
5.2
(−14.9)
17.9
(−7.8)
Average precipitation inches (mm)3.44
(87)
3.23
(82)
4.41
(112)
4.13
(105)
3.00
(76)
1.34
(34)
3.49
(89)
4.10
(104)
3.18
(81)
3.08
(78)
3.73
(95)
3.69
(94)
40.82
(1,037)
Source: PRISM Climate Group [6]

Climbing

The standard route on Wheeler Peak is along the north ridge. The route starts at the parking lot for Taos Ski Valley, and proceeds east along an old road to a broad saddle at Bull-of-the-Woods Meadow. It then turns south and winds its way among minor peaks and small valleys to gain Wheeler Peak from the north, going over the summit of Mount Walter along the way. This is a practical route, even in winter, due to low (but nonzero) avalanche exposure.

An alternate route is to hike south from Taos Ski Valley to Williams Lake, then take a newly constructed switchback trail to the top. This trail was completed in 2011 by a Forest Service trail crew from the Gallatin National Forest, 8 people working 12 hours per day, building 4 miles of new trail with hand tools to the top in 14 days.

Another alternate route is to begin from the nearby ski resort of Red River. From the town of Red River drive 6.4 miles south on NM 578, then 1.3 miles on FR 58 to the trailhead parking area. From the parking area Wheeler peak is about 7 miles on Forest Trail 91. This route passes two alpine lakes, Lost Lake and Horseshoe Lake.

Wheeler Peak has a summit register as do many major western peaks.

Wheeler Peak NM Panorama.JPG
Panorama from Wheeler Peak

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Gorgonio Mountain</span> Highest peak of the Transverse Ranges of California, United States

San Gorgonio Mountain, also known locally as Mount San Gorgonio, or Old Greyback, is the highest peak in Southern California and the Transverse Ranges at 11,503 feet (3,506 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sangre de Cristo Mountains</span> Mountain range in Colorado and New Mexico, United States

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States. The mountains run from Poncha Pass in South-Central Colorado, trending southeast and south, ending at Glorieta Pass, southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The mountains contain a number of fourteen thousand foot peaks in the Colorado portion, as well as several peaks in New Mexico which are over thirteen thousand feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Bierstadt</span> Mountain in Colorado, United States

Mount Bierstadt is a 14,065-foot-high (4,287 m) mountain summit in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The fourteener is located in the Mount Evans Wilderness of Pike National Forest, 9.4 miles (15.1 km) south by east of the Town of Georgetown in Clear Creek County. It was named in honor of Albert Bierstadt, an American landscape painter who made the first recorded summit of the mountain in 1863.

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

Mount Nebo is the southernmost and highest mountain in the Wasatch Range of Utah, in the United States, and the centerpiece of the Mount Nebo Wilderness, inside the Uinta National Forest. It is named after the biblical Mount Nebo in Jordan, overlooking Israel from the east of the Jordan River, which is said to be the place of Moses' death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capitol Peak (Colorado)</span> 14136.3-foot mountain in Colorado, United States

Capitol Peak is a high and prominent mountain summit in the Elk Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. It is the 52nd highest mountain in North America. The 14,136.3-foot (4,309 m) fourteener is located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest, 8.7 miles (14.0 km) east by south of the community of Redstone in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowmass Mountain</span> Mountain in Colorado, United States

Snowmass Mountain is a 14,101.7-foot-high (4,298.2 m) mountain in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the thirty-fourth highest mountain peak in the state. Located in the Elk Mountains within the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of the White River National Forest, it lies along the border between Pitkin and Gunnison counties, west of Aspen and southwest of the town of Snowmass Village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Baldy</span> Mountain in New Mexico, United States

Santa Fe Baldy is a prominent summit in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico, United States, located 15 mi (24 km) northeast of Santa Fe. There are no higher mountains in New Mexico south of Santa Fe Baldy. It is prominent as seen from Los Alamos and communities along the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico, but is relatively inconspicuous from Santa Fe, as its north-south trending main ridge line is seen nearly end-on, disguising the size of the mountain. Tree line in the Sangre de Cristos is unusually high and only the top 600 to 800 feet of the mountain is perpetually free of trees, but several severe forest fires have created bare spots extending to lower elevations. An extensive region of aspen trees on its flanks produces spectacular orange-yellow coloration during the fall that is the subject of many photographic studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dix Mountain</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Dix Mountain is a mountain in the Dix Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. With an elevation of 4,857 feet (1,480 m), it is the sixth-highest peak in New York and one of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks. It is located roughly on the boundary between the towns of North Hudson and Keene in Essex County, and in the High Peaks Wilderness Area of Adirondack Park. The crest of the peak consists of a very narrow ridge, which continues to the southeast and rises to a subsidiary peak named Beckhorn, then continues south to other peaks of the Dix Range. The summit is also in an alpine zone above the treeline. The ridge offers unobstructed views of Elk Lake to the southwest, the Great Range to the northwest, and Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carson National Forest</span> National forest in New Mexico, United States

Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern New Mexico, United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers and is administered by the United States Forest Service. The Forest Service's "mixed use" policy allows for its use for recreation, grazing, and resource extraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandia Crest</span> Highpoint of the Sandia-Manzano Mountains in New Mexico, United States

Sandia Crest, also known locally as Sandia Peak or simply as the Crest, is a mountain ridge that, at 10,679 feet (3,255 m), is the highpoint of the Sandia–Manzano Mountains, and is located in the Sandia Mountains of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States. Instead of a true summit or topographic peak, this range climbs to a long ridge line. To the east, the range slopes down from the Crest and merges into the plains below. On the west side of the Crest is a cliff; the range dramatically drops over 4,000 feet in elevation over 2 miles of horizontal distance to the Rio Grande Valley and city of Albuquerque below. It is within the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest. The Crest features a viewing area with a shop and visitor center, telecommunications transmitters, the popular La Luz Trail, the Sandia Mountain Wilderness, and the summit of Sandia Peak Ski Area and the Sandia Peak Tramway, which is the longest aerial tramway in the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Williamson</span> Mountain in California, United States

Mount Williamson, at an elevation of 14,379 feet (4,383 m), is the second-highest mountain in both the Sierra Nevada range and the state of California, and the sixth-highest peak in the contiguous United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenhorn Mountain</span> Mountain in Colorado, United States

Greenhorn Mountain is the highest summit of the Wet Mountains range in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 12,352-foot (3,765 m) peak is located in the Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, 5.2 miles (8.4 km) southwest by west of the Town of Rye, Colorado, United States, on the boundary between Huerfano and Pueblo counties. The summit of Greenhorn Mountain is the highest point in Pueblo County, Colorado. The peak's summit rises above timberline, which is about 11,500 feet (3,500 m) in south-central Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truchas Peak</span> Mountain in New Mexico, United States

Truchas Peak is the second highest peak in the U.S. State of New Mexico behind Wheeler Peak. It is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains 26 miles (42 km) northeast of Santa Fe. It lies within the Pecos Wilderness, part of the Santa Fe National Forest. The name of the peak is Spanish for "trout" (plural). It is the highest point in both Rio Arriba and Mora counties. It is also the most southerly peak and land area in the continental United States to rise above 13,000 feet (3,962 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildcat Mountain (New Hampshire)</span> Mountain in New Hampshire, United States

Wildcat Mountain is a mountain located in Coos County, northern New Hampshire, United States. The mountain is part of the Carter-Moriah Range of the White Mountains, on the east side of Pinkham Notch. Wildcat Mountain faces Carter Dome across Carter Notch to the northeast, and Mount Washington across Pinkham Notch to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boott Spur</span> Mountain in New Hampshire, United States

Boott Spur is a minor peak located in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The mountain is named after Francis Boott (1792–1863), and is part of the Presidential Range of the White Mountains. Boott Spur stands on the shoulder of Mount Washington, above the south side of the headwall of Tuckerman Ravine.

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

Deseret Peak is the highest peak in the Stansbury Mountains with an elevation of 11,035 ft. It is located in the Deseret Peak Wilderness area west of Grantsville, Utah and east of Skull Valley Indian Reservation. It is the fourth most topographically prominent peak in the state of Utah. The site is a popular destination for hikers and backcountry skiers as the area is a contrast of the alpine wilderness with the surrounding desert basin. The trail that leads to the peak is easily accessible from Salt Lake City. The mountain offers views of the Bonneville Salt Flats, the Great Salt Lake, and the surrounding towns and mountain ranges. On a clear day, it is possible to see Mount Nebo, the highest peak in the adjacent Wasatch Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant Mountain</span> Mountain in the United States

Giant Mountain, also known as Giant of the Valley, is a mountain in the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the twelfth-highest peak in New York, with an elevation of 4,627 feet (1,410 m), and one of the 46 High Peaks in Adirondack Park. It is located in the Giant Mountain Wilderness Area, in the town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain is named for its towering appearance from the nearby Pleasant Valley to the east, which sits at a low elevation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venado Peak</span> Mountain in New Mexico, United States

Venado Peak is one of the major peaks of the Taos Mountains group of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. It is located in Taos County, New Mexico, about 8 miles (13 km) northeast of the town of Questa. Its summit is the highest point in the Latir Peak Wilderness, part of Carson National Forest. The peak's name means "deer" in Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Baldy (Arizona)</span> Mountain in Apache County, Arizona, United States

Mount Baldy is an extinct stratovolcano in eastern Arizona in the United States. With a summit elevation of 11,409 feet (3,477 m), the peak of Mount Baldy rises above the tree line and is left largely bare of vegetation, lending the mountain its current name. The Mount Baldy Wilderness occupies the eastern slope of the mountain and is managed by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Garita Wilderness</span> Protected area in southwestern Colorado, US

The La Garita Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the La Garita Mountains of southern Colorado. The 129,626-acre (524.58 km2) wilderness established in 1964 in Gunnison and Rio Grande National Forests includes segments of the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. At 14,014 feet (4,271 m), San Luis Peak is the highest point in the wilderness area.

References

  1. 1 2 "Wheeler". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  2. "Wheeler Peak, New Mexico". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  3. "Wheeler Peak". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved December 22, 2008.
  4. Julyan, Bob; Tom Till (1999). New Mexico's Wilderness Areas: The Complete Guide. Westcliffe Publishers. p. 73. ISBN   1-56579-291-2.
  5. "Public Law 104-333" (PDF). Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  6. "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved September 28, 2023. To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.