Snowdon Peak

Last updated
Snowdon Peak
Snowdon Peak.jpg
Northwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation 13,077 ft (3,986 m) [1]
Prominence 1,317 ft (401 m) [1]
Parent peak Twilight Peak (13,163 ft) [2]
Isolation 3.75 mi (6.04 km) [2]
Coordinates 37°42′28″N107°41′20″W / 37.7078884°N 107.6888976°W / 37.7078884; -107.6888976 Coordinates: 37°42′28″N107°41′20″W / 37.7078884°N 107.6888976°W / 37.7078884; -107.6888976 [3]
Naming
Etymology Snowdon
Geography
USA Colorado relief location map.svg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Snowdon Peak
Location in Colorado
Usa edcp relief location map.png
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Snowdon Peak
Snowdon Peak (the United States)
Location San Juan County, Colorado, US
Parent range Rocky Mountains
San Juan Mountains
Needle Mountains [1]
Topo map USGS Snowdon Peak
Geology
Age of rock Statherian
Type of rock Quartzite
Climbing
Easiest route class 2+ scramble [2] NE ridge [4]

Snowdon Peak is a 13,077-foot-elevation (3,986-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States. [3] It is situated seven miles south of the community of Silverton, in the Weminuche Wilderness, on land managed by San Juan National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains range which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains of North America, and is set nine miles west of the Continental Divide. Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises 4,300 feet (1,300 meters) above the Animas River in approximately 1.5 mile. Neighbors include Mount Garfield three miles to the east-southeast, and Twilight Peak, which is the nearest higher peak, 3.7 miles to the south-southwest. This mountain can be seen from U.S. Route 550. The mountain is named after Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. [5]

Contents

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Snowdon Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers. [6] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Animas River.

Geology

Snowdon Peak is part of the Uncompahgre Formation, which is a sequence of quartzite and black phyllite some 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) in thickness. [7] The formation dates to the Statherian period and is interpreted as metamorphosed marine and fluvial sandstone, mudstone, and shale. The formation overlies plutons with an age of 1,707 million years.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Mount Garfield is a 13,074-foot-elevation (3,985-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States. It is situated eight miles south of the community of Silverton, in the Weminuche Wilderness, on land managed by San Juan National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains range which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains of North America. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Animas River. The peak can be seen from U.S. Route 550 and the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises over 4,300 feet above the river and railway in approximately one mile. It is set six miles west of the Continental Divide, one mile west of Electric Peak, and three miles east-southeast of Snowdon Peak.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunshine Mountain</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Precipice Peak</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Emma</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coxcomb Peak (Colorado)</span>

Coxcomb Peak is a 13,656-foot-elevation (4,162-meter) mountain summit located on the common boundary of Hinsdale County and Ouray County, in Colorado, United States. It is situated nine miles northeast of the community of Ouray, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is situated west of the Continental Divide. Coxcomb ranks as the 171st-highest peak in Colorado, and topographic relief is significant as the south aspect rises 2,000 feet above Wetterhorn Basin in approximately one mile, and 4,400 feet above Cow Creek in three miles. Neighbors include Precipice Peak 2.7 miles to the north, Redcliff one-half mile north, Matterhorn Peak 2.3 miles to the east-southeast, and nearest higher neighbor Wetterhorn Peak 1.8 mile to the southeast. The mountain's descriptive name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use since at least 1906 when Henry Gannett published it in the Gazetteer of Colorado.

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

Engineer Mountain is a 12,968-foot-elevation (3,953-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States. It is part of the San Juan Mountains range which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is west of the Continental Divide. Engineer Mountain is a prominent landmark set 1.5 mile immediately west of Coal Bank Pass, and is visible from multiple viewpoints along Highway 550, making it one of the most photographed mountains in the San Juans. It is situated 11 miles southwest of the community of Silverton, on land managed by San Juan National Forest. Topographic relief is significant as the southwest aspect rises 3,800 feet above Cascade Creek in approximately two miles. Neighbors include Snowdon Peak seven miles to the east, and Twilight Peak, five miles to the southeast.

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunsinane Mountain</span>

Dunsinane Mountain, or officially Dunsinane, is a 12,742-foot-elevation (3,884-meter) mountain summit located in Hinsdale County, of Colorado, United States. It is situated 11 miles east of the community of Ridgway, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is situated west of the Continental Divide. Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises 2,500 feet above the Middle Fork Cimarron River valley in approximately one mile. The mountain's name was officially adopted as Dunsinane by the United States Board on Geographic Names in 1966, and is so named because it resembles the castle Dunsinane of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abrams Mountain</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildhorse Peak</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redcliff (Colorado)</span>

Redcliff is a 13,642-foot-elevation (4,158-meter) mountain summit located in Hinsdale County, in southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated nine miles northeast of the town of Ouray, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is situated west of the Continental Divide. Redcliff ranks as the 175th-highest peak in Colorado, and topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 2,300 feet above the West Fork Cimarron River valley in approximately one mile. Neighbors include Precipice Peak and Dunsinane Mountain along the west-middle Cimarron divide three miles to the north, and nearest higher neighbor Coxcomb Peak one-half mile to the south. An ascent of Redcliff involves 3,300 feet of elevation gain and 10 miles of hiking, round-trip. The mountain's name was proposed by the Colorado Mountain Club, and was officially adopted in 1966 by the United States Board on Geographic Names. It is so named because of a large reddish-colored cliff on the mountain's east face.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Horn (Colorado)</span> Mountain summit in southwest Colorado

Golden Horn is a 13,780-foot-elevation (4,200-meter) mountain summit located on the shared boundary of San Juan County with San Miguel County, in southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated nine miles west of the community of Silverton, on land managed by San Juan National Forest and Uncompahgre National Forest. Golden Horn is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is west of the Continental Divide. It ranks as the 116th-highest peak in Colorado, and topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 3,800 feet in approximately 1.5 mile. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use in 1906 when Henry Gannett published it in A Gazetteer of Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurricane Peak</span>

Hurricane Peak is a 13,447-foot-elevation (4,099-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County of southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated equidistant between the historic towns of Ouray and Silverton, and is approximately nine miles west of the Continental Divide. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains. Topographic relief is significant as the north aspect rises 1,200 feet above Lake Como in one-half mile. Neighbors include Abrams Mountain 3.4 miles to the north, and Red Mountain 2.2 miles to the west. The Mountain Queen Mine, which is located on the east slope of Hurricane Peak at the head of California Gulch, is one of the oldest workings in the area and was most active from 1878 to 1880. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use in 1906 when Henry Gannett published it in the Gazetteer of Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palmyra Peak</span>

Palmyra Peak is a 13,319-foot-elevation (4,060-meter) mountain summit located in San Miguel County of southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated four miles south of the town of Telluride, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is west of the Continental Divide. It is immediately south of Telluride Ski Resort, from which it is a prominent landmark, and Palmyra has the distinction of having the highest inbounds skiing terrain of any North American ski resort. Topographic relief is significant as the north aspect rises 2,300 feet above Prospect Basin in one mile, and the west aspect rises 2,100 feet above Alta Lakes in one-half mile. The mountain's name has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names in association with the Palmyra Mine, a gold and silver mine located at an elevation of 11,650-feet on the peak's western aspect. Other mines on its flanks included Lakeview Mine, Mountain Quail Mine, Roy Johnston mine, and Turkey Creek Mine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lookout Peak (Colorado)</span>

Lookout Peak is a 13,661-foot-elevation (4,164-meter) mountain summit located on the shared boundary of San Juan County with San Miguel County, in southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated three miles east of the community of Ophir, and one mile immediately north of Ophir Pass, on land managed by San Juan National Forest and Uncompahgre National Forest. Lookout Peak is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is west of the Continental Divide. It ranks as the 166th-highest peak in Colorado, and topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 3,000 feet in approximately one mile. Neighbors include Silver Mountain three miles to the west-northwest, Wasatch Mountain two miles north-northwest, and Golden Horn five miles south-southwest. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use in 1899 when Henry Gannett published it in A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States, and in 1906 when he published it in A Gazetteer of Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twin Sisters (Colorado)</span>

Twin Sisters is a 13,432-foot-elevation (4,094-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States. The lower west summit has an elevation of 13,374 feet and 0.43 mile separates the pair. Twin Sisters is part of the San Juan Mountains range which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is west of the Continental Divide. It is situated 7.5 miles southwest of the community of Silverton, on land managed by San Juan National Forest. It is set 5.5 miles north of Engineer Mountain, and 2.2 miles east of Rolling Mountain, the nearest higher neighbor. Other neighbors include Snowdon Peak seven miles to the southeast, and Golden Horn, 3.5 miles to the northwest. Topographic relief is significant as the north aspect rises 3,000 feet above South Fork Mineral Creek in approximately 1.5 mile. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use in 1906 when Henry Gannett published it in A Gazetteer of Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulysses S Grant Peak</span>

Ulysses S Grant Peak is a 13,767-foot-elevation (4,196-meter) mountain summit located on the shared boundary of San Juan County with San Miguel County, in southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated eight miles west of the community of Silverton, on land managed by San Juan National Forest and Uncompahgre National Forest. Ulysses S Grant Peak is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is west of the Continental Divide. It ranks as the 119th-highest peak in Colorado, and topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 2,400 feet in approximately one mile. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use in an 1896 scientific publication by Charles Whitman Cross, and listed by Henry Gannett when he published A Gazetteer of Colorado in 1906.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilot Knob (Colorado)</span> Mountain summit in southwest Colorado

Pilot Knob is a 13,738-foot-elevation (4,187-meter) mountain summit located on the shared boundary of San Juan County with San Miguel County, in southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated nine miles west of the community of Silverton, on land managed by San Juan National Forest and Uncompahgre National Forest. Pilot Knob is part of the San Juan Mountains which are a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is west of the Continental Divide. It ranks as the 132nd-highest peak in Colorado, and topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 4,000 feet above Trout Lake in three miles. Neighbors include Ulysses S Grant Peak 1.5 mile to the northeast, and Golden Horn one-half mile to the southeast. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was listed by Henry Gannett when he published A Gazetteer of Colorado in 1906. The peak is considered one of the most difficult to climb in Colorado because of its poor quality volcanic rock.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Snowdon Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com.
  2. 1 2 3 "Snowdon Peak - 13,077' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  3. 1 2 "Snowdon Peak". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  4. Robert F. Rosebrough, The San Juan Mountains: A Climbing & Hiking Guide, Cordillera Press, 1986, page 114.
  5. John Peel, Paul Pixler, Hiking Trails of Southwestern Colorado, 5th Ed., 2020, West Margin Press, ISBN   9781513262987, page 157.
  6. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN   1027-5606.
  7. Rob Blair, Tom Ann Casey, William H. Romme, The Western San Juan Mountains: Their Geology, Ecology, and Human History, 1996, University Press of Colorado, ISBN   9780870813788, page 350.