Sangre de Cristo Mountains

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This article is about the entire Sangre de Cristo Mountain range. For the northern-most portion with the same name, see Sangre de Cristo Range.

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Spanish for "blood of Christ") are the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado in the United States. The mountains run from Poncha Pass in South-Central Colorado, trending southeast and south, ending at a point southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The mountains contain a number of fourteen thousand foot peaks in the Colorado portion, and the New Mexico portion contains all of the peaks in New Mexico which are over thirteen thousand feet.

The name, Spanish for "blood of Christ", is said to come from the red color of the range at some sunrises and sunsets, especially when the mountains are covered with snow. However the particular origin of the name is unclear, and the name in fact only dates back to the early 19th century. Before that time the terms "La Sierra Nevada", "La Sierra Madre", "La Sierra", and "The Snowies" (used by English speakers) were used.^[1] Sometimes the archaic Spanish spelling "Christo" is used.

[edit] Nomenclature and subranges

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are divided into various subranges, which we will describe from north to south. The northernmost portion of the mountains, entirely in Colorado between Poncha Pass and La Veta Pass, is known as the Sangre de Cristo Range; see that article for more details. (Usage of the terms "Range" and "Mountains" is inconsistent, but we will reserve "Range" for that portion of the mountains.) Between La Veta Pass and Costilla Creek, spanning the Colorado-New Mexico border, is the Culebra Range. The rest of the subranges are entirely in New Mexico. Between Costilla Creek and Palo Flechado Pass lie the Taos Mountains. Across the Moreno Valley, to the east of the Taos Mountains, is the Cimarron Range. Between Palo Flechado Pass and the Pecos Wilderness lie the small subranges of the Fernando Mountains and the Rincon Mountains. The southernmost portion of the mountains, near Santa Fe, are usually just called the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and do not have a specific subrange name.

[edit] Land Management and Recreation Overview

Much of the mountains are within various National Forests: the Rio Grande and San Isabel in Colorado, and the Carson and Santa Fe in New Mexico. These publicly accessible areas are popular for camping, hiking, backpacking, climbing, and cross-country and downhill skiing.

The mountains include two large wilderness areas, the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness in Colorado and the Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico, as well as some smaller wilderness areas. The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve lies on the southwest side of the mountains in Colorado.

[edit] Description by subrange

See the Sangre de Cristo Range article for the northernmost portion of the mountains.

[edit] Culebra Range

The Culebra Range runs almost due north and south, with its northern limit at La Veta Pass in Colorado, and its southern limit at Costilla Creek, just south of Big Costilla Peak in New Mexico. Its highest point is Culebra Peak (14,047 feet/4,282 m), which is notable for being the only fourteener in Colorado which is on private land. Climbers wishing to ascend Culebra must pay a fee (currently US$100 per person), and the number of climbers per year is limited.^[2] Standing to the east of the main crest are the two prominent Spanish Peaks (West: 13,626 feet/4,153 m; East: 12,860 feet/3,920 m). Unlike the rest of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, these are volcanic, with conical shapes and prominent dikes radiating outward. These peaks were important landmarks on the mountain branch of the Santa Fe Trail.

[edit] Taos Mountains

The Taos Mountains span the western lobe of the range from Costilla Creek in the north, to Palo Flechado Pass in the south. They include the highest point in New Mexico, Wheeler Peak (13,161 feet/4,012 m), which is part of the small Wheeler Peak Wilderness. Other notable peaks include Pueblo Peak (12,305 feet/3,751 m), which rises dramatically above Taos Pueblo, and Latir Peak (12,708 feet/3,873 m). Taos Ski Valley lies just to the west of Wheeler Peak. Much of the southern portion of the Taos Mountains are on Taos Pueblo land.

[edit] Cimarron Range

The Cimarron Range lies across the Moreno Valley to the east of the Taos Mountains. It is a lower range, with its highest point being Baldy Mountain (12,441 feet/3,792 m). The Philmont Scout Ranch lies on the east side of the Cimarron Range.

[edit] Fernando and Rincon Mountains

These are minor subranges, significantly lower than the rest of the Sangre de Cristos.

[edit] Southern Sangre de Cristos

Rounding out the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the group of peaks near Santa Fe and surrounding the Pecos Wilderness, which protects the source watershed of the Pecos River. The peaks include Truchas Peak (13,102 feet/3,994 m) as their highest point. Other notable peaks are Santa Fe Baldy (12,622 feet/3,847 m) and Jicarita Peak (12,835 feet/3,912 m). The Pecos Wilderness is crossed by many trails and is popular for backpacking and for fishing in its high alpine lakes.