Sawatch Range
Sawatch Range | |
---|---|
Saguache Range | |
Sawatch Range seen from Monarch Pass | |
Highest point | |
Peak | Mount Elbert |
Elevation | 14,440 ft (4,400 m) |
Coordinates | 39°07′03.9″N 106°26′43.29″W / 39.117750°N 106.4453583°WCoordinates: 39°07′03.9″N 106°26′43.29″W / 39.117750°N 106.4453583°W |
Dimensions | |
Length | 80 mi (130 km) NW/SE |
Geography | |
Country | United States |
State | Colorado |
Parent range | Rocky Mountains |
The Sawatch Range /səˈwætʃ/[1][2] is a high and extensive mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at 14,440 feet (4,401 m) elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies.
The range is oriented along a northwest-southeast axis, extending approximately 80 miles (130 km) from 39°37′36″N 106°32′13″W / 39.62667°N 106.53694°W in the north to 38°5′51″N 106°3′48″W / 38.09750°N 106.06333°W in the south. The range contains 15 peaks topping 14000 ft (4267 m). The range forms a portion of the Continental Divide, and its eastern flanks are drained by the headwaters of the Arkansas River. The western side of the range feeds the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River, the Eagle River, and the Gunnison River, tributaries of the Colorado River.
The Sawatch mountains in general are high, massive, and relatively gentle in contour. While some peaks are rugged enough to require technical climbing, most can be climbed by a simple, yet arduous hike. Notable summits include Mount Elbert, Mount Massive, La Plata Peak, Mount of the Holy Cross, and the Collegiate Peaks (Mounts Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Belford, and Oxford).
State Highway 82 traverses the range at Independence Pass, which is typically open only from late spring to mid autumn. It is also traversed by Hagerman Pass to the north, connecting the Arkansas Headwaters near Leadville with the upper valley of the Fryingpan River. Hagerman pass is traversable with four-wheel drive vehicles and on foot during summer and early autumn months. The range contains numerous hiking trails within the White River National Forest and the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness.
Prominent peaks
Rank | Mountain Peak | Elevation | Prominence | Isolation |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mount Elbert[3] NGS | feet 4401 m |
14,440 feet 2772 m |
9,093 miles 1079.2 km | 670.6
2 | Mount Massive[4] | feet 4398 m |
14,428 feet 592 m |
1,941 miles 8.2 km | 5.1
3 | Mount Harvard NGS | feet 4395 m |
14,421 feet 709 m |
2,327 miles 24.0 km | 14.9
4 | La Plata Peak[4] | feet 4372 m |
14,343 feet 561 m |
1,841 miles 10.1 km | 6.3
5 | Mount Antero NGS | feet 4351 m |
14,276 feet 763 m |
2,503 miles 28.6 km | 17.7
6 | Mount Princeton NGS | feet 4329 m |
14,204 feet 664 m |
2,177 miles 8.4 km | 5.2
7 | Mount Yale NGS | feet 4329 m |
14,202 feet 572 m |
1,876 miles 8.9 km | 5.5
8 | Mount of the Holy Cross NGS | feet 4271 m |
14,011 feet 643 m |
2,111 miles 29.8 km | 18.5
9 | Grizzly Peak NGS | feet 4266 m |
13,995 feet 582 m |
1,908 miles 10.9 km | 6.8
10 | Mount Ouray NGS | feet 4255 m |
13,961 feet 810 m |
2,659 miles 21.9 km | 13.6
11 | Mount Jackson[4] PB | feet 4169 m |
13,676 feet 552 m |
1,810 miles 5.2 km | 3.2
12 | Bill Williams Peak[4] PB | feet 4081 m |
13,389 feet 513 m |
1,682 miles 6.5 km | 4.0
13 | Antora Peak[4] PB | feet 4046 m |
13,275 feet 734 m |
2,409 miles 10.9 km | 6.7
14 | Henry Mountain[4] PB | feet 4042 m |
13,261 feet 510 m |
1,674 miles 18.6 km | 11.5
15 | Park Cone[4] PB | feet 3690 m |
12,106 feet 622 m |
2,040 miles 5.5 km | 3.4
16 | Red Table Mountain[4] PB | feet 3671 m |
12,043 feet 615 m |
2,017 miles 16.6 km | 10.3
17 | Tomichi Dome[4] PB | feet 3496 m |
11,471 feet 709 m |
2,325 miles 21.4 km | 13.3
18 | Castle Peak[4] PB | feet 3440 m |
11,285 feet 927 m |
3,040 miles 30.5 km | 18.9
See also
References
- ↑ The place name "Sawatch" is pronounced /səˈwætʃ/. This name derives from the Ute language noun "sawup" /səˈwʌp/ meaning "sand dunes". The Spanish language version of this name is usually spelled "Saguache", while the English language version is usually spelled "Sawatch".
- ↑ Merkl, Dameon (February 26, 2013), "What's in a Colorado name pronunciation?", The Denver Post, retrieved March 7, 2013
- ↑ The summit of Mount Elbert is the highest point of the Rocky Mountains and the State of Colorado.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 The elevation of this summit has been converted from the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). National Geodetic Survey
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sawatch Range. |
- Sawatch Range @ Peakbagger
- Sawatch Range @ 14ers.com
- Sawatch Range @ summitpost.org
- Mt. Aetna @ summitpost.org