Chiefs Head Peak

Chiefs Head Peak is a 13,577-foot-elevation (4,138-meter) mountain summit in Boulder County, Colorado, United States.

Chiefs Head Peak
North aspect
Highest point
Elevation13,577 ft (4,138 m)[1]
Prominence696 ft (212 m)[1][2]
Parent peakLongs Peak (14,259 ft)[1][3]
Isolation1.45 mi (2.33 km)[1]
Coordinates40°14′57″N 105°38′28″W[4]
Geography
Chiefs Head Peak is located in Colorado
Chiefs Head Peak
Chiefs Head Peak
Location in Colorado
Chiefs Head Peak is located in the United States
Chiefs Head Peak
Chiefs Head Peak
Chiefs Head Peak (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyBoulder County
Protected areaRocky Mountain National Park
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
Front Range
Topo mapUSGS Isolation Peak
Geology
Age of rockPrecambrian[5]
Type of rockGranite of Longs Peak batholith[6]
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 2+[1]

Description

Chiefs Head Peak is set along the Continental Divide in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.[3] The mountain is situated within Rocky Mountain National Park and is the third-highest peak in the park.[7] It is also the third-highest peak in Boulder County.[8] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's south slope drains into North St. Vrain Creek, the north slope drains to Glacier Creek which is a tributary of the Big Thompson River, and the lower west slope drains to Grand Lake via North Inlet. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,000 feet (610 meters) above Frozen Lake in one-half mile. The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1911 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[4] The Arapaho called this peak "Head Mountain" because of a profile resemblance to a chief wearing a war bonnet.[9]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Chiefs Head Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[10] 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.

See also
  • Longs Peak (left), Chiefs Head Peak (center), Thatchtop (right) from north
    Longs Peak (left), Chiefs Head Peak (center), Thatchtop (right) from north
  • Northeast aspect of Chiefs Head seen from The Keyhole on Longs Peak. Pagoda Mountain to left. The Spearhead in lower right.
    Northeast aspect of Chiefs Head seen from The Keyhole on Longs Peak. Pagoda Mountain to left. The Spearhead in lower right.
  • Left to right: Mount Alice, Chiefs Head Peak (centered), Pagoda Mountain, Longs Peak, Mount Meeker. Southeast aspect viewed across Wild Basin.
    Left to right: Mount Alice, Chiefs Head Peak (centered), Pagoda Mountain, Longs Peak, Mount Meeker. Southeast aspect viewed across Wild Basin.
  • Aerial view of Chiefs Head, circa 1925
    Aerial view of Chiefs Head, circa 1925
  • Chiefs Head Peak centered on skyline with Mt. Alice to left and Longs Peak to right. View from Barr Lake in the Denver area.
    Chiefs Head Peak centered on skyline with Mt. Alice to left and Longs Peak to right. View from Barr Lake in the Denver area.

References
  1. "Chiefs Head Peak - 13,577' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  2. "Chiefs Head Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  3. "Chiefs Head Peak, Peakvisor.com". Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  4. "Chiefs Head Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  5. Lexicon of Geologic Names of the United States (including Alaska). Part 2 (1936), U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 2227.
  6. Geologic map of the Estes Park 30' x 60' quadrangle, north-central Colorado, W.A. Braddock, U.S. Geological Survey, 1984.
  7. Lisa Foster (2005), Rocky Mountain National Park: The Complete Hiking Guide, Westcliffe Publishers, ISBN 9781565795501, p. 59.
  8. Boulder County CO Peaks List, listsofjohn.com, Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  9. Joe Milligan (1997), Guide to the Colorado Mountains: I-70 Skylines, Westcliffe Publishers, ISBN 9781565791916, p. 22.
  10. 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.
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