Kissing Couple

Kissing Couple is a 5,815-foot-elevation (1,772-meter) sandstone pillar located in Colorado National Monument, in Mesa County of western Colorado, United States.[2] This iconic 400-foot-high tower is situated on the west side of Monument Canyon, 1.5 mile southeast of the monument's visitor center, and 9 miles (14 km) west of the community of Grand Junction. It is also a half-mile south-southeast of another popular climbing destination, Independence Monument, and both can be seen from viewpoints along Rim Rock Drive. It is so named because it resembles an embracing couple.[2] This geographical feature's name was officially adopted in 1982 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[2] Older USGS maps have the feature's name misplaced by about one-half mile to the southeast. The first ascent of the summit was made May 4, 1960, by Layton Kor, Harvey Carter, and John Auld via the five pitch, class 5.11a route named Long Dong Wall.[4][5] The first free ascent was made in 1977 by Andy Petefish, Tom Stubbs, and Jim Pearson.[6][7] Some climbers alternatively refer to Kissing Couple as "Bell Tower."[8]

Kissing Couple
Southeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation5,815 ft (1,772 m)[1]
Prominence305 ft (93 m)[1]
Parent peakBlack Ridge[1]
Isolation2.28 mi (3.67 km)[1]
Coordinates39°05′21″N 108°43′05″W[2]
Geography
Kissing Couple is located in Colorado
Kissing Couple
Kissing Couple
Location in Colorado
Kissing Couple is located in the United States
Kissing Couple
Kissing Couple
Kissing Couple (the United States)
LocationColorado National Monument
Mesa County, Colorado, U.S.
Parent rangeColorado Plateau
Uncompahgre Plateau
Topo mapUSGS Colorado National Monument
Geology
Age of rockLate Triassic to Early Jurassic[3]
Type of rockWingate Sandstone
Climbing
First ascent1960
Easiest routeclass 5.11a climbing[1]

Geology

This tower is the remnant of a differentially eroded fin composed primarily of cliff-forming Wingate Sandstone, which consists of wind-borne, cross-bedded quartzose sandstones deposited as ancient sand dunes approximately 200 million years ago in the Late Triassic. The thin caprock at the summit consists of fluvial sandstones of the resistant Kayenta Formation. The slope around the base of the Kissing Couple is Chinle Formation.[9] The floor of the canyon is Precambrian basement rock consisting of gneiss, schist, and granites. The tower has a small natural arch which formed from an enlarged vertical joint. Precipitation runoff from this geographical feature drains to the Colorado River, approximately three miles to the northeast.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Kissing Couple is located in a semi-arid climate zone.[10] Summers are hot and dry, while winters are cold with some snow. Temperatures reach 100 °F (38 °C) on 5.3 days, 90 °F (32 °C) on 57 days, and remain at or below freezing on 13 days annually. The months April through October offer the most favorable weather to visit.

  • Southeast aspect from Rim Rock Drive
    Southeast aspect from Rim Rock Drive
  • West aspect from Rim Rock Drive
    West aspect from Rim Rock Drive
  • Independence Monument (left) and Kissing Couple (right)
    Independence Monument (left) and Kissing Couple (right)
  • Climbers on Kissing Couple
    Climbers on Kissing Couple
  • Egypt Rock (left), Kissing Couple (center), Grand View Spire (right) seen from Monument Canyon Trail
    Egypt Rock (left), Kissing Couple (center), Grand View Spire (right) seen from Monument Canyon Trail
  • Kissing Couple detail
    Kissing Couple detail
  • Aerial view with Kissing Couple lower right
    Aerial view with Kissing Couple lower right

See also

References
  1. "Kissing Couple - 5,815' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  2. "Kissing Couple". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  3. Geologic Formations, National Park Service
  4. Cameron Burns, Selected Climbs in the Desert Southwest: Colorado and Utah, 1999, Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9780898866575, page 34.
  5. First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com
  6. Cameron Burns, Selected Climbs in the Desert Southwest: Colorado and Utah, 1999, Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9780898866575, page 34.
  7. Long Dong Wall (aka Bell Tower), Mountainproject.com
  8. Stewart M. Green, 2010, Rock Climbing Colorado A Guide to More Than 1,800 Routes, Falcon Guides, ISBN 9780762763443, page 468.
  9. Stanley William Lohman, The Geologic Story of Colorado National Monument, Geological Survey Bulletin 1508, pages 28-30.
  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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