Merrimac Butte
Merrimac Butte[2] is a 5,627-foot (1,715-metre) sandstone summit located in Grand County, Utah, United States, about 12 miles northwest of the town of Moab. Merrimac Butte is a thin, 200–600-foot-wide and 1,600-foot-long east-to-west butte with 200-foot-tall vertical Entrada Sandstone walls overlaying a Carmel Formation base.
| Merrimac Butte | |
|---|---|
 Merrimac Butte (left) seen with Monitor Butte (right) | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,627 ft (1,715 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 637 ft (194 m)[1] |
| Coordinates | 38°39′48″N 109°44′34″W[1] |
| Geography | |
  Merrimac Butte Location of Merrimac Butte in Utah  Merrimac Butte Merrimac Butte (the United States) | |
| Location | Grand County, Utah United States |
| Parent range | Colorado Plateau |
| Topo map | USGS Merrimac Butte |
| Geology | |
| Type of rock | Entrada Sandstone |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Climbing class 5.8[1] |
Monitor Butte is situated immediately east of Merrimac Butte. The two buttes were named after the Monitor and Merrimack, two ironclad steamships known for clashing during the American Civil War. They can be seen from Highway 313 after it climbs out of Sevenmile Canyon en route to the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park or Dead Horse Point State Park.
Climbing Routes
Climbing Routes on Merrimac Butte[3]
- Ascent Into the Maelstrom - class 5.11 - 3 pitches
- Hypercrack on the Anchor Chain - class 5.11 - 2 pitches
- Hypothetical Route - class 5.10 - 1 pitch
- Keel Hauling - class 5.9+ - 3 pitches
- Merrimac Butte, The Albatross - class 5.11 - 2 pitches
- Without A Net - class 5.8 - 3 pitches
The first ascent was made September 22, 1985, by Jimmy Dunn, John Bouchard, Eric Bjornstad, and Lin Ottinger via "Hypercrack on the Anchor Chain."[4][5]
"Without a Net" is the least difficult climb on Merrimac Butte and the first ascent of this route was made in April 1991 by Charlie Fowler and Sue Wint.[6]
Climate
Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to see Merrimac and Monitor Buttes, when highs average 60 to 80 °F and lows average 30 to 50 °F. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 °F. Winters are cold, with highs averaging 30 to 50 °F, and lows averaging 0 to 20 °F. As part of a high desert region, it can experience wide daily temperature fluctuations. The area receives an average of less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain annually.
References
- "Merrimac Butte" Lists of John
- "Merrimac Butte". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
- Monitor and Merrimac Buttes Rock Climbing Mountain Project
- First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com
- North America, United States, Utah, Merrimac Butte, The Hyper Crack on the Anchor Chain, American Alpine Journal, 1986
- Selected Climbs in the Desert Southwest: Colorado and Utah, author: Cameron Burns, publisher: The Mountaineers, First Edition 1999, page 125.
External links
- Merrimac and Monitor buttes from Hwy 313: PBase photo
- Weather forecast: Merrimac Butte