Paiute Peak

Paiute Peak is a 13,088-foot (3,989 m) mountain summit on the boundary shared by Boulder County and Grand County, in Colorado, United States.[4]

Paiute Peak
Southeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation13,088 ft (3,989 m)[1][2]
Prominence452 ft (138 m)[3]
Parent peakMount Audubon (13,229 ft)[3]
Isolation0.86 mi (1.38 km)[3]
Coordinates40°05′51″N 105°37′56″W[4]
Naming
EtymologyPaiute
Geography
Paiute Peak is located in Colorado
Paiute Peak
Paiute Peak
Location in Colorado
Paiute Peak is located in the United States
Paiute Peak
Paiute Peak
Paiute Peak (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyBoulder / Grand
Protected areaIndian Peaks Wilderness
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
Front Range[5]
Topo mapUSGS Monarch Lake
Geology
Age of rockMesoproterozoic[6]
Type of rockGranite[6]
Climbing
Easiest routeSoutheast face class 2[2]

Description

Paiute Peak is set on the Continental Divide in the Front Range which is a subrange of the Rocky Mountains.[5] The mountain is located 21 miles (34 km) west-northwest of Boulder in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, on land managed by Arapaho National Forest and Roosevelt National Forest. It is the sixth-highest summit in the wilderness and 14th-highest in Boulder County.[3] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's east slope drains into tributaries of St. Vrain Creek, whereas the west slope drains to Monarch Lake via Cascade and Thunderbolt creeks, thence Lake Granby. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,800 feet (549 m) above Blue Lake in 0.75 mile and 2,200 feet (671 m) above Pawnee Lake in one mile (1.6 km). An ascent of the peak involves hiking nine miles (14 km) (round trip) with 2,564 feet (782 m) of elevation gain.[7] The mountain was named by Ellsworth Bethel and the toponym was officially adopted on October 7, 1914, by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[4]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, the mountain is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[8] 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.

Climbing

Established climbing routes on Paiute Peak:[2]

  • Southeast face – class 2
  • East ridge – class 3

See also

References
  1. Robert M. Ormes (1992), Guide to the Colorado Mountains, Johnson Books, ISBN 9781555661946, p. 62.
  2. Gerry Roach (1998), Colorado's Indian Peaks, Fulcrum Publishing, ISBN 9781555914042, p. 41.
  3. "Paiute Peak - 13,094' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  4. "Paiute Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  5. "Paiute Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  6. Geologic map of the Estes Park 30' x 60' quadrangle, north-central Colorado, W.A. Braddock, U.S. Geological Survey, 1984.
  7. Jon Kedrowski (2022), Classic Colorado Hikes, Colorado Mountain Club, ISBN 9781937052836
  8. 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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