Potosi Peak

Potosi Peak is a 13,786-foot-elevation (4,202-meter) mountain summit located in Ouray County of Colorado, United States.[3] It is situated five miles southwest of the community of Ouray, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the Sneffels Range which is a subset of the San Juan Mountains, which in turn is part of the Rocky Mountains. It is situated west of the Continental Divide, 2.2 miles south of Whitehouse Mountain, and 2.5 miles southeast of Mount Sneffels. Potosi ranks as the 113th-highest peak in Colorado,[2] and the fourth-highest in the Sneffels Range.[1] Recreation enthusiasts heading for Yankee Boy Basin traverse below the southern base of the mountain. Topographic relief is significant as the southeast aspect rises 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) above the Camp Bird Mine in approximately 1.5 mile. The mining activity in the immediate area produced significant amounts of gold and silver.[4] "Potosi" in Quechuan language translates to "great wealth.".[5] The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use before 1899 when Henry Gannett published it in A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States.[6]

Potosi Peak
Southwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation13,786 ft (4,202 m)[1]
Prominence786 ft (240 m)[1]
Parent peakTeakettle Mountain (13,825 ft)[2]
Isolation1.02 mi (1.64 km)[2]
Coordinates37°59′23″N 107°44′57″W[3]
Geography
Potosi Peak is located in Colorado
Potosi Peak
Potosi Peak
Location in Colorado
Potosi Peak is located in the United States
Potosi Peak
Potosi Peak
Potosi Peak (the United States)
LocationOuray County
Colorado, US
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
San Juan Mountains
Sneffels Range[1]
Topo mapUSGS Ironton
Geology
Type of rockExtrusive rock
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 2+ scrambling[2]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Potosi Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[7] 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. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Uncompahgre River.

  • Potosi Peak centered, Teakettle Mountain to left
    Potosi Peak centered, Teakettle Mountain to left
  • South aspect of Potosi Peak seen from Sidney Basin area.Teakettle Mountain at left edge of frame.
    South aspect of Potosi Peak seen from Sidney Basin area.
    Teakettle Mountain at left edge of frame.

See also
  • Mountains of Ouray County, Colorado

References
  1. "Potosi Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com.
  2. "Potosi Peak - 13,786' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  3. "Potosi Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  4. Camp Bird Mine, Ouray, Sneffels District (Mount Sneffels District), Ouray Co., Colorado, USA
  5. Gerry Roach, Jennifer Roach, 2001, Colorado's Thirteeners, 13,800 to 13,999 Feet, Fulcrum Publishing, ISBN 9781555914196, page 284
  6. Henry Gannett, A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States, 1899, US Government Printing Office, page 94.
  7. 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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