McHenrys Peak

McHenrys Peak
East aspect
Highest point
Elevation13,327 ft (4,062 m)[1][2]
Prominence884 ft (269 m)[3]
Parent peakChiefs Head Peak (13,577 ft)[3][4]
Isolation1.23 mi (1.98 km)[3]
Coordinates40°15′47″N 105°39′27″W / 40.2629199°N 105.6573871°W / 40.2629199; -105.6573871[5]
Naming
EtymologyProf. Benjamin F. McHenry
Geography
McHenrys Peak is located in Colorado
McHenrys Peak
McHenrys Peak
Location in Colorado
McHenrys Peak is located in the United States
McHenrys Peak
McHenrys Peak
McHenrys Peak (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyGrand County / Larimer County
Protected areaRocky Mountain National Park
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
Front Range
Topo mapUSGS McHenrys Peak
Geology
Rock agePrecambrian[7]
Rock typeGranite of Longs Peak batholith[6]
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 3 scrambling[3]

McHenrys Peak is a 13,327-foot-elevation (4,062-meter) mountain summit on the boundary shared by Grand County and Larimer County in Colorado, United States.

Description

McHenrys Peak is set on the Continental Divide in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.[4] The mountain is situated within Rocky Mountain National Park. It is the fifth-highest peak in Larimer County.[8] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's east slope drains into Glacier Creek which is a tributary of the Big Thompson River, and the west slope drains to Grand Lake via North Inlet. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,850 feet (560 meters) above Lake Powell in 0.62 mile (1 km) and 2,725 feet (831 meters) above Black Lake in one mile (1.6 km).

Etymology

The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1911 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[5] Abner Sprague named the peak after Professor Benjamin F. McHenry of Union Christian College, Merom.[9] McHenry spent three summers in this area during the 1890s. Abner Sprague had a homestead at Sprague Lake with a view of McHenry Peak, Otis Peak, and Hallett Peak.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, McHenrys 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.

  • East face above Black Lake
    East face above Black Lake
  • McHenrys with Ribbon Falls
    McHenrys with Ribbon Falls

See also

References

  1. ^ Robert M. Ormes (2000), Guide to the Colorado Mountains, Colorado Mountain Club Press, ISBN 9780967146607, p. 43.
  2. ^ "McHenrys Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "McHenrys Peak - 13,330' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "McHenrys Peak, Peakvisor.com". Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "McHenrys Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  6. ^ Geologic map of the Estes Park 30' x 60' quadrangle, north-central Colorado, W.A. Braddock, U.S. Geological Survey, 1984.
  7. ^ Lexicon of Geologic Names of the United States (including Alaska). Part 2 (1936), U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 2227.
  8. ^ Larimer County CO Peaks List, listsofjohn.com, Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  9. ^ Louisa Ward Arps, Elinor Eppich Kingery, (1994), High Country Names: Rocky Mountain National Park and Indian Peaks, Johnson Books, ISBN 9781555661335
  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.