Mule Ear Peaks

Mule Ear Peaks
Northwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation3,897 ft (1,188 m)[1]
Prominence765 ft (233 m)[1]
Isolation1.93 mi (3.11 km)[2]
Coordinates29°08′37″N 103°24′08″W / 29.1435449°N 103.4022969°W / 29.1435449; -103.4022969[3]
Geography
Mule Ear Peaks is located in Texas
Mule Ear Peaks
Mule Ear Peaks
Location of Mule Ear Peaks in Texas
Mule Ear Peaks is located in the United States
Mule Ear Peaks
Mule Ear Peaks
Mule Ear Peaks (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyBrewster
Protected areaBig Bend National Park[1]
Parent rangeChisos Mountains[1]
Topo mapUSGS Cerro Castellan
Geology
Rock ageOligocene
Rock typeIgneous rock (Rhyolite)
Climbing
First ascentJan and Herb Conn (1940s)
Easiest routeclass 5.x climbing[2]

Mule Ear Peaks are two summits in Brewster County, Texas, United States.

Description

Mule Ear Peaks is part of the Chisos Mountains and is set in the Chihuahuan Desert where it is an iconic landmark in Big Bend National Park. The south peak reaches 3,897 feet in elevation (1,188 meters) and the north peak is 3,882 feet (1,183 m).[4] The landform is a dike composed of rhyolite (volcanic rock) which formed 29 million years ago during the Oligocene period, specifically the Burro Mesa Rhyolite member of the Burro Mesa Formation.[5] Below the spires are Mule Ear Spring Tuff and Bee Mountain Basalt.[6] Based on the Köppen climate classification, the peaks are located in a hot arid climate zone with hot summers and mild winters.[7] Any scant precipitation runoff from the peak's slopes drains into Smoky Creek which empties into the Rio Grande six miles to the south-southwest. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,080 feet (329 m) above Smoky Creek in 0.35 mile (0.56 km). The mountain's descriptive toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names,[3] and has been featured in publications since at least 1907.[8] In the 1930s, part of Army Air Corps flight training included flying between these two spires.[9][10] Col. Charles Deerwester claimed to be the first pilot to "thread the needle" by flying between the two peaks.[11] The first ascent of the summit was made in the 1940s by Jan and Herb Conn.

See also

  • Mule Ear Peaks from west
    Mule Ear Peaks from west
  • Aerial view, southwest aspect, 1932
    Aerial view, southwest aspect, 1932

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Mule Ear Peaks - South Peak, Texas". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  2. ^ a b "Mule Ear Peaks, South - 3,900' TX". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  3. ^ a b "Mule Ear Peaks". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  4. ^ "Mule Ear Peaks, Texas". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  5. ^ Gray, J.E., Geological, Geochemical, and Geophysical Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Big Bend National Park, Texas, U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1327, p. 35, Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  6. ^ Crouching Mule - Hidden Canyon: A Trip Down the Maxwell Scenic Highway, Francis Redfern, Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  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.
  8. ^ A Sketch of the Geology of the Chisos Country, Brewster County, Texas, Johan August Udden, University of Texas, 1907, p. 65
  9. ^ Big Bend National Park (N.P.), General Management Plan, United States National Park Service, 2004, p. 110.
  10. ^ The Big Bend of the Rio Grande: A Guide to the Rocks, Geologic History, and Settlers of the Area of Big Bend National Park, Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, NPS.gov, Retrieved 2024-11-08.
  11. ^ Kenneth B. Ragsdale, Wings over the Mexican Border: Pioneer Military Aviation in the Big Bend, University of Texas Press, 2010, ISBN 9780292787810.
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