Pawnee Peak

Pawnee Peak
East aspect, centered at top
Highest point
Elevation12,943 ft (3,945 m)[1][2]
Prominence420 ft (128 m)[3]
Parent peakApache Peak (13,441 ft)[4]
Isolation0.49 mi (0.79 km)[3]
Coordinates40°04′53″N 105°37′57″W / 40.0814331°N 105.6325140°W / 40.0814331; -105.6325140[5]
Naming
EtymologyPawnee people
Geography
Pawnee Peak is located in Colorado
Pawnee Peak
Pawnee Peak
Location in Colorado
Pawnee Peak is located in the United States
Pawnee Peak
Pawnee Peak
Pawnee Peak (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyBoulder / Grand
Protected areaIndian Peaks Wilderness
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
Front Range[6]
Topo mapUSGS Monarch Lake
Geology
Rock ageMesoproterozoic[7]
Rock typeGranite[7]
Climbing
Easiest routeSouth slope class 2[2]

Pawnee Peak is a 12,943-foot (3,945 m) mountain summit on the boundary shared by Boulder County and Grand County, in Colorado, United States.[5]

Description

Pawnee Peak is set on the Continental Divide in the Front Range which is a subrange of the Rocky Mountains.[6] The mountain is located 20 miles (32 km) west-northwest of Boulder in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, on land managed by Arapaho National Forest and Roosevelt National Forest. It is the ninth-highest summit in the wilderness and 18th-highest in Boulder County.[3] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's east slope drains to South St. Vrain Creek, whereas the west slope drains to Monarch Lake via Cascade Creek. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,060 feet (628 m) above Pawnee Lake in 0.7 mile (1.1 km) and 1,600 feet (488 m) above Blue Lake in 0.75 mile (1.2 km). An ascent of the peak involves hiking ten point five miles (16.9 km) (round trip) with 2,500 feet (762 m) of elevation gain.[8] 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.[5]

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.[9] 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 Pawnee Peak:[2]

  • South slopes – class 2
  • East ridge – class 3
  • East aspect
    East aspect
  • Looking west to the Continental Divide. Left to rightː Navajo Peak, Apache Peak, Shoshoni Peak, Pawnee Peak (centered), Mount Toll, Mount Audubon.
    Looking west to the Continental Divide. Left to rightː Navajo Peak, Apache Peak, Shoshoni Peak, Pawnee Peak (centered), Mount Toll, Mount Audubon.

See also

References

  1. ^ Robert M. Ormes (1992), Guide to the Colorado Mountains, Johnson Books, ISBN 9781555661946, p. 60.
  2. ^ a b c Gerry Roach (1998), Colorado's Indian Peaks, Fulcrum Publishing, ISBN 9781555914042, p. 46.
  3. ^ a b c "Pawnee Peak - 12,955' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  4. ^ "Pawnee Peak, Peakvisor.com". Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Pawnee Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Pawnee Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Geologic map of the Estes Park 30' x 60' quadrangle, north-central Colorado, W.A. Braddock, U.S. Geological Survey, 1984.
  8. ^ Jon Kedrowski (2022), Classic Colorado Hikes, Colorado Mountain Club, ISBN 9781937052836
  9. ^ 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.