Twining Peak is set on the Continental Divide 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Independence Pass in the Sawatch Range which is a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. It ranks as the 138th-highest peak in Colorado.[3] The mountain is located 15 miles (24 km) east of the community of Aspen on land managed by White River National Forest and San Isabel National Forest. The peak is situated on the boundary shared by Mount Massive Wilderness and Hunter–Fryingpan Wilderness. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes drains west into headwaters of the Roaring Fork River and east to the Arkansas River via Lake Creek. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,300 feet (701 m) above Roaring Fork River in one mile (1.6 km) and 2,500 feet (762 m) above North Fork Lake Creek in one mile (1.6 km). An ascent of the peak involves hiking four miles (6.4 km) with 1,700 feet (518 m) of elevation gain and is considered the shortest climb from a paved highway of Colorado's 200 highest peaks.[1]
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Twining Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[5] 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.
^Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN1027-5606.
