Ervin Peak is a 13,538-foot (4,126 m) mountain summit in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States.

Ervin Peak
South aspect, centered
Highest point
Elevation13,538 ft (4,126 m)[1]
Prominence430 ft (131 m)[1]
Parent peakMount Hope (13,939 ft)[1]
Isolation0.96 mi (1.54 km)[1]
Coordinates39°00′14″N 106°26′19″W / 39.0038147°N 106.4385641°W / 39.0038147; -106.4385641[2]
Naming
EtymologyWilliam F. Ervin
Geography
Ervin Peak is located in Colorado
Ervin Peak
Ervin Peak
Location in Colorado
Ervin Peak is located in the United States
Ervin Peak
Ervin Peak
Ervin Peak (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyChaffee
Protected areaSan Isabel National Forest
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
Sawatch Range
Collegiate Peaks[3]
Topo mapUSGS Mount Elbert
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 2 hiking[1]

Description

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Ervin Peak is set approximately five miles (8.0 km) east of the Continental Divide in the Collegiate Peaks which are a subrange of the Sawatch Range. The mountain is located 2.6 miles (4.2 km) southeast of La Plata Peak on land managed by San Isabel National Forest.[1] It ranks as the 234th-highest summit in Colorado.[1] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's south slope drains into Clear Creek, whereas the north slope drains to Lake Creek, and both are tributaries of the Arkansas River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises over 3,300 feet (1,006 m) above Clear Creek in 1.2 miles (1.9 km).

 
Ervin Peak (right), Mount Blaurock (center), and La Plata Peak (distant left)
 
Ervin Peak (centered), from Huron Peak

Etymology

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The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 2003 by the United States Board on Geographic Names to remember William Fulton Ervin (1884–1943) who climbed every peak over 14,000-feet-elevation in Colorado.[2] In 1923, Bill Ervin and climbing partner Carl Blaurock became the first to climb all of Colorado's 46 fourteeners that were known at that time.[4][5] Mount Blaurock lies less than one mile northwest of Ervin Peak.

Climate

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According to the Köppen climate classification system, Ervin Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[6] 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. Climbers can expect afternoon rain, hail, and lightning from the seasonal monsoon in late July and August.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Ervin Peak - 13,538' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Ervin Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  3. ^ "Ervin Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  4. ^ Mike Garratt, Bob Martin (1984), Colorado's High Thirteeners, Johnson Books, ISBN 9780917895395, p. ix.
  5. ^ Robert M. Ormes (1992), Guide to the Colorado Mountains, Johnson Books, ISBN 9781555661946, p. 344.
  6. ^ 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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