Grizzly Peak (Gunnison County, Colorado)

Grizzly Peak is a 13,309-foot-elevation (4,057-meter) mountain summit in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States.

Grizzly Peak
South aspect, centered
Highest point
Elevation13,309 ft (4,057 m)[1]
Prominence604 ft (184 m)[1]
Parent peakJenkins Mountain (13,440 ft)[1]
Isolation1.94 mi (3.12 km)[1]
Coordinates38°56′33″N 106°31′20″W / 38.9425036°N 106.5220916°W / 38.9425036; -106.5220916[2]
Naming
EtymologyGrizzly
Geography
Grizzly Peak is located in Colorado
Grizzly Peak
Grizzly Peak
Location in Colorado
Grizzly Peak is located in the United States
Grizzly Peak
Grizzly Peak
Grizzly Peak (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyGunnison
Protected areaCollegiate Peaks Wilderness
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
Sawatch Range
Collegiate Peaks[3]
Topo mapUSGS Pieplant
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 2 hiking[1]

Description

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Looking north from Taylor Park Reservoir toward the Continental Divide with Grizzly Peak centered and Jenkins Mountain to the left.

Grizzly Peak is set one-half mile west of the Continental Divide in the Collegiate Peaks which are a subrange of the Sawatch Range.[3] The mountain ranks as the 34th-highest peak in Gunnison County.[1] The peak is located seven miles (11 km) north-northeast of Taylor Park Reservoir in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, on land managed by Gunnison National Forest. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes drains into tributaries of the Taylor River, four miles to the southwest. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,500 feet (762 m) in one mile (1.6 km) along the south slope. The American Discovery Trail traverses the lower southern slope of the peak as it crosses the Continental Divide near Lake Ann and enters Taylor Park.[4] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[2] There are four other summits in Colorado which are also named Grizzly Peak, the highest of which is 8.5 miles (13.7 km) to the north-northwest and also in the Collegiate Peaks, as well as 18 others among several western states.

Climate

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According to the Köppen climate classification system, Grizzly 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. 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 "Grizzly Peak - 13,309' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Grizzly Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Grizzly Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  4. ^ American Discovery Trail, Colorado discoverytrail.org Retrieved June 4, 2023
  5. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. ISSN 1027-5606. S2CID 9654551.