Gunther Castle is a 7,199-foot-elevation (2,194-meter) summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of northern Arizona, US.[2] It is situated three miles northwest of Chuar Butte, between Kwagunt Valley to the north, and Chuar Valley to the south. Topographic relief is significant as it rises nearly 4,500 feet (1,400 meters) above the Colorado River in three miles.
| Gunther Castle | |
|---|---|
 South aspect, aerial view | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,199 ft (2,194 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 1,019 ft (311 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Butchart Butte (7,602 ft)[1] |
| Isolation | 1.41 mi (2.27 km)[1] |
| Coordinates | 36°12′33″N 111°52′19″W / 36.2091469°N 111.8720286°W[2] |
| Geography | |
  Gunther Castle Location in Arizona  Gunther Castle Gunther Castle (the United States) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Coconino |
| Protected area | Grand Canyon National Park |
| Parent range | Kaibab Plateau Colorado Plateau |
| Topo map | USGS Cape Solitude |
| Geology | |
| Rock type | sandstone, siltstone, limestone |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1969 |
Gunther Castle is named for Gunther, the historical king of Burgundy in Germanic mythology.[3][4] This feature's name was officially adopted in 1906 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[2]
The top dome of Gunther Castle is composed of lower strata of the Pennsylvanian-Permian Supai Group. This overlays the conspicuous cliff-forming layer of Mississippian Redwall Limestone, which in turn overlays shale of the Cambrian Tonto Group.[5] According to the Köppen climate classification system, Gunther Castle is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone.[6] Precipitation runoff from Gunther Castle drains east to the nearby Colorado River via Chuar and Kwagunt Creeks.
The first ascent of Gunther Castle was made by Alan Doty, Doc Ellis, Donald Davis, and Harvey Butchart in June 1969.[7] However, they were not the first to set foot on the summit, as they concluded that surveyors had previously arrived by helicopter, having found a surveyor's marker made of wood and a large coil of unused wire.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Gunther Castle – 7,199' AZ". Lists of John. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Gunther Castle". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
- ^ N.H. Darton, Story of the Grand Canyon of Arizona, 1917, page 78.
- ^ Gregory McNamee, Grand Canyon Place Names, 1997, Mountaineers Publisher, ISBN 9780898865332, page 58.
- ^ N.H. Darton, Story of the Grand Canyon of Arizona, 1917.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Harvey Butchart’s Hiking Log – Detailed Hiking Log (April 3, 1969 – September 3, 1969)
Gallery
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Gunther Castle from Cape Final -
Gunther centered, aerial view looking northwest. Butchart Butte upper left.
External links
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- Weather forecast: National Weather Service
- First ascent summit photo by Harvey Butchart