Sayres Benchmark is a 13,746-foot-elevation (4,190-meter) mountain summit in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States.

Sayres Benchmark
North face in winter
Highest point
Elevation13,746 ft (4,190 m)[1]
Prominence968 ft (295 m)[1]
Parent peakLa Plata Peak (14,343 ft)[1]
Isolation1.92 mi (3.09 km)[1]
Coordinates39°00′34″N 106°29′52″W / 39.009374°N 106.497738°W / 39.009374; -106.497738[2]
Geography
Sayres Benchmark is located in Colorado
Sayres Benchmark
Sayres Benchmark
Location in Colorado
Sayres Benchmark is located in the United States
Sayres Benchmark
Sayres Benchmark
Sayres Benchmark (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyChaffee
Protected areaCollegiate Peaks Wilderness
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
Sawatch Range
Collegiate Peaks[2]
Topo mapUSGS Mount Elbert
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 2 hiking[1]

Description

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Sayres Benchmark is located three miles (4.8 km) east of the Continental Divide in the Collegiate Peaks which are a subset of the Sawatch Range. The mountain is set on the boundary of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness on land managed by San Isabel National Forest.[1] The highest peak in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains, Mount Elbert, is 7.46 miles (12.01 km) north-northeast of Sayres Benchmark, and the fifth-highest, La Plata Peak, is less than two miles to the northeast.[2] Sayres ranks as the 130th-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 2,950 feet (899 m) above North Fork Clear Creek in 1.5 miles (2.4 km). An ascent of Sayres involves 10 miles of hiking with 3,500-feet of elevation gain.[3] In winter the peak offers excellent ski mountaineering on its rugged north face.[4]

Climate

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According to the Köppen climate classification system, Sayres Benchmark is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[5] Due to its elevation, 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.

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Sayres Benchmark - 13,746' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Sayres Benchmark, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  3. ^ Mike Garratt, Bob Martin (1984), Colorado's High Thirteeners, Johnson Books, ISBN 9780917895395, p. 39.
  4. ^ Ben Conners, Brian Miller, Climbing and Skiing Colorado's Mountains: Over 50 Select Ski Descents, Rowman & Littlefield (2020), ISBN 9781493046737, p. 175.
  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. ISSN 1027-5606.
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