Cloudcroft Peaks
{{Short description|Mountain in the state of Montana}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Cloudcroft Peaks
| photo = Cloudcroft Peaks.jpg
| photo_caption = Apex of distant Cloudcroft Peaks as seen from Two Medicine
| elevation_ft = 8714
| elevation_ref = {{cite peakbagger|pid=18833|title=Cloudcroft Peaks, Montana|accessdate=August 2, 2017}}
| prominence_ft = 1270
| location = Flathead County, Montana, U.S.
| map = Montana#USA
| relief = 1
| map_caption = Location in Montana##Location in the United States
| range = Lewis Range
| coordinates = {{coord|48|26|02|N|113|34|08|W|type:mountain_region:US|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref = {{cite gnis|id=769940|name=Cloudcroft Peaks|accessdate=August 2, 2017}}
| topo = USGS Mount Saint Nicholas, MT
| first_ascent =
| easiest_route =
}}
Cloudcroft Peaks ({{convert|8714|ft|m|0}}) is located in the Lewis Range, Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana.{{Cite map|publisher=TopoQwest (United States Geological Survey Maps)|title=Mount Saint Nicholas, MT|url=https://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=48.42990&lon=-113.57578&datum=nad83&zoom=4&cross=on|accessdate=December 28, 2018}}
Climate
Cloudcroft Peaks is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers.{{cite journal | author = Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson, B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. | year = 2007 | title = Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification | journal = Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume = 11 |issue=5 | pages = 1633–1644 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P |s2cid=9654551 | issn = 1027-5606| doi-access = free }} Winter temperatures can drop below −10 °F with wind chill factors below −30 °F.
Geology
Like the other mountains in Glacier National Park, Cloudcroft Peaks is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was initially uplifted beginning 170 million years ago when the Lewis Overthrust fault pushed an enormous slab of precambrian rocks {{convert|3|mi|km|1|abbr=on}} thick, {{convert|50|mi|km}} wide and {{convert|160|mi|km}} long over younger rock of the cretaceous period.{{cite journal|title=Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias |author=Gadd, Ben |year=2008}}
Gallery
File:Cloudcroft Peaks MT.jpg|East aspect
File:Montana - Glacier National Park - NARA - 23942063.jpg|Aerial view, circa 1925