Crestone Peak

{{Short description|Mountain in the state of Colorado, United States}}

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Crestone Peak

| photo = Crestone peak 2.jpg

| photo_caption = Crestone Peak seen from Kit Carson

| elevation_system = NAPGD2022

| elevation = {{convert|14296.8|ft|m|0}}

| elevation_ref = {{cite journal|doi=10.1007/s00190-024-01831-8|doi-access=free| title=Moving mountains: reevaluating the elevations of Colorado mountain summits using modern geodetic techniques|date=April 2024|first1=Kevin | last1=Ahlgren|first3=Brian|last3=Shaw|last2= Van Westrum | first2=Derek |journal=Journal of Geodesy|volume=98|issue=4 |bibcode=2024JGeod..98...29A |article-number=29}} {{open access}}

| prominence_ft = 4554

| prominence_ref = {{cite peakbagger|pid=5908|title=Crestone Peak, Colorado|access-date=January 2, 2016}}

| isolation_mi = 27.4

| isolation_ref =

| range = Sangre de Cristo Range,
Highest summit of the Crestones

| listing = {{unbulleted list

|North America highest peaks 36th

|U.S. highest major peaks 22nd

|Colorado highest major peaks 7th

|Colorado fourteeners 7th

|Colorado county high points 7th

}}

| location = High point of Saguache County, Colorado, United States.

| map = Colorado

| map_caption = Colorado

| coordinates = {{coord|37.9666665|N|105.5852865|W|type:mountain_region:US-CO_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| coordinates_ref = {{cite gnis|id=192423|name=Crestone Peak|access-date=November 14, 2014}}

| topo = USGS 7.5' topographic map
Crestone Peak, Colorado

| first_ascent = 1916 by Eleanor Davis and party

| easiest_route = South Face: Scramble, {{YDS|3}}{{cite web | url = https://www.14ers.com/routelist.php?peakid=10007 | title = Crestone Peak Routes | publisher = 14ers.com }}

}}

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Crestone East Peak

| elevation_ft = 14266

| elevation_ref = {{efn|The elevation of Crestone East Peak includes an adjustment of +{{convert|1.762|m|ft}} from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88.}}{{cite peakbagger|pid=5907|title=Crestone Peak-East Peak, Colorado|access-date=November 14, 2014}}

| prominence_ft = 80.

| prominence_ref =

| isolation_mi = 0.08

| isolation_ref =

| listing = Colorado county high points

| location = Saguache County and high point of Custer County, Colorado, U.S.

| parent_peak = Crestone Peak

| range_coordinates =

| coordinates = {{coord|37.96729|-105.58404|region:US-CO|format=dms|display=inline}}

| coordinates_ref =

}}

Crestone Peak is the seventh-highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent {{convert|14,296.8|ft|m|0 |adj=on}} fourteener is the highest summit of the Crestones and the second-highest summit in the Sangre de Cristo Range after Blanca Peak. The summit is located in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness of Rio Grande National Forest, {{convert|8.1|km|order=flip}} east by south (bearing 102°) of the Town of Crestone in Saguache County, Colorado, United States.{{efn|name=NAVD88|The elevation of Crestone Peak includes an adjustment of +{{cvt|1.760|m|ft}} from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88.}}

Crestone Peak rises {{convert|7000|ft}} above the east side of the San Luis Valley. It shares its name with the nearby Crestone Needle, another fourteener of the Crestones. The Crestones are a cluster of high summits in the Sangre de Cristo Range, comprising Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle, Kit Carson Peak, Challenger Point, Humboldt Peak, and Columbia Point. They are usually accessed from common trailheads.

Climbing

Generally climbs of Crestone Peak or Crestone Needle start from a base camp at South Colony Lakes, east of the peak, accessed from the Wet Mountain Valley on the northeast side of the range. This route involves nearly {{cvt|6,000 |ft|m}} of elevation gain, and ascends to a large relatively flat area called "The Pool Table" (a few large rocks lie on the tundra, as if billiard balls) or the "Bears' Playground." Then it ascends a long gully on the northwest side of Crestone Peak, which involves some rockfall danger (hence a climbing helmet is suggested). Crestone Peak is one of the more dangerous fourteener climbs in Colorado; accidents occur often in the Crestones, some caused by falls or lightning (a daily summer occurrence in the Sangre de Cristos).

Alternatively, the Cottonwood Creek route begins in the San Luis Valley and approaches the Crestones from the west. The route follows Cottonwood Creek to Cottonwood Lake. The trail starts out well defined, but after passing a south eastern tributary at approximately 11,1000 ft it becomes faint, poorly maintained, and hard to follow for much of the upper route prior to rejoining the standard route from South Colony Lakes. From there, the South Face route of Crestone Peak is accessible.

From Crestone Peak, it is a mildly technical (Class 5—rope recommended) ridge scramble to the summit of Crestone Needle, similarly in the other direction. However, Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle are more commonly climbed separately.

File:Crestone peaks fall.jpg, fall]]

Climate

Crestone Peak has an Alpine climate (ET), as no month in that area has an average temperature greater than {{convert|10|C}}.

{{Weather box

|location = Crestone Peak 37.9688 N, 105.5847 W, Elevation: {{cvt|13504|ft}} (1991–2020 normals)

|single line = y

|Jan high F = 24.0

|Feb high F = 23.7

|Mar high F = 28.5

|Apr high F = 33.9

|May high F = 42.2

|Jun high F = 53.4

|Jul high F = 58.5

|Aug high F = 56.1

|Sep high F = 50.1

|Oct high F = 39.7

|Nov high F = 30.8

|Dec high F = 24.5

|Jan mean F = 12.0

|Feb mean F = 11.4

|Mar mean F = 15.7

|Apr mean F = 20.7

|May mean F = 29.1

|Jun mean F = 39.3

|Jul mean F = 44.3

|Aug mean F = 42.8

|Sep mean F = 37.1

|Oct mean F = 27.6

|Nov mean F = 19.3

|Dec mean F = 12.8

|Jan low F = 0.0

|Feb low F = -0.9

|Mar low F = 2.9

|Apr low F = 7.5

|May low F = 16.1

|Jun low F = 25.3

|Jul low F = 30.2

|Aug low F = 29.5

|Sep low F = 24.0

|Oct low F = 15.4

|Nov low F = 7.8

|Dec low F = 1.2

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.19

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.98

|Mar precipitation inch = 4.23

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.91

|May precipitation inch = 3.49

|Jun precipitation inch = 1.48

|Jul precipitation inch = 4.16

|Aug precipitation inch = 4.38

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.40

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.66

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.36

|Dec precipitation inch = 3.49

|source=PRISM Climate Group{{cite web

|url= http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/

|title= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University

|publisher= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University

|access-date= October 2, 2023

|quote= To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.}}

}}

The SNOTEL weather station, South Colony, lies in the eastern valley below Crestone Peak and Humboldt Peak (Colorado). Due to its lower elevation, South Colony has a comparatively warmer climate, with slightly shorter winters and 2 months averaging above {{convert|10|C}}. This means that it has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc), with long winters and cool, short summers.

{{Weather box

|location = South Colony, Colorado, 1992–2020 normals: 10800ft (3292m)

|single line = Yes

|Jan high F = 28.2

|Feb high F = 30.7

|Mar high F = 39.0

|Apr high F = 45.1

|May high F = 53.5

|Jun high F = 63.3

|Jul high F = 67.3

|Aug high F = 64.8

|Sep high F = 58.2

|Oct high F = 46.7

|Nov high F = 35.7

|Dec high F = 27.0

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 18.9

|Feb mean F = 21.0

|Mar mean F = 27.7

|Apr mean F = 33.3

|May mean F = 41.3

|Jun mean F = 49.6

|Jul mean F = 53.9

|Aug mean F = 52.2

|Sep mean F = 46.4

|Oct mean F = 37.0

|Nov mean F = 27.0

|Dec mean F = 19.0

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 9.7

|Feb low F = 11.3

|Mar low F = 16.3

|Apr low F = 21.4

|May low F = 29.0

|Jun low F = 36.0

|Jul low F = 40.6

|Aug low F = 39.7

|Sep low F = 34.7

|Oct low F = 27.2

|Nov low F = 18.2

|Dec low F = 10.9

|year low F =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 2.86

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.41

|Mar precipitation inch = 4.11

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.21

|May precipitation inch = 3.15

|Jun precipitation inch = 1.86

|Jul precipitation inch = 4.27

|Aug precipitation inch = 4.63

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.10

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.42

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.02

|Dec precipitation inch = 3.20

|year precipitation inch =

|source 1 = XMACIS2

{{cite web

|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = xmACIS2

|access-date = October 2, 2023

}}

|source 2 = NOAA (Precipitation)

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USS0005M13S&format=pdf

|title= South Colony, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals

|access-date = October 2, 2023

}}