Eagles Nest Wilderness
{{Short description|U.S. Wilderness Area in Colorado}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Eagles Nest Wilderness
| iucn_category = Ib
| photo = Eagles Nest Wilderness Area.jpg
| photo_caption = Eagles Nest Wilderness Area near Vail, Colorado
| map = USA
| relief = 1
| map_caption =
| location = Eagle/Summit counties, Colorado, United States
| nearest_city = Vail, CO
| coordinates = {{coord|39|42|00|N|106|15|00|W|region:US|notes={{cite gnis|196712|Eagles Nest Wilderness|August 9, 2012}}|display=inline, title}}
| area = {{convert|135114|acre|km2}}{{cite web |title=Eagles Nest Wilderness |url=https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=168 |publisher=Wilderness Connect, University of Montana |access-date=23 April 2020}}
| established = 1978
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body = U.S. Forest Service
}}
The Eagles Nest Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Gore Range near Vail, Copper Mountain, Frisco, Silverthorne, and Heeney, in Summit and Eagle Counties, Colorado. Eagles Nest Wilderness falls within the jurisdiction of Dillon Ranger District and Holy Cross Ranger District, White River National Forest. The {{convert|135,114|acre|km2|adj=on}} wilderness with {{convert|180|mi|km}} of trails was established in 1976. In 2010, additional lands were proposed for wilderness protection under the Hidden Gems proposal, affecting Elliot Ridge, Tenmile, and Lower Piney areas of Summit and Eagle Counties.
The Eagles Nest Wilderness lies in the southern area of the Gore Range of mountains. The Gore Range was named in honor of Sir George Gore arising from a hunting expedition led by Jim Bridger (1804–1881), an early trapper and explorer of the Rocky Mountains. Bridger documented the Great Salt Lake in 1824 and guided westward settlers through Bridger Pass in 1850, shortening the Oregon Trail by {{convert|61|mi|km}}. In 1854, Sir George Gore hired Bridger as a hunting guide out of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The Gore expedition traveled through the central Colorado mountain range before heading north into the Yellowstone area. Gore practiced a policy of heavy treading on the land, hauling 30 wagons and more than 50 servants on his expedition of 6,000 miles. Gore shot thousands of large game animals during his guided tour of the mountains that extended into 1855.
Subsequently, the Gore Range became a site of interest to miners seeking gold and silver during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Many mine tailings and shallow digs exist throughout the Gore Range, including the former Boss Mine ruins along the Rock Creek Trail. The earliest rumors of gold in the area were based on trading with the local Ute people. Then, a member of the Gore expedition discovered gold in the area surrounding Piney Lake, near the present Upper Piney Lake Trail north of Vail. Lemuel Pollard, a member of the Bela M. Hughes party, discovered gold when passing through the Gore Range. Numerous other gold seekers left the slopes of the Gore Range pock-marked with diggings that remain part of the features of the landscape within the forest.
Hiking trails within the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area include Gore Range Trail, Buffalo Mountain Trail, South Willow Creek Trail, Rock Creek Trail, Cataract Lake Loop Trail, Mirror Lake Trail, Eaglesmere Lakes Trail, Tipperary Lake Trail, Salmon Willow Trail, Meadow Creek Trail, North Tenmile Creek Trail, Gore Creek Trail, Deluge Lake Trail, Booth Creek Trail, Upper Piney Lake Trail, Pitkin Creek Trail, Elliot Ridge Trail, and Wheeler Lakes Trail.{{cite book |last=Fenske |first=Kim |title=Greatest Hikes in Central Colorado: Summit and Eagle Counties |publisher=FenskeFoto |date=July 21, 2006 |isbn=978-1427601568}}
The two highest peaks in the wilderness are Mount Powell (13,586 ft) and Eagles Nest (13,419 ft).
Climate
Summit Ranch and Silverthorne 7.4 NW are weather stations on the eastern edge of the Eagle Nest Wilderness below Keller Mountain (Colorado).{{cite web|url = https://geographic.org/global_weather/colorado/summit_ranch_14S.html |publisher = geographic.org |title = Data of Meteorological Station Summit Ranch, Colorado |access-date = January 3, 2024}}{{cite web|url = https://geographic.org/global_weather/colorado/silverthorne_74_nw_008.html |publisher = geographic.org |title = Data of Meteorological Station Silverthorne 7.4 Nw, Colorado |access-date = January 3, 2024}}
{{Weather box
|location = Summit Ranch, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1986-2020 extremes: 9400ft (2865m)
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high F = 53
|Feb record high F = 56
|Mar record high F = 64
|Apr record high F = 69
|May record high F = 83
|Jun record high F = 97
|Jul record high F = 97
|Aug record high F = 88
|Sep record high F = 92
|Oct record high F = 86
|Nov record high F = 68
|Dec record high F = 52
|year record high F =
|Jan avg record high F = 45.3
|Feb avg record high F = 48.8
|Mar avg record high F = 56.7
|Apr avg record high F = 63.0
|May avg record high F = 72.6
|Jun avg record high F = 80.2
|Jul avg record high F = 82.0
|Aug avg record high F = 79.1
|Sep avg record high F = 75.4
|Oct avg record high F = 67.1
|Nov avg record high F = 54.4
|Dec avg record high F = 46.0
|year avg record high F = 82.9
|Jan high F = 30.7
|Feb high F = 33.7
|Mar high F = 41.7
|Apr high F = 48.2
|May high F = 58.0
|Jun high F = 69.4
|Jul high F = 73.3
|Aug high F = 70.5
|Sep high F = 64.0
|Oct high F = 51.7
|Nov high F = 38.8
|Dec high F = 30.2
|year high F =
|Jan mean F = 18.0
|Feb mean F = 20.6
|Mar mean F = 27.9
|Apr mean F = 34.5
|May mean F = 43.0
|Jun mean F = 51.9
|Jul mean F = 56.5
|Aug mean F = 54.4
|Sep mean F = 48.3
|Oct mean F = 38.1
|Nov mean F = 26.2
|Dec mean F = 17.8
|year mean F =
|Jan low F = 5.2
|Feb low F = 7.3
|Mar low F = 13.9
|Apr low F = 20.8
|May low F = 28.1
|Jun low F = 34.3
|Jul low F = 39.7
|Aug low F = 38.4
|Sep low F = 32.5
|Oct low F = 24.3
|Nov low F = 13.6
|Dec low F = 5.4
|year low F =
|Jan avg record low F = -14.5
|Feb avg record low F = -12.7
|Mar avg record low F = -6.1
|Apr avg record low F = 4.6
|May avg record low F = 15.6
|Jun avg record low F = 26.4
|Jul avg record low F = 32.4
|Aug avg record low F = 30.6
|Sep avg record low F = 22.0
|Oct avg record low F = 7.2
|Nov avg record low F = -7.9
|Dec avg record low F = -15.3
|year avg record low F = -18.7
|Jan record low F = −24
|Feb record low F = −22
|Mar record low F = −16
|Apr record low F = -8
|May record low F = 5
|Jun record low F = 18
|Jul record low F = 20
|Aug record low F = 17
|Sep record low F = 11
|Oct record low F = -10
|Nov record low F = -18
|Dec record low F = −31
|year record low F =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.24
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.24
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.56
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.99
|May precipitation inch = 2.04
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.19
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.64
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.63
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.49
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.85
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.09
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.08
|year precipitation inch =
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 12.6
|Feb precipitation days = 12.5
|Mar precipitation days = 13.4
|Apr precipitation days = 13.4
|May precipitation days = 9.7
|Jun precipitation days = 6.0
|Jul precipitation days = 8.0
|Aug precipitation days = 8.2
|Sep precipitation days = 7.3
|Oct precipitation days = 8.8
|Nov precipitation days = 11.4
|Dec precipitation days = 11.2
|year precipitation days =
|Jan snow inch = 21.8
|Feb snow inch = 21.0
|Mar snow inch = 22.8
|Apr snow inch = 21.6
|May snow inch = 9.9
|Jun snow inch = 0.7
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 5.9
|Oct snow inch = 11.0
|Nov snow inch = 18.7
|Dec snow inch = 27.1
|year snow inch =
|source 1 = XMACIS2 (Summit Ranch normals & Silverthorne 7.4 2003-2020 snowfall)
{{cite web
|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = xmACIS2
|access-date = January 3, 2024
}}
|source 2 = NOAA (precip/precip days)
{{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=USS0006K14S&format=pdf
|title= Summit Ranch, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals
|access-date = January 3, 2024
}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web |last=Gaug |first=Maryann |title=Eagles Nest Wilderness Turns 30 |publisher=Summit Daily |url=http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20060711/NEWS/60711008&parentprofile=search%7Ctitle= |date=July 11, 2006 |access-date=August 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405104407/http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20060711/NEWS/60711008%26parentprofile%3Dsearch%7Ctitle%3D |archive-date=April 5, 2012 |url-status=dead }}
- {{cite web |title=Summit County Areas |publisher=White River Wild |url=http://www.whiteriverwild.org/p-summit-17.html%7Ctitle= |access-date=August 9, 2012}}
- {{cite web |title=Vail/Eagle River Valley areas |publisher=White River Wild |url=http://www.whiteriverwild.org/p-eagle-15.html%7Ctitle= |access-date=August 9, 2012}}
{{Protected Areas of Colorado}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Wilderness areas of Colorado
Category:White River National Forest
Category:Protected areas established in 1978