La Plata Peak

{{Infobox mountain

| name = La Plata Peak

| photo = 2007-06-24-plata-eve-close2.jpg

| photo_caption =

| elevation_system = NAVD88

| elevation = 14,343 ft (4372 m)

| elevation_ref = {{cite web|url=http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=5744|title=La Plata Peak, Colorado|publisher=Peakbagger.com|access-date=January 2, 2016}}

| prominence = 1836 ft (560 m)

| prominence_ref =

| isolation = 6.28 mi (10.11 km)

| isolation_ref =

| listing = {{unbulleted list

|North America highest peaks 34th

|US highest major peaks 20th

|Colorado highest major peaks 5th

|Colorado fourteeners 5th

}}

| location = Chaffee County, Colorado, U.S.

| range = Sawatch Range,
Collegiate Peaks

| map = Colorado

| map_caption = Colorado

| coordinates = {{coord|39.0293524|N|106.4729047|W|type:mountain_region:US-CO_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| range_coordinates =

| coordinates_ref = {{cite gnis|id=180393|name=La Plata Peak|access-date=October 20, 2014}}

| topo = USGS 7.5' topographic map
Mount Elbert, Colorado

| first_ascent = July 26, 1873 Hayden Survey

| easiest_route = Northwest Ridge or Southwest Ridge: Hike (class 2)

}}

La Plata Peak is the fifth-highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent {{convert|14343|ft|0|adj=on}} fourteener is located in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, {{convert|36.5|km|order=flip}} northwest by west (bearing 308°) of the Town of Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States.{{efn|name=NAVD88|The elevation of La Plata Peak includes an adjustment of +1.983 m (+6.51 ft) from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88.}}

"La Plata" is Spanish for "The Silver", a reference to the many silver deposits in the area. The nearby ghost towns of Winfield and Hamilton were prominent silver mining towns in the early part of the 20th century. A Hayden Survey team first climbed the peak on July 26, 1873.

{{cite summitpost

| id = 150371

| name = La Plata Peak

| accessdate = 2008-11-30 }}

The elevation of 14,361 feet marked on the USGS Mount Elbert Quadrangle is incorrect, and should read 14,336 feet (in the NGVD 29 vertical datum).{{cite book|author=Gerry Roach|title=Colorado's Fourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kYeteYSl6F0C&pg=PA98|year=1999|publisher=Fulcrum Publishing|isbn=978-1-55591-412-7|pages=98–}}

Climbing Routes

Northwest Ridge: This is the standard route used to climb the mountain. Like most Sawatch range 14ers it is non-technical, but incredibly steep. The trail is 9.5 miles round trip, with 4,500 feet of elevation gain and class 2 hiking along the ridge.{{cite web |last1=Middlebrook |first1=Bill |title=La Plata Peak Northwest Ridge |url=https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=lapl1 |website=14ers.com |access-date=8 March 2022}}

Southwest Ridge: This is an alternate class 2 route with 3600 feet of elevation gain and 7.5 miles of hiking.{{Cite web |title=La Plata Peak - Southwest Ridge Route Description |url=https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=lapl2 |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=14ers.com |language=en}}

Ellingwood Ridge: Ellingwood Ridge is one of the most technically difficult alternate routes in the Sawatch range. it was first climbed by Albert Ellingwood in the 1930s.{{cite web |last1=Teissier |first1=Warren |title=Rock Climb Ellingwood Ridge |url=https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105757222/ellingwood-ridge |website=Mountainproject.com |access-date=8 March 2022}} It is rated as class 3, but the extremely difficult route finding and length of the climb make this a very challenging endeavor. Much of the climbing is off trail. The climb is 9.5 miles round trip, with 5,900 feet of elevation gain.{{cite web |last1=Snider |first1=Brad |title=La Plata Peak Ellingwood Ridge |url=https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=lapl3 |website=14ers.com |access-date=8 March 2022}}

Climate

{{Weather box

|location = La Plata Peak 39.0277 N, 106.4762 W, Elevation: {{cvt|13671|ft}} (1991–2020 normals)

|single line = y

|Jan high F = 21.0

|Feb high F = 20.2

|Mar high F = 25.6

|Apr high F = 31.5

|May high F = 40.2

|Jun high F = 51.7

|Jul high F = 57.5

|Aug high F = 55.4

|Sep high F = 49.1

|Oct high F = 38.5

|Nov high F = 27.4

|Dec high F = 21.1

|Jan mean F = 9.5

|Feb mean F = 8.5

|Mar mean F = 13.3

|Apr mean F = 18.5

|May mean F = 27.3

|Jun mean F = 37.8

|Jul mean F = 43.6

|Aug mean F = 42.1

|Sep mean F = 35.9

|Oct mean F = 26.0

|Nov mean F = 16.5

|Dec mean F = 10.1

|Jan low F = -1.9

|Feb low F = -3.1

|Mar low F = 1.0

|Apr low F = 5.6

|May low F = 14.4

|Jun low F = 23.9

|Jul low F = 29.8

|Aug low F = 28.9

|Sep low F = 22.7

|Oct low F = 13.6

|Nov low F = 5.5

|Dec low F = -1.0

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.69

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.64

|Mar precipitation inch = 3.98

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.65

|May precipitation inch = 3.53

|Jun precipitation inch = 1.58

|Jul precipitation inch = 1.97

|Aug precipitation inch = 2.11

|Sep precipitation inch = 2.41

|Oct precipitation inch = 2.89

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.58

|Dec precipitation inch = 3.32

|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 10, 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.}}

}}

Notes

References

External links

{{cite web

| url = http://www.14ers.org/peaks_sawatch_laplata.php

| title = La Plata Peak

| publisher = Colorado Fourteeners Initiative

| access-date = 2008-11-30

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080509065344/http://www.14ers.org/peaks_Sawatch_LaPlata.php

| archive-date = 2008-05-09

| url-status = dead

}}

{{cite web

| url = http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/recreation/trails/ldv_laplata.shtml

| title = La Plata Peak Trail

| work = San Isabel National Forest

| publisher = US Forest Service

| access-date = 2008-11-30 }}

{{cite web

| url = http://www.14ers.com/photos/peakmain.php?peak=La+Plata+Peak

| title = La Plata Peak

| publisher = 14ers.com

| access-date = 2014-08-17 }}

Category:Mountains of Chaffee County, Colorado

Category:Fourteeners of Colorado

Category:San Isabel National Forest

Category:Four-thousanders of the United States