Mitchell Butte

{{Infobox mountain

|name = Mitchell Butte

|photo = Mitchell Butte, Monument Valley.jpg

|photo_caption = North aspect

|elevation_ft = 6383

|elevation_ref ={{cite web|url=https://listsofjohn.com/peak/73022|title=Mitchell Butte - 6,383' AZ|website=listsofjohn.com|access-date=2024-08-27}}

|prominence_ft = 893

|prominence_ref =

|isolation_mi = 1.02

|isolation_ref =

|parent_peak = Gray Whiskers (6,385 ft)

|map = Arizona#USA

|map_caption = Location in Arizona

|map_size = 230

|label_position = bottom

|location = Navajo Reservation
Navajo County, Arizona, U.S.

|range = Colorado Plateau{{cite peakbagger|pid=56892|name=Mitchell Butte, Arizona|access-date=2024-08-27}}

|coordinates = {{coord|36.9765251|N|110.1525526|W|type:mountain_region:US-AZ_scale:100000_source:GNIS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

|coordinates_ref ={{cite gnis|id=8128|name=Mitchell Butte|access-date=2024-08-27}}

|topo = USGS Mystery Valley

|rock = Sandstone

|type = Butte

|first_ascent = June 9, 1985, by Banditos[https://www.deserttowersbook.com/first-ascent-timeline First Ascent Timeline], deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-08-27.

|easiest_route = {{YDS|5.x}} climbing

}}

Mitchell Butte is a {{convert|6383|ft|meter|adj=mid|-elevation|abbr=off|sp=us}} summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

Description

Mitchell Butte is situated {{convert|2.2|mi|km}} west-southwest of the Monument Valley visitor center on Navajo Nation land and can be seen from Highway 163. Precipitation runoff from this butte's slopes drains to Mitchell Butte Wash and Oljeto Wash which are part of the San Juan River drainage basin. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises {{convert|900.|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} above the surrounding terrain in 0.2 mile (0.32 km). The nearest higher neighbor is Mitchell Mesa, {{convert|1.86|mi}} to the east. The landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The Mitchell name refers to Hearndon Mitchell, who along with Robert Merrick were silver prospectors. They were warned in 1879 to stay away from Monument Valley but were shot and killed there the following year by Utes.[http://www.jetsetenterprises.com/cruise/images/CanyonlandsRT/MonumentValleyFeatureMap.pdf Road Log of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Utah and Arizona], William L. Chenoweth, 2000, Utah Geological Association Publication, p. 4.

Geology

Mitchell Butte is composed of three principal strata. The bottom layer is slope-forming Organ Rock Shale, the next stratum is cliff-forming De Chelly Sandstone, and the upper layer is Moenkopi Formation.[https://books.google.com/books?id=U7kPAAAAIAAJ&dq=utah+mitchell+mesa&pg=PA139 Geology and Uranium-vanadium Deposits of the Monument Valley Area, Apache and Navajo Counties, Arizona], Irving Jerome Witkind, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1963, p. 139. The rock ranges in age from Permian at the bottom to Triassic at the top. The buttes and mesas of Monument Valley are the result of the Organ Rock Shale being more easily eroded than the overlaying sandstone.[https://www.azgs.arizona.edu/photo/monument-valley-arizona Monument Valley, Arizona], Arizona Geological Survey, Retrieved 2024-08-27.

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Mitchell Butte. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. Summers average 54 days above {{convert|90|°F|°C}} annually, and highs rarely exceed {{convert|100|°F|°C}}. Summer nights are comfortably cool, and temperatures drop quickly after sunset. Winters are cold, but daytime highs are usually above freezing. Winter temperatures below {{convert|0|°F|°C}} are uncommon, though possible. This desert climate receives less than {{convert|10|in|mm|abbr=off|sp=us}} of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=875420&cityname=Kayenta%2C+Arizona%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Kayenta, Arizona]

Gallery

File:Mesa and Buttes, Main Monument Valley Road, Oljato-Monument Valley, AZ.jpg|West aspect

File:Mitchell Butte and Mitchell Mesa.jpg|Northwest aspect of Mitchell Butte with Mitchell Mesa in the background.

File:Monument Valley snow 2.JPG|East aspect with a dusting of snow

File:Monument Valley Morning Snow2 MC.jpg|East aspect

File:Oljato-Monument Valley, United States (Unsplash R9S19dOFlcs).jpg|WNW aspect

File:Monument Valley 13.jpg|Mitchell Butte (left) with Mitchell Mesa behind

File:Monument Valley view from Visitor Center parking lot.jpg|The view from Monument Valley Visitor Center parking lot looking west-southwest at Gray Whiskers (left) and Mitchell Butte (right).