Red Mountain Pass (San Juan Mountains)
{{Short description|Mountain pass in the state of Colorado}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Red Mountain Pass
| photo = Red Mountain Pass.jpg
| photo_caption = Lower gorge, Red Mountain Pass; view from HWY 550 near Ouray
| elevation_ft = 11018
| elevation_ref = {{cite gnis|id= 187296 |name=Red Mountain Pass|accessdate=2011-02-05}}
| traversed = {{Jct|state=CO|US|550|name1=Million Dollar Highway}}
| location = Ouray / San Juan counties, Colorado, U.S.
| range = San Juan Mountains
| coordinates = {{coord|37|53|56|N|107|42|43|W|display=inline,title|type:pass_region:US}}
| topo =
}}
File:Red Mountain Pass, Ouray-Silverton Stage Road, Colorado, 1901.jpg
Red Mountain Pass elevation {{convert|11018|ft|m|abbr=on}} is a mountain pass in the San Juan Mountains of western Colorado
in the United States.
The pass straddles a divide that separates Ouray and San Juan counties. The pass is named for the nearby Red Mountain on the northeast side of the pass. The name is derived from the iron oxide laden rock that forms their slopes.
The pass separates the Uncompahgre and Las Animas River watersheds, and also serves as a dividing point between the Uncompahgre and San Juan National Forests. The pass is traversed by the Million Dollar Highway, U.S. Highway 550 between Ouray and Silverton, which is part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway.
The pass is known for being treacherous in the wintertime due to the steep 8% grade and switchbacks on the north side facing Ouray, though the entire road is paved. Avalanches are frequent, and can block the highway for some time. The lower part of the pass towards Ouray is blasted into near-vertical cliffs of quartzite hundreds of feet above Red Mountain Creek and the Uncompahgre River. This section of road is winding, narrow and has no shoulder.
There are an average of seven deaths per year.{{cite web |url=https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/million-dollar-highway-named-to-list-of-most-dangerous-roads-in-the-u-s/ |title=Million Dollar Highway named to list of most dangerous roads in the U.S. |last=Duran |first=Bailey |date=2023-02-28 |publisher=The Durango Herald |access-date=2024-04-15}}
Mining district
The Red Mountain Mining District lies from the divide northward to Ironton Park, halfway down towards Ouray. It was the site of a historic silver boom from 1882 until 1893, including the Yankee Girl and National Belle. Headframes of the old workings are still visible from the highway, as are the remains of the three largest communities: Red Mountain Town, Ironton, and Guston.{{cite web|url=https://westernmininghistory.com/towns/colorado/guston/|title=Guston, Colorado|publisher=Western Mining History|access-date=9 March 2021}}Smith, P. David, (2004) "Mountains of Silver; Life in Colorado's Red Mountain Mining District": Western Reflections Publishing Co. The sprawling Idarado Mine (Treasury Tunnel) continued digging until the 1970s, and reclamation of tailings is ongoing.
Climate
At an elevation of 11200 ft (3414m), Red Mountain Pass has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc), bordering on an Alpine climate (Köppen ET).
{{Weather box
|location = Red Mountain Pass, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1982-2020 extremes: 11200ft (3414m)
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high F = 57
|Feb record high F = 56
|Mar record high F = 72
|Apr record high F = 67
|May record high F = 76
|Jun record high F = 76
|Jul record high F = 78
|Aug record high F = 76
|Sep record high F = 73
|Oct record high F = 67
|Nov record high F = 63
|Dec record high F = 51
|year record high F =
|Jan avg record high F = 47.9
|Feb avg record high F = 47.7
|Mar avg record high F = 53.4
|Apr avg record high F = 57.1
|May avg record high F = 63.3
|Jun avg record high F = 70.4
|Jul avg record high F = 72.8
|Aug avg record high F = 70.2
|Sep avg record high F = 67.0
|Oct avg record high F = 61.1
|Nov avg record high F = 54.0
|Dec avg record high F = 47.1
|year avg record high F = 73.6
|Jan high F = 32.1
|Feb high F = 33.5
|Mar high F = 40.0
|Apr high F = 44.4
|May high F = 52.1
|Jun high F = 61.4
|Jul high F = 65.4
|Aug high F = 62.9
|Sep high F = 57.3
|Oct high F = 48.3
|Nov high F = 38.8
|Dec high F = 31.4
|year high F =
|Jan mean F = 19.8
|Feb mean F = 20.6
|Mar mean F = 26.2
|Apr mean F = 31.4
|May mean F = 39.7
|Jun mean F = 48.5
|Jul mean F = 53.1
|Aug mean F = 51.3
|Sep mean F = 45.7
|Oct mean F = 36.7
|Nov mean F = 26.8
|Dec mean F = 19.6
|year mean F =
|Jan low F = 7.4
|Feb low F = 7.6
|Mar low F = 12.5
|Apr low F = 18.3
|May low F = 27.2
|Jun low F = 35.6
|Jul low F = 40.8
|Aug low F = 39.7
|Sep low F = 34.0
|Oct low F = 25.0
|Nov low F = 14.7
|Dec low F = 7.8
|year low F =
|Jan avg record low F = -9.5
|Feb avg record low F = -8.2
|Mar avg record low F = -3.6
|Apr avg record low F = 3.4
|May avg record low F = 14.0
|Jun avg record low F = 26.5
|Jul avg record low F = 35.5
|Aug avg record low F = 34.4
|Sep avg record low F = 23.4
|Oct avg record low F = 8.1
|Nov avg record low F = -4.4
|Dec avg record low F = -10.9
|year avg record low F = -13.8
|Jan record low F = −33
|Feb record low F = −35
|Mar record low F = −25
|Apr record low F = -18
|May record low F = -10
|Jun record low F = 2
|Jul record low F = 28
|Aug record low F = 26
|Sep record low F = 0
|Oct record low F = -15
|Nov record low F = -22
|Dec record low F = −26
|year record low F =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 4.41
|Feb precipitation inch = 4.30
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.36
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.29
|May precipitation inch = 2.71
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.09
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.71
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.05
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.86
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.36
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.09
|Dec precipitation inch = 4.08
|year precipitation inch =
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 15.2
|Feb precipitation days = 15.3
|Mar precipitation days = 15.3
|Apr precipitation days = 14.8
|May precipitation days = 10.2
|Jun precipitation days = 4.8
|Jul precipitation days = 10.7
|Aug precipitation days = 13.1
|Sep precipitation days = 10.0
|Oct precipitation days = 10.7
|Nov precipitation days = 13.7
|Dec precipitation days = 15.3
|Jan snow depth inch = 61.2
|Feb snow depth inch = 71.8
|Mar snow depth inch = 79.6
|Apr snow depth inch = 82.0
|May snow depth inch = 60.0
|Jun snow depth inch = 19.9
|Jul snow depth inch = 1.5
|Aug snow depth inch = 0.5
|Sep snow depth inch = 1.8
|Oct snow depth inch = 10.4
|Nov snow depth inch = 27.7
|Dec snow depth inch = 43.5
|year snow depth inch = 88.8
{{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=USS0007M33S&format=pdf
|title= Red Mountain Pass, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals
|access-date = January 3, 2024
}}
}}
{{Commons category|Red Mountain Pass}}
References
{{reflist}}
Category:Mountain passes of Colorado
Category:San Juan Mountains (Colorado)
Category:Landforms of Ouray County, Colorado
Category:Landforms of San Juan County, Colorado
Category:Transportation in Ouray County, Colorado
Category:Transportation in San Juan County, Colorado