Shiprock

The Navajo name for the peak, {{lang|nv|{{spell-nv|Tsé Bitʼaʼí|italic=yes}}}}, "rock with wings" or "winged rock", refers to the legend of the great bird that brought the Navajo from the north to their present lands. The name "Shiprock" or Shiprock Peak or Ship Rock derives from the peak's resemblance to an enormous 19th-century clipper ship. Americans first called the peak "The Needle", a name given to the topmost pinnacle by Captain J. F. McComb in 1860.Laurance D. Linford, Navajo Places: History, Legend, Landscape, University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, 2000, {{ISBN|0-87480-623-2}}, p. 264–265. United States Geological Survey maps indicate that the name "Ship Rock" dates from the 1870s.Butterfield, Mike, and Greene, Peter, Mike Butterfield's Guide to the Mountains of New Mexico, New Mexico Magazine Press, 2006, {{ISBN|978-0-937206-88-1}}

Shiprock, an example of a volcanic neck, is composed of fractured volcanic breccia and black dikes of igneous rock called minette, a type of lamprophyre. It is the erosional remnant of the throat of a volcano, and the volcanic breccia formed in a diatreme. The rock probably was originally formed 2,500–3,000 feet (750–1,000 meters) below the Earth's surface, but it was exposed after millions of years of erosion.{{Cite book|title=Natural Wonders of the World|url=https://archive.org/details/naturalwondersof00sche|url-access=registration|publisher=Reader's Digest Association, Inc|year=1980|isbn=0-89577-087-3|editor-last=Scheffel|editor-first=Richard L.|location=United States of America|pages=[https://archive.org/details/naturalwondersof00sche/page/343 343]|editor-last2=Wernet|editor-first2=Susan J.}} Wall-like sheets of minette, known as dikes, radiate away from the central formation. Radiometric age determinations of the minette establish that these volcanic rocks solidified about 27 million years ago. Shiprock is in the northeastern part of the Navajo volcanic field—a field that includes intrusions and flows of minette and other unusual igneous rocks that formed about 30 million years ago. Agathla (El Capitan) in Monument Valley is another prominent volcanic neck in this volcanic field.Steven C. Semken, The Navajo Volcanic Field, in Volcanology in New Mexico, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 18, p. 79–83, 2001. {{ISSN|1524-4156}}Paul T. Delaney, Ship Rock, New Mexico: The vent of a violent volcanic eruption, Geological Society of America Centennial Field Guide—Rocky Mountain Section, pp. 411–415, 1987.

File:Map of the Navajo Volcanic Fields.jpg

The recorded first ascent was in 1939, by a Sierra Club party including David Brower, Raffi Bedayn, Bestor Robinson and John Dyer. This was the first climb in the United States to use expansion bolts for protection. Pitons were used for direct aid. This first ascent route is featured in the 1979 book Fifty Classic Climbs of North America.

Since then at least seven routes have been climbed on the peak, all of them of great technical difficulty. A modification of the original route is recorded as the easiest, and it is rated as Grade IV, YDS 5.9, A1. It was considered a great unsolved problem by the climbing community in the 1920s and 1930s. At that time there was a widespread rumor of a $1000 prize for climbing the peak, which inspired "dozens of attempts by the experienced and inexperienced alike".

The idea of climbing Shiprock is repugnant to many Navajo people. Climbing has been illegal since 1970.{{Fifty Classic Climbs}} page 214{{Cite web |url=http://www.navajonationparks.org/faq.htm |title=Navajo Parks and Recreation Department |access-date=September 20, 2008 |archive-date=May 30, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530103525/http://navajonationparks.org/faq.htm |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://shiprock.nndes.org/ |title=Shiprock Chapter |access-date=September 20, 2008 |archive-date=August 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828043802/http://shiprock.nndes.org/ |url-status=dead }} In spite of this, rock climbers continue to see Shiprock as an interesting place to climb.

Serious injuries to three climbers in March 1970 caused the Navajo Nation to ban rock climbing not only on Shiprock but all over the Navajo Nation on monoliths, spires and within tribal parks under the jurisdiction of Navajo Parks & Recreation. The Navajo Nation announced that the ban was "absolute, final and unconditional".{{Cite web|url=http://lamountaineers.org/drupal7/history6|access-date=2020-11-09|title="Shiprock and the Los Alamos Mountaineers"}}

According to reports from the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department, which administers recreational activities on Navajo land, there have been false claims that the department allows rock climbing and cooperates with rock climbing organizations. A 2006 press release addressing Monument Valley, another area of monoliths within the Navajo Nation, states:

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{{Cquote|Reports of the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department allowing rock climbing are false. Yet several websites have postings on how to evade Navajo Nation regulations and proceed with dangerous and illegal rock climbs in [Monument Valley]. Even more serious than the possible physical harm illegal climbs could pose is the religious damage done to the Navajo people by these non-Navajo visitors.

The Monuments are sacred to the Navajo people and any human interaction (by Navajo or non-Navajo) is strictly off limits. Please abide by the humble religious requests of the Navajo people and do not climb the Monuments. 'Navajo law will be strictly enforced on this issue,' Parks Department Manager Ray Russell also added.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191806/http://www.navajonationparks.org/images/Monument%20Valley%20PR.pdf 2006 Press release about climbing in Monument Valley]}}

Permits are issued by the department to camp and hike in some areas, but not for sacred monuments such as Shiprock.

Shiprock and the surrounding land have religious and historical significance to the Navajo people. It is mentioned in many of their myths and legends. Foremost is the peak's role as the agent that brought the Navajo to the southwest. According to one legend, after being transported from another place, the Navajos lived on the monolith, "coming down only to plant their fields and get water." One day, the peak was struck by lightning, obliterating the trail and leaving only a sheer cliff, and stranding the women and children on top to starve. The presence of people on the peak is forbidden "for fear they might stir up the {{spell-nv|chį́įdii|italic=yes}} (ghosts), or rob their corpses."

Navajo legend puts the peak in a larger geographic context. Shiprock is said to be either a medicine pouch or a bow carried by the "Goods of Value Mountain", a large mythic male figure comprising several mountain features throughout the region. The Chuska Mountains comprise the body, Chuska Peak is the head, the Carrizo Mountains are the legs, and Beautiful Mountain is the feet.

Navajo legend has it that Bird Monsters ({{spell-nv|Tsé Ninájálééh}}) nested on the peak and fed on human flesh. After Monster Slayer, elder of the Warrior Twins, destroyed {{spell-nv|Déélééd}} at Red Mesa, he killed two adult Bird Monsters at Shiprock and changed two young ones into an eagle and an owl.[http://www.newmexico.darkisle.com/shiprock/shiprock.html Shiprock on Dark Isle] The peak is mentioned in stories from the Enemy Side Ceremony and the Navajo Mountain Chant, and is associated with the Bead Chant and the Naayee'ee Ceremony.

{{Weather box|Jan record high F=66|Feb record high F=78|Mar record high F=83|Apr record high F=91|May record high F=99|Jun record high F=107|Jul record high F=109|Aug record high F=106|Sep record high F=99|Oct record high F=92|Nov record high F=78|Dec record high F=72|Jan high F=43.0|Feb high F=50.6|Mar high F=59.9|Apr high F=70.0|May high F=79.8|Jun high F=90.1|Jul high F=94.6|Aug high F=91.9|Sep high F=85.1|Oct high F=72.4|Nov high F=56.2|Dec high F=44.1|Jan low F=15.7|Feb low F=21.5|Mar low F=27.5|Apr low F=34.9|May low F=43.8|Jun low F=51.2|Jul low F=58.8|Aug low F=57.3|Sep low F=48.0|Oct low F=36.0|Nov low F=25.1|Dec low F=16.9|Jan record low F=-18|Feb record low F=-14|Mar record low F=2|Apr record low F=9|May record low F=15|Jun record low F=28|Jul record low F=30|Aug record low F=33|Sep record low F=21|Oct record low F=10|Nov record low F=0|Dec record low F=-26|Jan precipitation inch=0.46|Feb precipitation inch=0.46|Mar precipitation inch=0.54|Apr precipitation inch=0.41|May precipitation inch=0.51|Jun precipitation inch=0.29|Jul precipitation inch=0.66|Aug precipitation inch=1.00|Sep precipitation inch=0.80|Oct precipitation inch=0.78|Nov precipitation inch=0.52|Dec precipitation inch=0.57|Jan snow inch=1.6|Feb snow inch=0.7|Mar snow inch=0.6|Apr snow inch=0|May snow inch=0|Jun snow inch=0|Jul snow inch=0|Aug snow inch=0|Sep snow inch=0|Oct snow inch=0|Nov snow inch=0.2|Dec snow inch=1.0|single line=Y|location=Shiprock, NM|precipitation colour=green|source 1=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?nm8284}}

{{Gallery

|title= Shiprock

|mode = packed

|File:Shiprock.jpg|Aerial view of Shiprock in true color

|File:New Mexico statehood 1962 U.S. stamp.1.jpg| Shiprock on a 1962 U.S. commemorative stamp

|File:Shiprock and Shiprock Dike aerial.jpg|Aerial view of Shiprock and Shiprock Dike, with the San Juan River behind

|File:Destination Shiprock.jpg|Shiprock monochrome image (2021)

|File:Shiprock NM viewed from the north.jpg|Shiprock formation in New Mexico, USA showing the 5-mile-long dike radiating to the south.

|File:Ship Rock NASA.jpg|Shiprock and associated dikes taken by NASA in 2006 with the Terra satellite. The colors shown represent infrared wavelengths: Lush vegetation appears bright red, while different kinds of rock with less vegetation appear in shades of gray, black, and tan.{{Cite web|url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/6685/shiprock-formation-new-mexico|title=Shiprock Formation, New Mexico|date=June 24, 2006}}

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• Rock formations in the United States
• Volcanic plug
• Diné Bahaneʼ

{{Reflist|22em}}

{{Commons category|Shiprock}}

• [http://shiprock.nndes.org/ Shiprock.org: Shiprock] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828043802/http://shiprock.nndes.org/ |date=August 28, 2008 }}
• [http://www.discovernavajo.com/ Shiprock @ discover-navajo]
• [https://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=shiprock flickr: Shiprock photo gallery]
• [https://californiarevealed.org/do/38093738-61cc-4620-8b4d-0be92cc8602a Digitized Film of 1947 climb of Shiprock on California Revealed]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110930130449/http://simkin.asu.edu/pub/earth/us/nm/shiprock/ 3D Movie tour of Shiprock]

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Category:Rock formations of New Mexico

Category:Religious places of the Indigenous peoples of North America

Category:Landmarks in New Mexico

Category:Volcanic plugs of the United States

Category:Diatremes of New Mexico

Category:Landforms of San Juan County, New Mexico

Category:Geography of the Navajo Nation

Category:National Natural Landmarks in New Mexico

Category:Oligocene volcanism

Category:Oligocene North America

Category:Neogene geology of New Mexico

Category:Volcanoes of New Mexico

Category:Sacred mountains of the United States

Category:Sacred rocks