Mount of the Holy Cross
Mount of the Holy Cross | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 14,011 ft (4270.5 m)[1] NAVD88 |
Prominence | 2113 ft (644 m)[2] |
Isolation | 18.41 mi (29.6 km)[2] |
Listing | |
Coordinates | 39°28′01″N 106°28′54″W / 39.4668287°N 106.4816869°W[1] |
Geography | |
Location | class 2[4] |
Mount of the Holy Cross is a
Mountain
Mount of the Holy Cross was named for the distinctive cross-shaped snowfield on its northeast face.
This mountain has been the subject of painters, photographers and even a poem by
Nearby features include Bowl of Tears Lake, directly under the east face of the peak, Tuhare Lakes, in a cirque that lies south of a significant subpeak, and several other lakes. Notable locations within 35 mi (56 km) include the Dotsero volcano (near Interstate 70), Vail and Aspen. US 24 runs near the peak through Gilman.
The first recorded ascent of Holy Cross was in 1873, by F. V. Hayden and photographer W. H. Jackson during one of Hayden's geographical surveys. However, the peak may well have been ascended previously by miners or American Indians.[10] The first winter ascent of the peak was made in 1943 by Russel Keene and Howard Freedman of the 10th Mountain Division, then stationed at Camp Hale.[10]
The
Holy Cross can be climbed by at least four different routes, with the easiest and most common route being the North Ridge, which involves 5,000 feet (1,500 m) of vertical gain over 11.5 mi (18.5 km) and is rated
Mount of the Holy Cross has a history of endangering the lives of many hikers. Although the summit on Mount of the Holy Cross is frequently reached on a long day hike, hikers have become stranded or lost through missing the right turn down the ridgeline, heading straight down and into the wilderness; research and planning of the route is important to prevent tragedies.[12] Efforts to improve safety have been made by the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative.[13]
Mount of the Holy Cross is accessible from Tigiwon Road, south of Minturn, Colorado. The
Climate
Climate data for Mount of the Holy Cross 39.4664 N, 106.4813 W, Elevation: 13,428 ft (4,093 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 21.0 (−6.1) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
25.7 (−3.5) |
31.5 (−0.3) |
40.0 (4.4) |
51.5 (10.8) |
57.7 (14.3) |
55.6 (13.1) |
49.0 (9.4) |
37.9 (3.3) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
21.1 (−6.1) |
36.6 (2.5) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 9.7 (−12.4) |
8.7 (−12.9) |
13.5 (−10.3) |
18.7 (−7.4) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
38.0 (3.3) |
44.1 (6.7) |
42.6 (5.9) |
36.1 (2.3) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
16.6 (−8.6) |
10.2 (−12.1) |
24.3 (−4.3) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −1.5 (−18.6) |
−3.0 (−19.4) |
1.3 (−17.1) |
5.9 (−14.5) |
14.8 (−9.6) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
30.6 (−0.8) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
14.0 (−10.0) |
5.9 (−14.5) |
−0.7 (−18.2) |
12.0 (−11.1) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.50 (89) |
3.16 (80) |
3.43 (87) |
4.37 (111) |
3.21 (82) |
1.47 (37) |
2.23 (57) |
2.32 (59) |
2.19 (56) |
2.56 (65) |
3.00 (76) |
2.90 (74) |
34.34 (873) |
Source: PRISM Climate Group[15] |
Historical names
- Mount Holy Cross
- Mount of the Holy Cross – 1947 [3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "MT HOLY CROSS ET". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved January 8, 2016. Note: The summit of Mount of the Holy Cross is +0.61 m (+2.0 ft) higher than NGS station MT HOLY CROSS ET.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mount of the Holy Cross, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Mount of the Holy Cross". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
- ^ "Mt. of the Holy Cross Routes". 14ers.com.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 159.
- ^ Herbert Hoover: Proclamations and Executive Orders, March 4, 1929, to March 4, 1933, accessed 29 January 2022
- ^ Barry Mackintosh (1995). "Former National Park System Units: An Analysis". National Park Service.
- ^ "Thomas Moran, Mountain of the Holy Cross". National Gallery of Art. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
- ^ Kevin Blake, 2008, Imagining Heaven and Earth at Mount of the Holy Cross, Colorado, Journal of Cultural Geography 25(1): 1-26.
- ^ ISBN 0-9628867-1-8, pp. 36–44.
- ^ "Holy Cross City". Ghostowns.com. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ^ Checkley, Allyson (August 30, 2015). "Mount of the Holy Cross via the North Ridge Route". Take a Walk. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ "Mount of the Holy Cross: Colorado's Bermuda Triangle". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
- ASIN B00DE51D36.
- ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
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.
External links
- "Mount of the Holy Cross". 14ers.com.