The West Temple

Coordinates: 37°12′39″N 113°01′15″W / 37.210869°N 113.02071°W / 37.210869; -113.02071
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The West Temple
East aspect of The West Temple
Highest point
Elevation7,810 ft (2,380 m)[1]
Prominence1,680 ft (510 m)[1]
Isolation10.66 mi (17.16 km)[2]
Coordinates37°12′39″N 113°01′15″W / 37.210869°N 113.02071°W / 37.210869; -113.02071[1]
Geography
The West Temple is located in Utah
The West Temple
The West Temple
Location in Utah
The West Temple is located in the United States
The West Temple
The West Temple
The West Temple (the United States)
CountryUnited States
State
class 5.6 climbing[2]

The West Temple is a prominent 7,810-foot (2,380 m) mountain summit composed of Navajo Sandstone in Zion National Park in Washington County of Utah, United States. The West Temple, the highest feature in Zion Canyon, was originally called "Temp-o-i-tin-car-ur" meaning "Mountain without a trail" by the Paiute people.[4] It was called Steamboat Mountain by local Mormon settlers before 1934, when the USGS officially changed it to its present name, which was applied by John Wesley Powell during his explorations in 1872.[5] West Temple is situated two miles northwest of Springdale, Utah, one mile northeast of Mount Kinesava, and two miles west of the park headquarters. It is one of the notable landmarks in the park. The nearest higher peak is Windy Peak, 10.46 miles (16.83 km) to the north.[1] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Virgin River.

Climbing Routes

The West Temple (left) with Altar of Sacrifice (right)

Climbing Routes on The West Temple[6]

  • Southwest Ridge -
    class 5.6
    - 10 pitches
  • Back Where It All Begins -
    class 5.11a
    - 16 pitches
  • Big Lebowski-
    class 5.11a/b
    - 21 pitches
  • Lovelace -
    class 5.10
    - 9 pitches
  • Big Lie -
    class 5.10+
    - 2 pitches

Geology

The upper white cliffs are composed of

Temple Cap Formation caprock at the summit.[7] Lower slopes and ledges are composed of Kayenta Formation, Moenave Formation, Chinle Formation, and Moenkopi Formation
.

Climate

West aspect of The West Temple

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit this feature. According to the

Cold semi-arid climate zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below 32 °F (0 °C), and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "The West Temple, Utah". Peakbagger.com.
  2. ^ a b "West Temple, The - 7,810' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  3. ^ A Brief History of Climbing in Zion. bigwalls.net
  4. ^ National Park Service nps.gov/zion
  5. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: The West Temple
  6. ^ The West Temple Mountain Project
  7. ^ "The Geology of Zion National Park", Utahgeology.com
  8. ^ "Zion National Park, Utah, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Archived from the original on January 27, 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2020.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The West Temple.
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