| Coxcomb Peak | |
|---|---|
 North aspect centered (Redcliff to the left) | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 13,656 ft (4,162 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 776 ft (237 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Wetterhorn Peak (14,021 ft)[2] |
| Isolation | 1.82 mi (2.93 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 38°04′48″N107°32′02″W / 38.0799543°N 107.5337897°W /38.0799543; -107.5337897[3] |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Cockscomb |
| Geography | |
  Coxcomb Peak Location in Colorado Show map of Colorado Coxcomb Peak Coxcomb Peak (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Hinsdale County /Ouray County Colorado,US |
| Parent range | Rocky Mountains San Juan Mountains |
| Topo map | USGSWetterhorn Peak |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1929, Henry Buchtel |
| Easiest route | class 5.3climbing[2] SW Chimney |
Coxcomb Peak is a 13,656-foot-elevation (4,162-meter) mountain summit located on the common boundary ofHinsdale County andOuray County, inColorado, United States.[3] It is situated nine miles northeast of the community ofOuray, in theUncompahgre Wilderness, on land managed byUncompahgre National Forest. It is part of theSan Juan Mountains which are a subset of theRocky Mountains, and is situated west of theContinental Divide. Coxcomb ranks as the 171st-highest peak in Colorado,[2] andtopographic relief is significant as the south aspect rises 2,000 feet (610 meters) above Wetterhorn Basin in approximately one mile, and 4,400 feet (1,300 meters) above Cow Creek in three miles. Neighbors includePrecipice Peak 2.7 miles to the north,Redcliff one-half mile north,Matterhorn Peak 2.3 miles to the east-southeast, and nearest higher neighborWetterhorn Peak 1.8 mile to the southeast. The mountain's descriptive name, which has been officially adopted by theUnited States Board on Geographic Names, was in use since at least 1906 whenHenry Gannett published it in theGazetteer of Colorado.[4]
Thefirst ascent of the summit was made August 16, 1929, by Henry Buchtel andparty via the Southwest Chimney.[5] There is also an established climbing route on the North Face that was first climbed in August 1965 by Dick Yeatts, Mike Stults, Dick Guadagno, and Martin Etter.[6][7] The best approach is via the valley of West Fork Cimarron River.[8]
According to theKöppen climate classification system, Coxcomb Peak is located in an alpinesubarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[9] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring. Precipitationrunoff from the mountain's north aspect drains into tributaries of theCimarron River, and from the south slope into tributaries of theUncompahgre River.
