| Mount Sopris West Peak | |
|---|---|
 Mount Sopris as viewed fromState Highway 82. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,965 ft (3,952 m)[1][2] |
| Prominence | 1,453 ft (443 m)[3] |
| Isolation | 9.23 mi (14.85 km)[3] |
| Coordinates | 39°15′48″N107°10′33″W / 39.2632208°N 107.1758583°W /39.2632208; -107.1758583[1] |
| Geography | |
  Mount Sopris West Peak | |
| Location | Pitkin County,Colorado,U.S.[4] |
| Parent range | Elk Mountains[3] |
| Topo map(s) | USGS 7.5' topographic map Mount Sopris, Colorado[1] |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Mount Sopris Trail (hike) |
| Mount Sopris East Peak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,965 ft (3,952 m)[5] |
| Coordinates | 39°15′40″N107°09′51″W / 39.26113°N 107.16417°W /39.26113; -107.16417[6] |
Mount Sopris is atwin-summitmountain in the northwesternElk Mountains range of theRocky Mountains ofNorth America. The prominent 12,965-foot (3,952 m) mountain is located in theMaroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness ofWhite River National Forest, 6.6 miles (10.7 km) north by northeast (bearing 30°) of the community ofRedstone inPitkin County,Colorado,United States.[1][2][3][4]
Mount Sopris is located in westernPitkin County, south ofCarbondale and southwest of the confluence of theCrystal andRoaring Fork rivers. Mount Sopris is notable for having two summits,East Sopris andWest Sopris, that are one-half mile (0.8 km) apart and have the same elevation of 12,965 feet (3,952 m).[7]
It is named forRichard Sopris,[8] a formermayor of Denver and part of the first European expedition in the Roaring Fork Valley. In 2011 J.P. McDaniels petitioned to rename East Sopris "MountJohn Denver" after the Colorado singer. A local poll in Aspen and Carbondale said 74 percent of the respondents were against the proposal.[9][10]
Mount Sopris is believed to have been formed by an igneous intrusion 10,000 feet below the Earth's surface, geologically referred to as a pluton, that occurred around 30 million years ago, after the initial uplift of the modern Rocky Mountains. Mount Sopris is not a volcano, but it is possible that an ancient volcano sat above it, with the current rock forming the magma chamber far below. Due to subsequent continued erosion, any evidence is now gone. In either case, the rock that makes up Sopris never reached the surface, cooling and crystallizing in situ, and later becoming exposed due to erosion. Nearby prominent peaksMount Gunnison andCrested Butte are believed to have formed similarly.[11]
Mount Sopris dominates the skyline of Carbondale and the lower Roaring Fork Valley, serving as an unofficial symbol of the area. It is prominently visible fromState Highway 82 in the vicinity of Carbondale. In terms of local relief, it is one of the largest peaks in the state of Colorado. For example, West Sopris rises 6,400 ft (1,905 m) above the valley to the west in only 2.7 mi (4 km). (One can compare this to the corresponding vertical rise of the more well-knownMaroon Peak in the heart of the Elks: it rises only about 4,300 ft (1,310 m), at best, in the same horizontal distance.) In fact a vertical rise of over 6,000 feet in less than 3 miles is rare and impressive anywhere in thecontiguous United States.[12]
The Mount Sopris Trail ascends to East Sopris via its east ridge. It starts near Dinkle Lake, on the northeast side of the mountain, and passes between the two Thomas Lakes just before reaching timberline. The ascent involves about 4,300 ft (1,300 m) of vertical gain (plus 600 ft/180 m for a round-trip to West Sopris, if desired) and 12 mi (20 km) of hiking (plus 1 mi/1.6 km for West Sopris); it is a strenuous trail hike, with somescree.
Mount Sopris is famed for its extensiverock glaciers that rest in the mountain'scirques. The cirques on Mount Sopris were formed by ancient iceglaciers. As the mountain has eroded, the cirques have been filled with rock glaciers, a slowing moving mass composed of a mixture of rock and ice.[14] These rock glaciers creep down the mountain at a rate of around 10 inches every year and they provide a water source for creeks coming off the mountain.[15]
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