| Crestone Peak | |
|---|---|
 Crestone Peak seen from Kit Carson | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 14,296.8 feet (4,358 m)[1] NAPGD2022 |
| Prominence | 4,554 ft (1,388 m)[2] |
| Isolation | 27.4 mi (44.1 km)[2] |
| Listing | |
| Coordinates | 37°58′00″N105°35′07″W / 37.9666665°N 105.5852865°W /37.9666665; -105.5852865[3] |
| Geography | |
  Crestone Peak | |
| Location | High point ofSaguache County,Colorado,United States.[2] |
| Parent range | Sangre de Cristo Range, Highest summit of theCrestones[2] |
| Topo map(s) | USGS 7.5' topographic map Crestone Peak, Colorado[3] |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1916 by Eleanor Davis and party |
| Easiest route | South Face: Scramble,class 3[4] |
| Crestone East Peak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 14,266 ft (4,348 m)[a][5] |
| Prominence | 80 ft (24 m)[5] |
| Parent peak | Crestone Peak[5] |
| Isolation | 0.08 mi (0.13 km)[5] |
| Listing | Colorado county high points |
| Coordinates | 37°58′02″N105°35′03″W / 37.96729°N 105.58404°W /37.96729; -105.58404[5] |
| Geography | |
| Location | Saguache County andhigh point ofCuster County,Colorado,U.S.[5] |
Crestone Peak is theseventh-highest summit of theRocky Mountains ofNorth America and theU.S. state ofColorado. Theprominent 14,296.8-foot (4,358 m)fourteener is thehighest summit of theCrestones and the second-highest summit in theSangre de Cristo Range afterBlanca Peak. The summit is located in theSangre de Cristo Wilderness ofRio Grande National Forest, 5.0 miles (8.1 km) east by south (bearing 102°) of theTown of Crestone inSaguache County,Colorado,United States.[2][3][b]
Crestone Peak rises 7,000 feet (2,100 m) above the east side of theSan Luis Valley. It shares its name with the nearbyCrestone Needle, anotherfourteener of the Crestones. The Crestones are a cluster of high summits in the Sangre de Cristo Range, comprising Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle,Kit Carson Peak,Challenger Point,Humboldt Peak, andColumbia Point. They are usually accessed from common trailheads.
Generallyclimbs of Crestone Peak or Crestone Needle start from abase camp at South Colony Lakes, east of the peak, accessed from theWet Mountain Valley on the northeast side of the range. This route involves nearly 6,000 ft (1,800 m) of elevation gain, and ascends to a large relatively flat area called "The Pool Table" (a few large rocks lie on the tundra, as if billiard balls) or the "Bears' Playground." Then it ascends a long gully on the northwest side of Crestone Peak, which involves somerockfall danger (hence aclimbing helmet is suggested). Crestone Peak is one of the more dangerous fourteener climbs in Colorado; accidents occur often in the Crestones, some caused by falls or lightning (a daily summer occurrence in the Sangre de Cristos).
Alternatively, the Cottonwood Creek route begins in the San Luis Valley and approaches theCrestones from the west. The route follows Cottonwood Creek to Cottonwood Lake. The trail starts out well defined, but after passing a south eastern tributary at approximately 11,1000 ft it becomes faint, poorly maintained, and hard to follow for much of the upper route prior to rejoining the standard route from South Colony Lakes. From there, the South Face route of Crestone Peak is accessible.
From Crestone Peak, it is a mildly technical (Class 5—rope recommended) ridgescramble to the summit of Crestone Needle, similarly in the other direction. However, Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle are more commonly climbed separately.
Crestone Peak has anAlpine climate (ET), as no month in that area has an average temperature greater than 10 °C (50 °F).
| Climate data for Crestone Peak 37.9688 N, 105.5847 W, Elevation: 13,504 ft (4,116 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 24.0 (−4.4) | 23.7 (−4.6) | 28.5 (−1.9) | 33.9 (1.1) | 42.2 (5.7) | 53.4 (11.9) | 58.5 (14.7) | 56.1 (13.4) | 50.1 (10.1) | 39.7 (4.3) | 30.8 (−0.7) | 24.5 (−4.2) | 38.8 (3.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 12.0 (−11.1) | 11.4 (−11.4) | 15.7 (−9.1) | 20.7 (−6.3) | 29.1 (−1.6) | 39.3 (4.1) | 44.3 (6.8) | 42.8 (6.0) | 37.1 (2.8) | 27.6 (−2.4) | 19.3 (−7.1) | 12.8 (−10.7) | 26.0 (−3.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 0.0 (−17.8) | −0.9 (−18.3) | 2.9 (−16.2) | 7.5 (−13.6) | 16.1 (−8.8) | 25.3 (−3.7) | 30.2 (−1.0) | 29.5 (−1.4) | 24.0 (−4.4) | 15.4 (−9.2) | 7.8 (−13.4) | 1.2 (−17.1) | 13.3 (−10.4) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.19 (81) | 3.98 (101) | 4.23 (107) | 4.91 (125) | 3.49 (89) | 1.48 (38) | 4.16 (106) | 4.38 (111) | 3.40 (86) | 3.66 (93) | 3.36 (85) | 3.49 (89) | 43.73 (1,111) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group[6] | |||||||||||||
TheSNOTEL weather station, South Colony, lies in the eastern valley below Crestone Peak andHumboldt Peak (Colorado). Due to its lower elevation, South Colony has a comparatively warmer climate, with slightly shorter winters and 2 months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F). This means that it has asubalpine climate (KöppenDfc), with long winters and cool, short summers.
| Climate data for South Colony, Colorado, 1992–2020 normals: 10800ft (3292m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 28.2 (−2.1) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 39.0 (3.9) | 45.1 (7.3) | 53.5 (11.9) | 63.3 (17.4) | 67.3 (19.6) | 64.8 (18.2) | 58.2 (14.6) | 46.7 (8.2) | 35.7 (2.1) | 27.0 (−2.8) | 46.6 (8.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.9 (−7.3) | 21.0 (−6.1) | 27.7 (−2.4) | 33.3 (0.7) | 41.3 (5.2) | 49.6 (9.8) | 53.9 (12.2) | 52.2 (11.2) | 46.4 (8.0) | 37.0 (2.8) | 27.0 (−2.8) | 19.0 (−7.2) | 35.6 (2.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 9.7 (−12.4) | 11.3 (−11.5) | 16.3 (−8.7) | 21.4 (−5.9) | 29.0 (−1.7) | 36.0 (2.2) | 40.6 (4.8) | 39.7 (4.3) | 34.7 (1.5) | 27.2 (−2.7) | 18.2 (−7.7) | 10.9 (−11.7) | 24.6 (−4.1) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.86 (73) | 3.41 (87) | 4.11 (104) | 4.21 (107) | 3.15 (80) | 1.86 (47) | 4.27 (108) | 4.63 (118) | 3.10 (79) | 3.42 (87) | 3.02 (77) | 3.20 (81) | 41.24 (1,048) |
| Source 1: XMACIS2[7] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation)[8] | |||||||||||||
To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clickingCoordinates (underLocation); copyLatitude andLongitude figures from top of table; clickZoom to location; clickPrecipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click30-year normals, 1991-2020; click800m; clickRetrieve Time Series button.
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