Pigeon Peak
Encyclopedia
Pigeon Peak is a high peak of the Needle Mountains
, a subrange of the San Juan Mountains
in the southwestern part of the US State of Colorado
. It rises dramatically on the east side of the Animas River
, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the fourteener
Mount Eolus
. It is located in the Weminuche Wilderness
, part of the San Juan National Forest
.
Pigeon Peak is notable both for its absolute height and for its local relief. It is the 57th highest independent peak in Colorado,
narrowly missing the well-known list of fourteeners. In terms of local relief, it is one of the most impressive peaks in Colorado. Its most dramatic rise is over the Animas River to the west, over which it rises 5760 feet (1,756 m) in under 2.5 miles (4 km). Also, its east face is a 800 feet (244 m) cliff.
, Windom Peak
and Sunlight Peak
. The standard route is not technically difficult, but it is long and requires a little-hiked wilderness approach. Climbers typically camp near Ruby Lake north of the peak. From there the route ascends to a saddle between Pigeon Peak and Turret Peak
, southwest of Pigeon. The route then descends and makes a traverse around to the opposite side of the peak, finally ascending the northwest slopes. Difficulties involve class 3
scrambling
.
Needle Mountains (Colorado)
The Needle Mountains are a subrange of the San Juan Mountains of the Rocky Mountains located in the southwestern part of the U.S. State of Colorado. Much of the range is protected in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan National Forest. The range is notable for having some of the most rugged...
, a subrange of the San Juan Mountains
San Juan Mountains
The San Juan Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and...
in the southwestern part of the US State of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. It rises dramatically on the east side of the Animas River
Animas River
Animas River is a river in the western United States, a tributary of the San Juan River, part of the Colorado River System. The Spanish named the river "Rio de las Animas Perdidas", "River of the Lost Souls". It is also the last free-flowing river in Colorado. The river's free-flowing status...
, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the fourteener
Fourteener
In mountaineering terminology in the United States, a fourteener is a mountain that exceeds 14,000 feet above mean sea level. There are 547 fourteeners in the world. The importance of fourteeners is greatest in Colorado, which has the majority of such peaks in North America...
Mount Eolus
Mount Eolus
Mount Eolus is a fourteener in the U.S. state of Colorado, the highest of the Needle Mountains . It is located in the Weminuche Wilderness in La Plata County approximately south of Silverton.Mount Eolus is one of three fourteeners in the Needle Mountains; the others are Sunlight Peak and Windom...
. It is located in the Weminuche Wilderness
Weminuche Wilderness
The Weminuche Wilderness is a wilderness area in southwest Colorado managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the San Juan National Forest on the west side of the Continental Divide and the Rio Grande National Forest on the east side of the divide. It is about 5 miles south east of...
, part of the San Juan National Forest
San Juan National Forest
The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering over 1,878,846 acres in Archuleta, Conjeos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Rio Grande, San Miguel and San Juan Counties in western Colorado. It borders the Uncompahgre National Forest to the north and the Rio Grande...
.
Pigeon Peak is notable both for its absolute height and for its local relief. It is the 57th highest independent peak in Colorado,
narrowly missing the well-known list of fourteeners. In terms of local relief, it is one of the most impressive peaks in Colorado. Its most dramatic rise is over the Animas River to the west, over which it rises 5760 feet (1,756 m) in under 2.5 miles (4 km). Also, its east face is a 800 feet (244 m) cliff.
Climbing
Since Pigeon Peak is not a fourteener, it sees far less traffic than the nearby trio of Mount EolusMount Eolus
Mount Eolus is a fourteener in the U.S. state of Colorado, the highest of the Needle Mountains . It is located in the Weminuche Wilderness in La Plata County approximately south of Silverton.Mount Eolus is one of three fourteeners in the Needle Mountains; the others are Sunlight Peak and Windom...
, Windom Peak
Windom Peak
Windom Peak is a fourteener in the Needle Mountains, a subrange of the San Juan Mountains in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Weminuche Wilderness in La Plata County approximately south of Silverton....
and Sunlight Peak
Sunlight Peak
Sunlight Peak is a fourteener in the Needle Mountains, a subrange of the San Juan Mountains in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Weminuche Wilderness in La Plata County approximately 13 miles south of Silverton.Sunlight Peak is one of three fourteeners in the Needle Mountains; the...
. The standard route is not technically difficult, but it is long and requires a little-hiked wilderness approach. Climbers typically camp near Ruby Lake north of the peak. From there the route ascends to a saddle between Pigeon Peak and Turret Peak
Turret Peak (Colorado)
Turret Peak is a high peak of the Needle Mountains, a subrange of the San Juan Mountains in the southwestern part of the US State of Colorado. It rises on the east side of the Animas River, southeast of Pigeon Peak...
, southwest of Pigeon. The route then descends and makes a traverse around to the opposite side of the peak, finally ascending the northwest slopes. Difficulties involve class 3
Yosemite Decimal System
The Yosemite Decimal System is a three-part system used for rating the difficulty of walks, hikes, and climbs. It is primarily used by mountaineers in the United States and Canada. The Class 5 portion of the Class scale is primarily a rock climbing classification system. Originally the system was...
scrambling
Scrambling
Scrambling is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent...
.
See also
- Mountain peaks of ColoradoMountain peaks of ColoradoThis article comprises three sortable tables of the major mountain peaks of the U.S. State of Colorado.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Mountain peaks of North AmericaMountain peaks of North AmericaThis article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of greater North America.This article defines greater North America as the portion of the continental landmass of the Americas extending northward from Panama plus the islands surrounding that landmass...
- Mountain peaks of the Rocky MountainsMountain peaks of the Rocky MountainsThis article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains of North America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Mountain peaks of the United StatesMountain peaks of the United StatesThis article comprises three sortable tables of the major mountain peaks of the United States of America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Mountain ranges of ColoradoMountain ranges of ColoradoThe following table lists the major mountain ranges of the U.S. State of Colorado.-Mountain Ranges:-See also:*4000 meter peaks of Colorado*Colorado mountain passes*Geography of Colorado*Lists of mountains*Mountain peaks of Colorado...
- Needle MountainsNeedle Mountains (Colorado)The Needle Mountains are a subrange of the San Juan Mountains of the Rocky Mountains located in the southwestern part of the U.S. State of Colorado. Much of the range is protected in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan National Forest. The range is notable for having some of the most rugged...
- San Juan MountainsSan Juan MountainsThe San Juan Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and...
- Southern Rocky MountainsSouthern Rocky MountainsThe Southern Rocky Mountains are a major subregion of the Rocky Mountains of North America located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming, the central and western portions of Colorado, the northern portion of New Mexico, and extreme eastern portions of Utah...