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Wheeler Peak (New Mexico)
Encyclopedia
Wheeler Peak is, at 13,161 ft, the highest peak
in the U.S. state
of New Mexico
. It is located northeast of Taos
in the northern part of the state, and just 2 miles southeast of the ski slopes of Taos Ski Valley. It lies in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
, the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains
.
Formerly named Taos Peak, after the nearby town of Taos, New Mexico
, it was renamed Wheeler Peak in 1950.
A plaque at the summit states that the mountain was:
. At 13141 feet (4,005 m) it is the second highest named summit in New Mexico, but it is not usually considered an independent peak as it has only about 80 feet (24 m) of topographic prominence
. It is sometimes mistaken for Wheeler Peak, since it is along the standard route to Wheeler. Lake Fork Peak at 12881 feet (3,926 m) lies just across Williams Lake and to the west of Wheeler Mountain.
The Taos Ski Valley
lies to the northwest of Wheeler Peak, while both the town of Taos
and Taos Pueblo
are about 15 miles (24 km) to the southwest.
Wheeler Peak is the focus of the 19661 acres (79.6 km²) Wheeler Peak Wilderness area
in the Carson National Forest
. Much of the mountain area just south of the peak is on Taos Pueblo
land. Some 48000 acres (194.2 km²) was returned to the pueblo from the Carson National Forest
in 1970
and another 764 acres (3.1 km²) in 1996.
exposure.
An alternate route is to hike south from Taos Ski Valley to Williams Lake, and then climb directly up the 2000 feet (609.6 m) west flank of the mountain. This is more direct than the standard route but involves a great deal of climbing on unpleasantly loose scree
.
Other possible routes include the Horseshoe Lake/East Fork Trail and the Lost Lake Trail, both part of the Carson National Forest
trail system, although neither of these trails go directly to the summit.
Wheeler Peak has a summit register
as do many major western peaks.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. It is located northeast of Taos
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
in the northern part of the state, and just 2 miles southeast of the ski slopes of Taos Ski Valley. It lies in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Sangre de Cristo Mountains
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States...
, the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
.
Formerly named Taos Peak, after the nearby town of Taos, New Mexico
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
, it was renamed Wheeler Peak in 1950.
A plaque at the summit states that the mountain was:
Named in honor of Major George Montague WheelerGeorge WheelerCaptain George Montague Wheeler was a pioneering explorer and cartographer, leader of the Wheeler Survey, one of the major surveys of the western United States in the late nineteenth century...
(1842–1905) who for ten years led a party of surveyors and naturalists collecting geologic, biologic, planimetric and topographic data in New Mexico and six other southwestern states.
Nearby peaks and features
Just north of Wheeler Peak is Mount WalterMount Walter (New Mexico)
Mount Walter is the second highest named summit in the U.S. state of New Mexico. However it is not usually counted as an independent mountain since it has only about of topographic prominence, and is only north-northeast of Wheeler Peak, the highest peak in New Mexico.Both peaks lie in the Taos...
. At 13141 feet (4,005 m) it is the second highest named summit in New Mexico, but it is not usually considered an independent peak as it has only about 80 feet (24 m) of topographic prominence
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
. It is sometimes mistaken for Wheeler Peak, since it is along the standard route to Wheeler. Lake Fork Peak at 12881 feet (3,926 m) lies just across Williams Lake and to the west of Wheeler Mountain.
The Taos Ski Valley
Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
Taos Ski Valley is a village and alpine ski resort in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. Located 2200 feet above the town of Taos, the alpine environment of Taos Ski Valley offers a cool escape from the desert heat in the summer and perfect conditions for powder skiing in the winter. The...
lies to the northwest of Wheeler Peak, while both the town of Taos
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
and Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
are about 15 miles (24 km) to the southwest.
Wheeler Peak is the focus of the 19661 acres (79.6 km²) Wheeler Peak Wilderness area
Wheeler Peak Wilderness
The Wheeler Peak Wilderness lies in the Carson National Forest of New Mexico. It contains the highest point in the state, Wheeler Peak.-History:...
in the Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern New Mexico, United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers and is administered by the United States Forest Service...
. Much of the mountain area just south of the peak is on Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
land. Some 48000 acres (194.2 km²) was returned to the pueblo from the Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern New Mexico, United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers and is administered by the United States Forest Service...
in 1970
and another 764 acres (3.1 km²) in 1996.
Climbing
The standard route on Wheeler Peak is along the north ridge. The route starts at the parking lot for Taos Ski Valley, and proceeds east along an old road to a broad saddle at Bull-of-the-Woods Meadow. It then turns south and winds its way among minor peaks and small valleys to gain Wheeler Peak from the north, going over the summit of Mount Walter along the way. This is a practical route, even in winter, due to low (but nonzero) avalancheAvalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
exposure.
An alternate route is to hike south from Taos Ski Valley to Williams Lake, and then climb directly up the 2000 feet (609.6 m) west flank of the mountain. This is more direct than the standard route but involves a great deal of climbing on unpleasantly loose scree
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
.
Other possible routes include the Horseshoe Lake/East Fork Trail and the Lost Lake Trail, both part of the Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern New Mexico, United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers and is administered by the United States Forest Service...
trail system, although neither of these trails go directly to the summit.
Wheeler Peak has a summit register
Summit register
A summit book is a record of visitors to the summit of a mountain, usually one without a maintained trail. It is usually enclosed in a weatherproof, animalproof metal canister. Some books are maintained in an informal manner by an individual or small group, while others are maintained by a club...
as do many major western peaks.
See also
- 4000 meter peaks of North America
- 4000 meter peaks of the United States
- Culebra Range
- List of U.S. states by elevation
- 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...
- 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...
- Taos Mountains