Sawatch Range

Sawatch Range
Saguache Range

Sawatch Range seen from Monarch Pass
Highest point
Peak Mount Elbert
Elevation 14,440 ft (4,401 m)
Coordinates 39°07′03.9″N 106°26′43.29″W / 39.117750°N 106.4453583°W / 39.117750; -106.4453583Coordinates: 39°07′03.9″N 106°26′43.29″W / 39.117750°N 106.4453583°W / 39.117750; -106.4453583
Dimensions
Length 80 mi (130 km) NW/SE
Geography
Country United States
State Colorado
Parent range Rocky Mountains

The Sawatch Range /səˈwætʃ/[1][2] is a high and extensive mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at 14,440 feet (4,401 m) elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies.

The range is oriented along a northwest-southeast axis, extending approximately 80 miles (130 km) from 39°37′36″N 106°32′13″W / 39.62667°N 106.53694°W / 39.62667; -106.53694 in the north to 38°5′51″N 106°3′48″W / 38.09750°N 106.06333°W / 38.09750; -106.06333 in the south. The range contains 15 peaks topping 14,000 feet (4,267 m), also known as 14ers. The range forms a portion of the Continental Divide, and its eastern flanks are drained by the headwaters of the Arkansas River. The western side of the range feeds the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River, the Eagle River, and the Gunnison River, tributaries of the Colorado River.

The Sawatch mountains in general are high, massive, and relatively gentle in contour. While some peaks are rugged enough to require technical climbing, most can be climbed by a simple, yet arduous hike. Notable summits include Mount Elbert, Mount Massive, La Plata Peak, Mount of the Holy Cross, and the Collegiate Peaks (Mounts Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Belford, and Oxford).

State Highway 82 traverses the range at Independence Pass (Colorado). It is also traversed by Cottonwood Pass, which connects the town of Buena Vista with Gunnison County. Both Independence Pass and Cottonwood Pass are over 12,000 feet (3,658 m), making them 2 of the highest passes in Colorado and are typically open only from late spring to mid autumn. Hagerman Pass is another pass to the north, connecting the Arkansas Headwaters near Leadville with the upper valley of the Fryingpan River. Hagerman pass is traversable with four-wheel drive vehicles and on foot during summer and early autumn months. The range contains numerous hiking trails within the San Isabel National Forest and White River National Forest.

Prominent peaks

Mt. Aetna (13,746 feet (4,190 m)) and Taylor Mtn.
Mount Elbert, the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains.
Sawatch Range near Buena Vista, Colorado.
Sawatch Range near Twin Lakes.
The 18 Mountain Peaks of the Sawatch Range With At Least 500 Meters of Topographic Prominence
Rank Mountain Peak Elevation Prominence Isolation
1 Mount Elbert[3] NGS 14,440 feet
4401 m		 9,093 feet
2772 m		 670.6 miles
1079.2 km
2 Mount Massive[4] 14,428 feet
4398 m		 1,941 feet
592 m		 5.1 miles
8.2 km
3 Mount Harvard NGS 14,421 feet
4395 m		 2,327 feet
709 m		 14.9 miles
24.0 km
4 La Plata Peak[4] 14,343 feet
4372 m		 1,841 feet
561 m		 6.3 miles
10.1 km
5 Mount Antero NGS 14,276 feet
4351 m		 2,503 feet
763 m		 17.7 miles
28.6 km
6 Mount Princeton NGS 14,204 feet
4329 m		 2,177 feet
664 m		 5.2 miles
8.4 km
7 Mount Yale NGS 14,202 feet
4329 m		 1,876 feet
572 m		 5.5 miles
8.9 km
8 Mount of the Holy Cross NGS 14,011 feet
4271 m		 2,111 feet
643 m		 18.5 miles
29.8 km
9 Grizzly Peak NGS 13,995 feet
4266 m		 1,908 feet
582 m		 6.8 miles
10.9 km
10 Mount Ouray NGS 13,961 feet
4255 m		 2,659 feet
810 m		 13.6 miles
21.9 km
11 Mount Jackson[4] PB 13,676 feet
4169 m		 1,810 feet
552 m		 3.2 miles
5.2 km
12 Bill Williams Peak[4] PB 13,389 feet
4081 m		 1,682 feet
513 m		 4.0 miles
6.5 km
13 Antora Peak[4] PB 13,275 feet
4046 m		 2,409 feet
734 m		 6.7 miles
10.9 km
14 Henry Mountain[4] PB 13,261 feet
4042 m		 1,674 feet
510 m		 11.5 miles
18.6 km
15 Park Cone[4] PB 12,106 feet
3690 m		 2,040 feet
622 m		 3.4 miles
5.5 km
16 Red Table Mountain[4] PB 12,043 feet
3671 m		 2,017 feet
615 m		 10.3 miles
16.6 km
17 Tomichi Dome[4] PB 11,471 feet
3496 m		 2,325 feet
709 m		 13.3 miles
21.4 km
18 Castle Peak[4] PB 11,285 feet
3440 m		 3,040 feet
927 m		 18.9 miles
30.5 km

See also

References

  1. ↑ The place name "Sawatch" is pronounced /səˈwætʃ/. This name derives from the Ute language noun "sawup" /səˈwʌp/ meaning "sand dunes". The Spanish language version of this name is usually spelled "Saguache", while the English language version is usually spelled "Sawatch".
  2. ↑ Merkl, Dameon (February 26, 2013), "What's in a Colorado name pronunciation?", The Denver Post, retrieved March 7, 2013
  3. ↑ The summit of Mount Elbert is the highest point of the Rocky Mountains and the State of Colorado.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 The elevation of this summit has been converted from the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). National Geodetic Survey
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