Electric Peak (San Juan Mountains) Explained

Electric Peak
Elevation Ft:13292
Prominence Ft:812
Isolation Mi:0.58
Isolation Ref:[1]
Parent Peak:Graystone Peak (13,489 ft)
Location:San Juan County, Colorado, US
Range:Rocky Mountains
San Juan Mountains
Needle Mountains
Map:Colorado#USA
Label Position:left
Coordinates:37.699°N -107.6172°W
Topo:USGS Storm King Peak
Rock:Quartzite
Age:Statherian
Type:Intrusive
Easiest Route: South Face[2]

Electric Peak is a 13292feet mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.[3] It is situated eight miles south of the community of Silverton, in the Weminuche Wilderness, on land managed by San Juan National Forest. It is part of the Needle Mountains which are a subset of the San Juan Mountains, which in turn is a subset of the Rocky Mountains. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Animas River. The peak can be seen from U.S. Route 550 and the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises over 4500abbr=offNaNabbr=off above the river and railway in approximately two miles. It is set five miles west of the Continental Divide, and one mile east of Mount Garfield. The mountain's name, which has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, was in use before 1906 when Henry Gannett published it in the Gazetteer of Colorado.[4]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Electric Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with very long, cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[5] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring.

Geology

Electric Peak is part of the Uncompahgre Formation, which is a sequence of quartzite and black phyllite some 8200feet in thickness.[6] The formation dates to the Statherian period and is interpreted as metamorphosed marine and fluvial sandstone, mudstone, and shale. The formation overlies plutons with an age of 1,707 million years.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Electric Peak - 13,292' CO. listsofjohn.com. 2021-06-29.
  2. Robert F. Rosebrough, The San Juan Mountains: A Climbing & Hiking Guide, Cordillera Press, 1986, page 170.
  3. 187814. Electric Peak. 2021-06-29.
  4. Henry Gannett, Gazetteer of Colorado, 1906, US Government Printing Office, page 64.
  5. Peel, M. C. . Finlayson, B. L. . McMahon, T. A. . 2007 . Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification . Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. . 11 . 1027-5606.
  6. Rob Blair, Tom Ann Casey, William H. Romme, The Western San Juan Mountains: Their Geology, Ecology, and Human History, 1996, University Press of Colorado,, page 350.