Graystone Peak Explained

Graystone Peak
Elevation Ft:13489
Elevation Ref:[1] [2]
Prominence Ft:502
Prominence Ref:[3]
Isolation Mi:0.56
Parent Peak:Arrow Peak (13,809 ft)
Country:United States
State:Colorado
Region:San Juan County
Region Type:County
Part Type:Protected area
Part:Weminuche Wilderness
Range:Rocky Mountains
San Juan Mountains
Needle Mountains
Map:Colorado#USA
Coordinates:37.6892°N -107.6192°W
Coordinates Ref:[4]
Topo:USGS Storm King Peak
Rock:Quartzite
Age:Statherian
Easiest Route: hiking

Graystone Peak is a 13489feet mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.

Description

Graystone Peak is situated 8.5miles south-southeast 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 subrange of the San Juan Mountains.[2] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Animas River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 4800abbr=offNaNabbr=off above the river in 2miles and 2890abbr=offNaNabbr=off above Tenmile Creek in 0.85 mile (1.37 km). It is set six miles west of the Continental Divide, 0.7 mile south of Electric Peak, and one mile east-southeast of Mount Garfield. These three peaks can be seen from U.S. Route 550 at Molas Lake. The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names,[4] and was recorded in publications as early as 1906.[5]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Graystone Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with very long, cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[6] 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

Graystone Peak is part of the Uncompahgre Formation,[7] which is a sequence of quartzite and black phyllite some 8200feet in thickness.[8] 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. Robert F. Rosebrough, The San Juan Mountains: A Climbing & Hiking Guide, Cordillera Press, 1986, page 170.
  2. 19800. Graystone Peak, Colorado. May 24, 2023.
  3. Web site: Graystone Peak - 13,503' CO. listsofjohn.com. May 24, 2023.
  4. 187815. Graystone Peak. May 24, 2023.
  5. [Henry Gannett]
  6. 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.
  7. https://pubs.usgs.gov/gf/131/quad-structure.pdf Colorado Needle Mountains Quadrangle
  8. 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.