Elk Mountain is a summit in Routt County, Colorado. The mountain lies to the northwest of Steamboat Springs and is easily seen from the city, especially from along Lincoln Avenue (U.S. Route 40), Steamboat's main street. The mountain is also easily seen from Mount Werner, the home of the Steamboat Ski Resort.
| Elk Mountain | |
|---|---|
| The Sleeping Giant | |
.JPG) The mountain as seen from Routt County Road 129. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,660 m (8,730 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 507 m (1,663 ft)[2] |
| Isolation | 20.55 km (12.77 mi)[2] |
| Coordinates | 40°34′09″N 106°58′06″W / 40.56917°N 106.96833°W |
| Geography | |
  Elk Mountain | |
| Parent range | Elkhead Mountains |
| Topo map | Mad Creek |
The Elk River flows near the mountain just before its confluence with the Yampa River in the Yampa Valley.
Legends and names
editLocals refer to the mountain as "The Sleeping Giant," due to its resemblance to the profile of a prone person at sleep when viewed from Mount Werner or Steamboat Springs, and have created legends to explain this appearance.[3] [4] [5]
There are at least six other summits also named Elk Mountain in Colorado. This Elk Mountain in Routt County is not part of the Elk Mountains in West Central Colorado. Instead, it is one of the easternmost peaks in the Elkhead Mountains.
References
edit- ^ "Elk Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b "Elk Mountain, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^ Visit Steamboat. The Legend of the Sleeping Giant. Viewed September 9, 2016.
- ^ Steamboat Blog, Steamboat Springs Chamber of Commerce. The Legend of the Sleeping Giant Archived 2017-10-03 at the Wayback Machine. Viewed October 2, 2017.
- ^ summitpost.org The Sleeping Giant (Elk Mountain). Viewed October 2, 2017.
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