Mount Richthofen

Mount Richthofen
Mount Richthofen
	Mount Richthofen, the high mountain in the center, as seen from Diamond Peaks to the north.
Highest point
Elevation	12,945 ft (3,946 m)
Prominence	2,680 ft (817 m)
Isolation	9.66 mi (15.55 km)
Listing	Colorado prominent summits; Colorado range high points
Coordinates	40°28′10″N 105°53′42″W / 40.4694275°N 105.8950133°W
Naming
Etymology	Ferdinand von Richthofen
Geography
	Mount Richthofen Colorado
Location	Continental Divide between Rocky Mountain National Park in Grand County and Jackson County, Colorado, United States
Parent range	Highest summit of the; Never Summer Mountains
Topo map(s)	USGS 7.5' topographic map; Mount Richthofen, Colorado
Geology
Rock age	20-25 myo
Mountain type	Andesite
Climbing
First ascent	William S. Cooper 1908
Easiest route	class 3 scramble

Mount Richthofen is the highest summit of the Never Summer Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 12,945-foot (3,946 m) peak is located 5.6 miles (9.0 km) northwest by west (bearing 308°) of Milner Pass, Colorado, United States, on the Continental Divide separating the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness in Rocky Mountain National Park and Grand County from Routt National Forest and Jackson County.^[1]^[2]^[3] The mountain was named in honor of pioneering German geologist Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen, apparently by Clarence King's 1870 survey team.^[4]

Mountain

Needles and Grenadiers explorer William S. Cooper climbed Mount Richthofen by himself in 1908 in what is presumed to be the first ascent in historic times by Americans of European descent. No sign of previous climbers were present at that time.^[5]

Today, the mountain is typically climbed from Lake Agnes to the north, easily reachable from Cameron Pass. The mountain is a steep Class 3 climb that often requires travel on steep scree slopes that are not very stable.

Mount Richthofen (left), Mount Mahler (right), viewed from Lake Agnes

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, the mountain is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with 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.

References

^ ^a ^b The elevation of Mount Richthofen includes an adjustment of +1.658 m (+5.44 ft) from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Mount Richthofen, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Mount Richthofen". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
^ Dziezynski, James (1 August 2012). Best Summit Hikes in Colorado: An Opinionated Guide to 50+ Ascents of Classic and Little-Known Peaks from 8,144 to 14,433 Feet. Wilderness Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-89997-713-3.
^ William M. Bueler (2000). Roof of the Rockies: a history of Colorado mountaineering. The Colorado Mountain Club Press. p. 94.
^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.