Purple Peak (Colorado)

Purple Peak is a mountain summit in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States.

Purple Peak
North aspect in winter
Highest point
Elevation12,800 ft (3,901 m)[1][2]
Prominence160 ft (49 m)[3]
Parent peakMount Owen (13,070 ft)[3]
Isolation0.31 mi (0.50 km)[2]
Coordinates38°54′45″N 107°07′13″W / 38.9125799°N 107.1202953°W / 38.9125799; -107.1202953[4]
Geography
Purple Peak is located in Colorado
Purple Peak
Purple Peak
Location in Colorado
Purple Peak is located in the United States
Purple Peak
Purple Peak
Purple Peak (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyGunnison County
Protected areaRaggeds Wilderness
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
Elk Mountains
Ruby Range[1]
Topo mapUSGS Oh-be-joyful
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 2 hiking[3]

Description

edit

Purple Peak, elevation 12,800-feet (3,901 m), is situated in the Elk Mountains which are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains.[2] The peak is located nine miles (14 km) northwest of the community of Crested Butte in the Raggeds Wilderness on land managed by Gunnison National Forest. It is set on the crest of the Ruby Range between Afley Peak to the north and line parent Mount Owen to the southwest. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's northeast slope drains into Oh-be-joyful Creek which is a tributary of the Slate River, and the west and south slopes drain into Silver Creek and Ruby Anthracite Creek, thence North Fork Gunnison River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,760 feet (536 m) above Blue Lake in one-half mile (0.80 km). The landform's toponym was officially adopted in 1965 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[5] This landform should not be confused with Purple Mountain, five miles to the north.

 
North aspect of Purple Peak viewed from Afley Peak. Top of Mt. Owen in upper right corner.

Climate

edit

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Purple Peak 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.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Scott Warren (2002), Exploring Colorado's Wild Areas, Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9780898867848, p. 139.
  2. ^ a b c "Purple Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Purple Peak - 12,820' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  4. ^ "Purple Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  5. ^ Decisions on Geographic Names in the United States, Decision List 6501, (1965), United States Board on Geographic Names, Department of the Interior, p. 20.
  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. ISSN 1027-5606.
edit