Humboldt Peak (Colorado)

Humboldt Peak
Humboldt Peak, south aspect
Highest point
Elevation14,070 ft (4,289 m)[1][2]
Prominence1,204 ft (367 m)[2]
Isolation1.41 mi (2.27 km)[2]
ListingColorado Fourteener 37th
Coordinates37°58′34″N 105°33′19″W / 37.9761111°N 105.5552855°W / 37.9761111; -105.5552855[3]
Geography
Humboldt Peak is located in Colorado
Humboldt Peak
Humboldt Peak
LocationCuster County, Colorado, U.S.[3]
Parent rangeSangre de Cristo Range, Crestones[2]
Topo map(s)USGS 7.5' topographic map
Crestone Peak, Colorado[3]
Climbing
Easiest routeWest Ridge: Hike, class 2[4]

Humboldt Peak is a high mountain summit of the Crestones in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 14,070-foot (4,289 m) fourteener is located in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, 11.9 miles (19.2 km) south-southwest (bearing 204°) of the Town of Westcliffe in Custer County, Colorado, United States.[1][2][3]

The Crestones are a cluster of high summits in the Sangre de Cristo Range, comprising Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle, Kit Carson Peak, Challenger Point, Humboldt Peak, and Columbia Point.

The mountain was named in honor of German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt.[5]

Climbing

The standard route on the peak is a hike along a trail, with rock scrambling (Class 2) near the summit. The trail climbs the peak from the South Colony Lakes basin, accessed from the east side of the range. This basin is a popular site that is also the base for most climbs of Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Humboldt 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.

  • Humboldt Peak (left) and Colony Baldy (right)
    Humboldt Peak (left) and Colony Baldy (right)
  • In Winter from the northeast
    In Winter from the northeast

See also

References

  1. ^ a b The elevation of Humboldt Peak includes an adjustment of +1.790 m (+5.87 ft) from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Humboldt Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d "Humboldt Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  4. ^ "Humboldt Peak Routes". 14ers.com.
  5. ^ Eichler, George R. (1977). Colorado Place Names. Boulder, Colorado: Johnson Publishing Company. LCCN 77-089726.
  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.