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Engineer Mountain

This article is about a mountain in San Juan County, Colorado. For the mountain in Ouray County, see Engineer Mountain (Hinsdale and Ouray counties, Colorado).
Engineer Mountain
Southeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation12,968 ft (3,953 m)[1]
Prominence1,408 ft (429 m)[1]
Parent peakRolling Mountain (13,693 ft)[2]
Isolation4.74 mi (7.63 km)[2]
Coordinates37°41′57″N 107°48′24″W / 37.6992257°N 107.8067202°W / 37.6992257; -107.8067202[3]
Geography
Engineer Mountain is located in Colorado
Engineer Mountain
Engineer Mountain
Location in Colorado
Engineer Mountain is located in the United States
Engineer Mountain
Engineer Mountain
Engineer Mountain (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountySan Juan
Protected areaSan Juan National Forest
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
San Juan Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Engineer Mountain
Geology
Age of rockTertiary[4]
Type of rockQuartz trachyte, Cutler Formation[4]
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 3 scramble[2] Northeast Ridge

Engineer Mountain is a 12,968-foot-elevation (3,953-meter) mountain summit located in San Juan County, Colorado, United States.[3] It is part of the San Juan Mountains range which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is west of the Continental Divide. Engineer Mountain is a prominent landmark set 1.5 mile immediately west of Coal Bank Pass, and is visible from multiple viewpoints along Highway 550, making it one of the most photographed mountains in the San Juans.[5] It is situated 11 miles southwest of the community of Silverton, on land managed by San Juan National Forest. Topographic relief is significant as the southwest aspect rises 3,800 feet (1,200 meters) above Cascade Creek in approximately two miles. Neighbors include Snowdon Peak seven miles to the east, and Twilight Peak, five miles to the southeast.

Climate

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According to the Köppen climate classification system, Engineer Mountain is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with 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. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Animas River.

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  • Northeast aspect
    Northeast aspect
  • View of the summit from Northeast Ridge
    View of the summit from Northeast Ridge
  • Southeast aspect
    Southeast aspect
  • Aerial view, with Coal Bank Pass to right side
    Aerial view, with Coal Bank Pass to right side
  • West aspect
    West aspect
  • North aspect
    North aspect

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Engineer Mountain, Colorado". Peakbagger.com.
  2. ^ a b c "Engineer Mountain - 12,968' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  3. ^ a b "Engineer Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  4. ^ a b Description of the Engineer Mountain Quadrangle, Whitman Cross, USGS, 1910, Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  5. ^ J. D. Tanner, Emily Ressler-Tanner, Hiking the Four Corners: A Guide to the Area's Greatest Hiking Adventures, 2015, Falcon Guides, ISBN 9781493014637, page 45.
  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.
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