1.
Dillon Reservoir
–
It is a reservoir for the city of Denver, and its waters are under the control of Denver Water. Popular ski areas are close to the reservoir, including Copper Mountain, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, in 1859, a large party of gold-seekers led by Ruben Spalding discovered gold near the headwaters of the Blue River, which prompted a population surge in Summit County, Colorado. By October 1859, nearly 100 miners had camped along the river, by 1880, the human population of Summit county had swelled to 5,459. The town of Dillon was incorporated in 1883, but soon relocated to the west bank of the Blue River when Denver, Dillon was moved a second time in 1892 when the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad arrived from the northeast. The town was located at the confluence of three rivers, the Blue, Tenmile Creek and the Snake to provide one station for the two railroad lines, in 1890, Dillons population was 133, less than 20% as large as Breckenridge at the time. The idea to dam the Blue River and divert the water to Denver originated in the early 1900s, Denver Water Board acquired most of the land needed for the reservoir for the price of back taxes during the Great Depression when many Dillon residents were unable to pay property taxes. By then, Denver Water Board had already acquired most of the rights in the valley. In 1956, Denver Water Board notified the residents and business owners they must sell. Dam construction began in 1961 and was completed in 1963, the dam is earth-filled,5,888 feet long, and rises 231 feet above the Blue River stream bed. The dam was completed in 1963, the dam diverts water from the Blue River Basin through the 23.3 mile Harold D. Roberts Tunnel under the Continental Divide into the South Platte River Basin. Tunneling began in 1942 and the tunnel was holed-through in early 1960, curiously, alternative routes were still under consideration as late as the mid 1950s. At its deepest, the tunnel passes 4,465 feet below the surface near Santa Fe Peak on the continental divide, the tunnel is fully lined, with an inside diameter of 10.25 feet, and it permits a flow of 1020 cubic feet per second. In a typical year, about 60,000 acre-feet of water pass through the tunnel, the Denver Water Board set aside a 172-acre site for a new Town of Dillon. The Water Board had acquired a portion of the Fred Phillips Ranch at the northeast edge of what was to be Dillon Reservoir, residents and businesses were responsible for the expense of moving their structures. Many chose not to, but the Dillon Community Church, Town Hall, and Arapaho Café and Motel were moved to the new town, the original church building is now a museum operated by the local Historical Society with many Dillon artifacts of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Also,327 graves were moved to a new 39-acre cemetery northeast of the new town site, several buildings ended up in neighboring towns. Antler’s Café and Bar and the Kremmling Store were moved to Frisco, the Hamilton–Dillon Hotel was moved to Breckenridge. The Mint Bar, Old Dillon Inn, Wildwood Bar, the post office, most of the rest of Old Dillon’s homes and buildings were demolished
Dillon Reservoir
–
Dillon Reservoir in October
Dillon Reservoir
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Panoramic view of the Dillon Reservoir and surrounding towns.
Dillon Reservoir
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Spring snowmelt fills Dillon Reservoir
2.
Summit
–
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a maximum in elevation. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak, and zenith are synonymous, the UIAA definition is that a summit is independent if it has a prominence of 30 metres or more, it is a mountain if it has a prominence of at least 300 metres. This can be summarised as follows, A pyramidal peak is an exaggerated form produced by ice erosion of a mountain top, Summit may also refer to the highest point along a line, trail, or route. In many parts of the western United States, the term refers to the highest point along a road, highway. For example, the highest point along Interstate 80 in California is referred to as Donner Summit while the highest point on Interstate 5 is Siskiyou Mountain Summit, geoid Hill List of highest mountains Maxima and minima Nadir Summit accordance Peak finder
Summit
–
The highest elevation summit, Mount Everest, shown with a climber at the summit wearing an oxygen mask. The summit is 8850 m (29,035 ft) elevation. (While the cruising altitude of jetliners is roughly 10,000 m (32,808 feet), they are pressurized.)
Summit
–
View from the summit of Switzerland's highest,
Monte Rosa
Summit
–
The summit of
Mount Damavand,
Iran, in winter
Summit
–
Jeff Davis Peak, one of the highest peaks entirely within
Nevada
3.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
Geographic coordinate system
–
Longitude lines are perpendicular and latitude lines are parallel to the equator.
4.
County (United States)
–
In the United States, an administrative or political sub-division of a state is a county, which is a region having specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term county is used in 48 U. S. states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes, most counties have subdivisions which may include municipalities and unincorporated areas. Others have no divisions, or may serve as a singular consolidated city-county. Some municipalities are in multiple counties, New York City is uniquely partitioned into multiple counties/boroughs, the U. S. federal government uses the term county equivalent to describe non-county administrative or statistical areas that are comparable to counties. Alaskas Unorganized Borough is divided into 11 census areas that are equivalent to counties. As of 2013, the United States has 3,007 counties and 137 county equivalents for a total of 3,144 counties, the number of counties per state ranges from the 3 counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas. Counties have significant governmental functions in all states except Rhode Island and Connecticut, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has removed most government functions from eight of its 14 counties. The county with the largest population, Los Angeles County, counties were among the earliest units of local government established in the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. Virginia created the first counties in order to ease the workload in Jamestown. Americas oldest intact county court records can be found at Eastville, Virginia, in Northampton County, maryland established its first county, St. Marys, in 1637, and Massachusetts followed in 1643. When independence came, the framers of the Constitution did not provide for local governments, rather, they left the matter to the states. Subsequently, early state constitutions generally conceptualized county government as an arm of the state, in some states, these powers are partly or mostly devolved to the counties smaller divisions usually called townships, though in New York, New England and Wisconsin they are called towns. The county may or may not be able to override its townships on certain matters, the newest county in the United States is the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado, established in 2001 as a consolidated city-county. The newest county-equivalents are the Alaskan boroughs of Skagway established in 2007, Wrangell established in 2008, there are 40 consolidated city-counties in the U. S. Similarly, some of Alaskas boroughs have merged with their principal cities creating unified city-boroughs. Some such consolidations and mergers have created cities that rank among the geographically largest cities in the world, see also, #County names, regarding Louisiana. Independent cities, These are cities that legally belong to no county, Washington, D. C. outside the jurisdiction of any state, has a special status. The city of Washington comprises the entirety of the District of Columbia, when founded in 1801, the District consisted of two counties and three cities. In 1846, Alexandria County – including the then–City of Alexandria – was given back to Virginia, in 1871, the three remaining entities – the City of Washington, Georgetown City, and Washington County – were merged into a consolidated government by an act of Congress
County (United States)
–
A highway sign designating the border between
Nicholas and
Greenbrier counties in
West Virginia along a secondary road.
County (United States)
–
County
5.
Eagle County, Colorado
–
Eagle County is one of the 64 counties of the U. S. state of Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the population was 52,197, the county seat is the Town of Eagle. The county is named for the Eagle River, Eagle County comprises the Edwards, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. Eagle County was created by the Colorado legislature on February 11,1883 and it was named after the Eagle River, which runs through the county. The county seat was set in Red Cliff, Colorado. The Ground Hog Mine, near Red Cliff, produced gold, one vein, or chimney, contained gold in crystalline form, cemented by iron, while the other contained wire gold in the form of rams horns. One of these horns is now on display in the Harvard Mineralogical Museum. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,692 square miles. Much of the county is taken up by White River National Forest, interstate 70 crosses the county from east to west. The Eagle River rises in the part of the county. It receives Gore Creek at Dowds Junction, and joins the Colorado River in the west, fryingpan River and the Roaring Fork River intersect the southwest corner of the county. The population density was 25 people per square mile, there were 22,111 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile. 23. 24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,20. 90% of all households were made up of individuals and 1. 90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the family size was 3.17. In the county, the population was out with 23. 50% under the age of 18,11. 40% from 18 to 24,42. 10% from 25 to 44,20. 00% from 45 to 64. The median age was 31 years, for every 100 females there were 121.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 125.80 males, the median income for a household in the county was $62,682, and the median income for a family was $68,226. Males had an income of $37,603 versus $30,579 for females
Eagle County, Colorado
–
Location in the state of
Colorado
6.
Summit County, Colorado
–
Summit County is one of the 64 counties in the U. S. state of Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the population was 27,994, Summit County comprises the Breckenridge, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. Summit County was organized as one of the seventeen original Colorado counties by the First Territorial Legislature on November 1,1861 and it was named for the many mountain summits in the county. Until February 2,1874, its boundaries included the area now comprising Summit County, Grand County, Routt County, Moffat County, Garfield County, Eagle County, and Rio Blanco County. In 1874, the half of the original Summit County was split off to form Grand County, with the creation of Garfield and Eagle counties in 1883. In addition, Summit County has seen two major boom eras, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 619 square miles, of which 608 square miles is land and 11 square miles is water. The population density was 39 people per square mile, there were 24,201 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 91. 84% White,0. 68% Black or African American,0. 48% Native American,0. 87% Asian,0. 07% Pacific Islander,3. 96% from other races, and 2. 10% from two or more races. 9. 79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,21. 60% of all households were made up of individuals and 1. 60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the family size was 2.86. In the county, the population was out with 17. 40% under the age of 18,15. 70% from 18 to 24,44. 30% from 25 to 44,19. 40% from 45 to 64. The median age was 31 years, for every 100 females there were 139.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 144.90 males, the median income for a household in the county was $56,587, and the median income for a family was $66,914. Males had an income of $33,741 versus $27,017 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,676, about 3. 10% of families and 9. 00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4. 30% of those under age 18 and 3. 40% of those age 65 or over. The 2012 average real estate prices in Summit County were $708,660 for a family home, $359,536 for a condo, townhome or duplex
Summit County, Colorado
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Summit County court house in
Breckenridge
Summit County, Colorado
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Snowmelt runoff fills
Lake Dillon in Summit County
Summit County, Colorado
–
Gold specimen from the Breckenridge Mining District
7.
Grand County, Colorado
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Grand County is one of the 64 counties in the U. S. state of Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,843, the county seat is Hot Sulphur Springs. It was named after Grand Lake and the Grand River, an old name for the upper Colorado River, on January 29,1877 Routt County was created and Grand County shrunk down to its current western boundary. When valuable minerals were found in North Park, Grand County claimed the area as part of its county and it took a decision by the Colorado Supreme Court in 1886 to declare North Park part of Larimer County, setting Grand Countys northern boundary. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,870 square miles. The population density was 7 people per square mile, there were 10,894 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 95. 15% White,0. 48% Black or African American,0. 43% Native American,0. 68% Asian,0. 10% Pacific Islander,2. 00% from other races, and 1. 15% from two or more races. 4. 36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,23. 8% were of German,12. 6% Irish,10. 0% English and 7. 3% American ancestry. 24. 80% of all households were made up of individuals and 4. 80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.85. In the county, the population was out with 21. 80% under the age of 18,9. 00% from 18 to 24,34. 70% from 25 to 44,26. 80% from 45 to 64. The median age was 37 years, for every 100 females there were 112.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.70 males, the median income for a household in the county was $47,759, and the median income for a family was $55,217. Males had an income of $34,861 versus $26,445 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,198, about 5. 40% of families and 7. 30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7. 90% of those under age 18 and 6. 10% of those age 65 or over
Grand County, Colorado
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Scenic vehicle entrance to Grand Lake Lodge (established 1919), included on the
National Register of Historic Places
Grand County, Colorado
–
Location in the state of
Colorado
Grand County, Colorado
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The Fraser Valley in eastern Grand County is a key tourist area.
8.
Routt County, Colorado
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Routt County is one of the 64 counties in the U. S. state of Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the population was 23,509, the county seat is Steamboat Springs. Routt County comprises the Steamboat Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area, placer gold was found near Hahns Peak in 1864 as part of the Colorado Gold Rush. Routt County was created out of the portion of Grand County on January 29,1877. It was named in honor of John Long Routt, the last territorial, the western portion of Routt County was split off to form Moffat County on February 27,1911. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 2,368 square miles. The population density was 8 people per square mile, there were 11,217 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 96. 90% White,0. 13% Black or African American,0. 49% Native American,0. 39% Asian,0. 09% Pacific Islander,0. 73% from other races, and 1. 28% from two or more races. 3. 22% of the population were Hispanic Latino of any race,24. 40% of all households were made up of individuals and 3. 70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the family size was 2.92. In the county, the population was out with 22. 60% under the age of 18,10. 10% from 18 to 24,36. 50% from 25 to 44,25. 70% from 45 to 64. The median age was 35 years, for every 100 females there were 116.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.40 males, the median income for a household in the county was $53,612, and the median income for a family was $61,927. Males had an income of $36,997 versus $26,576 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,792, about 2. 80% of families and 6. 10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5. 20% of those under age 18 and 7. 70% of those age 65 or over. Routt County used to be a Republican leaning county, but it has started to trend heavily Democratic, in 2016, Hillary Clinton won the county 54-37. The last Republican to win the county was George W. Bush in 2000, bill Clinton won pluralities in 1992 and 1996. However, from 1968 to 1988, Republicans won majorities in the county, lyndon Johnson won Routt by a healthy margin of 63-37 in 1964
Routt County, Colorado
–
Entering Routt County from the west on U.S. Route 40.
9.
Mountain range
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A mountain range is a geographic area containing numerous geologically related mountains. A mountain system or system of ranges, sometimes is used to combine several geological features that are geographically related. Mountain ranges are usually segmented by highlands or mountain passes and valleys, individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have the same geologic structure or petrology. They may be a mix of different orogenic expressions and terranes, for example thrust sheets, uplifted blocks, fold mountains, most geologically young mountain ranges on the Earths land surface are associated with either the Pacific Ring of Fire or the Alpide Belt. The Andes is 7,000 kilometres long and is considered the worlds longest mountain system. The Alpide belt includes Indonesia and southeast Asia, through the Himalaya, the belt also includes other European and Asian mountain ranges. The Himalayas contain the highest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest, mountain ranges outside of these two systems include the Arctic Cordillera, the Urals, the Appalachians, the Scandinavian Mountains, the Altai Mountains and the Hijaz Mountains. If the definition of a range is stretched to include underwater mountains. The mountain systems of the earth are characterized by a tree structure, the sub-range relationship is often expressed as a parent-child relationship. For example, the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Blue Ridge Mountains are sub-ranges of the Appalachian Mountains, equivalently, the Appalachians are the parent of the White Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains, and the White Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains are children of the Appalachians. The position of mountains influences climate, such as rain or snow, when air masses move up and over mountains, the air cools producing orographic precipitation. As the air descends on the side, it warms again and is drier. Often, a shadow will affect the leeward side of a range. Mountain ranges are constantly subjected to forces which work to tear them down. Erosion is at work while the mountains are being uplifted and long after until the mountains are reduced to low hills, rivers are traditionally believed to be the principle erosive factor on mountain ranges, with their ability of bedrock incision and sediment transport. The rugged topography of a range is the product of erosion. The basins adjacent to a mountain range are filled with sediments which are buried and turned into sedimentary rock. The early Cenozoic uplift of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado provides an example and this mass of rock was removed as the range was actively undergoing uplift
Mountain range
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The
Himalayas, the highest mountain range on Earth, seen from space
Mountain range
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Mountain range of
High Tatras in
Slovakia in 1865
Mountain range
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The
Andes, the world's longest mountain range on the surface of a continent, seen from the air
Mountain range
–
Hillary and Norgay Montes on Pluto (14 July 2015)
10.
Rocky Mountains
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The Rocky Mountains, commonly known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 3,000 miles from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States. Within the North American Cordillera, the Rockies are somewhat distinct from the Pacific Coast Ranges, the Rocky Mountains were initially formed from 80 million to 55 million years ago during the Laramide orogeny, in which a number of plates began to slide underneath the North American plate. The angle of subduction was shallow, resulting in a belt of mountains running down western North America. Since then, further tectonic activity and erosion by glaciers have sculpted the Rockies into dramatic peaks, at the end of the last ice age, humans started to inhabit the mountain range. The first mention of their present name by a European was in the journal of Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre in 1752, the Rocky Mountains are commonly defined as stretching from the Liard River in British Columbia south to the Rio Grande in New Mexico. The United States definition of the Rockies includes the Cabinet and Salish Mountains of Idaho and their counterparts north of the Kootenai River, the Columbia Mountains, are considered a separate system in Canada, lying to the west of the huge Rocky Mountain Trench. This runs the length of British Columbia from its beginnings in the middle Flathead River valley in western Montana to the bank of the Liard River. The Rockies vary in width from 70 to 300 miles, also west of the Rocky Mountain Trench, farther north and facing the Muskwa Range across the trench, are the Stikine Ranges and Omineca Mountains of the Interior Mountains system of British Columbia. A small area east of Prince George, British Columbia on the side of the Trench. In Canada geographers define three main groups of ranges, the Continental Ranges, Hart Ranges and Muskwa Ranges, the Muskwa and Hart Ranges together comprise what is known as the Northern Rockies. The western edge of the Rockies includes ranges such as the Wasatch near Salt Lake City, the Great Basin and Columbia River Plateau separate these sub-ranges from distinct ranges further to the west, most prominent among which are the Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range and Coast Mountains. The Rocky Mountain System within the United States is a United States physiographic region, the Rocky Mountains are notable for containing the highest peaks in central North America. The ranges highest peak is Mount Elbert located in Colorado at 14,440 feet above sea level, Mount Robson in British Columbia, at 12,972 feet, is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. The Continental Divide of the Americas is located in the Rocky Mountains, triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park is so named because water that falls on the mountain reaches not only the Atlantic and Pacific, but Hudson Bay as well. Farther north in Alberta, the Athabasca and other rivers feed the basin of the Mackenzie River, see Rivers of the Rocky Mountains for a list of rivers. Human population is not very dense in the Rocky Mountains, with an average of four people per square kilometer, however, the human population grew rapidly in the Rocky Mountain states between 1950 and 1990. The 40-year statewide increases in range from 35% in Montana to about 150% in Utah
Rocky Mountains
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Moraine Lake, and the
Valley of the Ten Peaks,
Banff National Park,
Alberta,
Canada
Rocky Mountains
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The Front Range of the Rocky Mountains near
Denver, Colorado
Rocky Mountains
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The
Tetons are a rugged subrange in Wyoming
Rocky Mountains
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Mount Robson in
British Columbia.
11.
Colorado
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Colorado is a state in the United States encompassing most of the Southern Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. Colorado is part of the Western United States, the Southwestern United States, Colorado is the 8th most extensive and the 21st most populous of the 50 United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Colorado was 5,540,545 on July 1,2016, the state was named for the Colorado River, which Spanish travelers named the Río Colorado for the ruddy silt the river carried from the mountains. The Territory of Colorado was organized on February 28,1861, Colorado is nicknamed the Centennial State because it became a state in the same year as the centennial of the United States Declaration of Independence. Colorado is noted for its landscape of mountains, forests, high plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers. Denver is the capital and the most populous city of Colorado, residents of the state are properly known as Coloradans, although the term Coloradoan has been used archaically and lives on in the title of Fort Collins newspaper, the Coloradoan. Colorado, Wyoming and Utah are the states which have boundaries defined solely by lines of latitude and longitude. The summit of Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet elevation in Lake County is the highest point in Colorado, Colorado is the only U. S. state that lies entirely above 1,000 meters elevation. The point where the Arikaree River flows out of Yuma County, Colorado and this point, which holds the distinction of being the highest low elevation point of any state, is higher than the high elevation points of 18 states and the District of Columbia. A little less than one half of the area of Colorado is flat, East of the Rocky Mountains are the Colorado Eastern Plains of the High Plains, the section of the Great Plains within Nebraska at elevations ranging from roughly 3,350 to 7,500 feet. The Colorado plains were mostly prairies, but they have many patches of forests, buttes. Eastern Colorado is presently covered in farmland and rangeland, along with small farming villages. Precipitation is fair, averaging from 15 to 25 inches annually, corn, wheat, hay, soybeans, and oats are all typical crops, and most of the villages and towns in this region boast both a water tower and a grain elevator. Irrigation water is available from the South Platte, the Arkansas River, and a few other streams, however, heavy use of ground water from wells for irrigation has caused underground water reserves to decline. As well as agriculture, eastern Colorado hosts considerable livestock, such as cattle ranches. Roughly 70% of Colorados population resides along the edge of the Rocky Mountains in the Front Range Urban Corridor between Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Pueblo, Colorado. This region is protected from prevailing storms that blow in from the Pacific Ocean region by the high Rockies in the middle of Colorado. The Front Range includes Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Loveland, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Greeley and other townships, on the other side of the Rockies, the significant population centers in Western Colorado are the cities of Grand Junction, Durango, and Montrose
Colorado
–
The
Elk Mountains near
Aspen, Colorado
Colorado
–
Flag
Colorado
–
Mountains and lakes near
Breckenridge, Colorado
Colorado
–
A view of the arid high plains in Southeastern Colorado
12.
United States
–
Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
United States
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Native Americans meeting with Europeans, 1764
United States
–
Flag
United States
–
The signing of the
Mayflower Compact, 1620.
United States
–
The
Declaration of Independence: the
Committee of Five presenting their draft to the
Second Continental Congress in 1776
13.
Park Range (Colorado)
–
The Park Range, elevation approximately 12,000 feet, is a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northwestern Colorado in the United States. The range forms an isolated part of the Continental Divide. It separates North Park in the basin of the North Platte River on the east from the Elk River basin in the watershed of the Yampa River the west. It rises steeply out of the Yampa River basin, forming a barrier that receives much snowfall in winter. The northern end of the lies in Wyoming and is known as the Sierra Madre Range. Steamboat Springs, a ski resort community, sits on the southwestern flank of the range. Much of the range is located within the Routt National Forest, with the summit of the located within the Mount Zirkel Wilderness, named for Mount Zirkel. The range is visible from both sides and forms a picturesque skyline from much of North Park. It is traversed at its end by Rabbit Ears Pass which carries US40. It is also traversed by Buffalo Pass which carries a road between Steamboat Springs and Walden, and which is traversable by most vehicles in good weather during summer. Elkhead Mountains Mountain ranges of Colorado Park Range @ Peakbagger
Park Range (Colorado)
–
West face of Mount Zirkel
14.
Rabbit Ears Pass
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Rabbit Ears Pass is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States. The summit has the shape of rabbit ears, which two large columns of basalt rock formations from the second volcanic episode. Rabbit Ears Peak is underlain by a pink tuff and the basalt immediately to the west is underlain by red, volcanic breccia occurs only at the Peak, which is a large stratified breccia pile. The three basal layers are cut by a basalt dike immediately beneath the peak, from petrographic evidence there appears to have been one period of lava flows and this surface can be seen at Rabbit Ears Peak. The Rabbit Ears Pass area covers 56 square miles in north central Colorado at the junction of the Rabbit Ears Range and it was started in 1911 and was not completed until 1917. Present work is along lines of reducing curves and improving the roadbed, the road connects Routt with Jackson and Grand counties and furnishes direct connection with Denver by way of Kremmling and Berthoud Pass, where the main range is crossed again. The pass straddles the Continental Divide at the end of the Park Range. The name is taken from nearby Rabbit Ears Peak, a mountain in the Park Range to the north that is visible from the east side of the pass during good weather. The pass separates the basin of the Yampa River on the west from North Park. The climate of Rabbit Ears Pass is generally semi-arid to humid, vegetation consists mostly of pine, spruce, and aspen trees. Sagebrush grows on the Niobrara, Pierre and Coalmount formations, undergrowth is dense in most places. Like many places in the West, Rabbit ears Pass experienced a decline in Englemann spruce trees due to outbreaks of the spruce bark beetle. During the 1940s much of the zone of Northwest Colorado was severely affected by beetle outbreak. Spruce beetle outbreaks have taken place in area in 1716-1750, 1827-1845, 1860-1870. Large-scale outbreaks of spruce beetle have long been an important component of the dynamics of forests in Colorado. During outbreaks, spruce beetle may attack and kill lodgepole pine as well as spruce, nearly all attacked trees are killed This pass offers habitat to many different animal species. It supports important winter and summering ranges for many animals, species commonly seen on the pass range from elk, mule deer, and moose, to black bears, foxes, long-tailed weasels, snowshoe hares, and a variety of bird species. The winter snowpack provides a habitat for many non-hibernating burrowing animals such as voles, lemmings
Rabbit Ears Pass
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View of Rabbit Ears Peak from the Pass
Rabbit Ears Pass
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Continental Divide sign at Rabbit Ears Pass
15.
U.S. Route 40 in Colorado
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In the U. S. state of Colorado, U. S. Route 40 is a major east–west route. It crosses the Rocky Mountains, passing over the Continental Divide at Berthoud Pass before descending to the front range and it then traverses through the Denver Metro Area, then exits by following I-70 and US287. It is concurrent with US287 for about 145 miles to Kit Carson, US40 exits into Kansas east of Arapahoe in Cheyenne. Entering Colorado to the south of Dinosaur National Monument, U. S.40 runs east through the town of Dinosaur along Brontosaurus Boulevard. The route continues a generally easterly course though Moffat and Routt counties and it generally follows the course of the Yampa River. U. S.40 becomes Lincoln Avenue as it runs through historic downtown Steamboat Springs, taking a circuitous route through Rabbit Ears Pass, Muddy Pass and Berthoud Pass it descends the escarpment along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. Just to the east of Empire, it merges with Interstate 70 for the first time, US40 and I-70 will frequently share pavement across the U. S. The route leaves I-70 at exit 244, to the west of Idaho Springs, along with US40, the entire route along Colfax Avenue is cosigned as Business Loop 70. The route travels northeast through Golden, then due east to travel through Lakewood, Denver. Among the sights to be seen along US40 is Lake Steam Bath, also along Colfax Avenue in Denver is the Denver branch of the United States Mint, which produces 50 million coins per day. US40 rejoins I-70 at exit 288, just to the east of Aurora, at exit 359 in Limon, US40 leaves I-70 along Main Street, which it shares with Business Loop 70, US24, US287, and SH71. US 40/US287 continues to the southeast to the town of Kit Carson, from there, it leaves US287 and continues east through the towns of Cheyenne Wells and Arapahoe before entering the state of Kansas
U.S. Route 40 in Colorado
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View along US 40 in Mount Vernon Canyon, Colorado, 1942. Photo by
Andreas Feininger.
U.S. Route 40 in Colorado
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U.S. Route 40
16.
Eagle River (Colorado)
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The Eagle River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 60.5 miles long, in west central Colorado in the United States. It rises in southeastern Eagle County, at the continental divide, near Wolcott, it turns west, flowing past Eagle and Gypsum, and joins the Colorado at Dotsero, in western Eagle County. The Eagle is navigable by small river craft upstream to Vail in most years. Its flow ranges from 200 cu ft/s in late summer of dry years to 7,000 cu ft/s during spring runoff, acid mine drainage from the abandoned Eagle Mine has entered the river. List of rivers of Colorado List of tributaries of the Colorado River
Eagle River (Colorado)
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Eagle River at
Eagle, Colorado
Eagle River (Colorado)
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Jurisdictions
Eagle River (Colorado)
Eagle River (Colorado)
17.
Vail, Colorado
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The Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 5,305 in 2010, the town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived. Vail Ski Resorts first season was in December 1962, it is the largest ski mountain in Colorado, Vail was incorporated in 1966, four years after the opening of Vail Ski Resort. The ski area was founded by Pete Seibert and local rancher Earl Eaton in 1962, the pass was named after Charles Vail, the highway engineer who routed U. S. Highway 6 through the Eagle Valley in 1940, which eventually became Interstate 70. Seibert, a New England native, served in the U. S. Armys 10th Mountain Division during World War II and he was wounded in Italy at the Battle of Riva Ridge but went on to become a professional skier after he recovered. Seibert, with former members of the 10th Mountain Division. During training for ski troopers at Camp Hale, he bivouacked on Vail Mountain, as plans continued for a new ski resort, Seibert hired Morrie Shepard as Vails first ski school director. Shortly after, Shepard recruited Rod Slifer from Aspen to be assistant ski school director, in December 1962 Vail officially opened for its first season. It operated a gondola lift and two ski lifts on the owned by the United States Forest Service. The village was established at the base of the mountain for local residents and it quickly grew throughout the valley with housing added first in East Vail and then West Vail, and additional lodging added in Lionshead in the late 1960s. Within the first years the village had a ski shop operated by John Houserman, a hotel and restaurant operated by Pepi Gramshammer, by 1969 Vail was the most popular ski resort in the state. In 1988 Vail opened China Bowl, making Vail the largest ski area in North America, Vails average elevation is 8,150 feet above sea level. The town has an area of 4.5 square miles. Gore Creek flows from east to west through the center of town, the town is surrounded by the White River National Forest and the Vail Ski Resort is leased from the United States Forest Service. Mount of the Holy Cross is visible from Vail Mountain, Vail Mountain rises from 8,120 feet to 11,570 feet, giving a vertical rise of 3,450 feet. It has a 5,289 acres skiable area,33 ski lifts,193 marked skiing trails on three faces, the front side, the bowls, and Blue Sky Basin. The seven back bowls are Sun Down Bowl, Sun Up Bowl, Teacup Bowl, China Bowl, Siberia Bowl, Inner Mongolia Bowl, Blue Sky Basin includes Petes Bowl and Earls Bowl—to commemorate Pete Seibert and Earl Eaton. Vail has warm summers and cold winters because of its elevation, minimum temperatures rarely rise above freezing point from late September to late May
Vail, Colorado
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Gore Creek Drive in Vail Village
Vail, Colorado
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10th Mountain Division in Vail
Vail, Colorado
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North side of Vail Mountain, and Vail Valley.
18.
Colorado River (U.S.)
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The Colorado River is one of the principal rivers of the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The 1, 450-mile-long Colorado River drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U. S. starting in the central Rocky Mountains in the U. S. After entering Mexico, the Colorado approaches the mostly dry Colorado River Delta at the tip of the Gulf of California between Baja California and Sonora. Known for its dramatic canyons, whitewater rapids, and eleven U. S. National Parks, the Colorados large flow and steep gradient are used for generating hydroelectric power, and its major dams regulate peaking power demands in much of the Intermountain West. Intensive water consumption has dried up the lower 100 miles of the river, beginning with small bands of nomadic hunter-gatherers, Native Americans have inhabited the Colorado River basin for at least 8,000 years. Most native peoples that inhabit the basin today are descended from groups that settled in the region beginning about 1,000 years ago. Europeans first entered the Colorado Basin in the 16th century, when explorers from Spain began mapping and claiming the area, early contact between Europeans and Native Americans was generally limited to the fur trade in the headwaters and sporadic trade interactions along the lower river. After most of the Colorado River basin became part of the U. S. in 1846, several expeditions charted the Colorado in the mid-19th century – one of which, led by John Wesley Powell, was the first to run the rapids of the Grand Canyon. American explorers collected valuable information that would later be used to develop the river for navigation, lesser numbers settled in the upper basin, which was the scene of major gold strikes in the 1860s and 1870s. Large engineering works began around the start of the 20th century, with guidelines established in a series of international. The U. S. federal government was the driving force behind the construction of dams and aqueducts in the river system, although many state. Most of the dams in the river basin were built between 1910 and 1970, the system keystone, Hoover Dam, was completed in 1935. The Colorado is now considered among the most controlled and litigated rivers in the world, as demands for Colorado River water continue to rise, the level of human development and control of the river continues to generate controversy. The Colorado begins at La Poudre Pass in the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado, after a short run south, the river turns west below Grand Lake, the largest natural lake in the state. As it flows southwest, it gains strength from many tributaries, as well as larger ones including the Blue, Eagle. In a few areas, such as the marshy Kawuneeche Valley near the headwaters, arcing northwest, the Colorado begins to cut across the eponymous Colorado Plateau, a vast area of high desert centered at the Four Corners of the southwestern United States. In Utah, the Colorado flows primarily through the slickrock country and this is one of the most inaccessible regions of the continental United States. Here, the San Juan River, carrying runoff from the slope of Colorados San Juan Mountains, joins the Colorado from the east. S
Colorado River (U.S.)
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The Colorado River at
Horseshoe Bend,
Arizona, a few miles below
Glen Canyon Dam
Colorado River (U.S.)
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Map of the Colorado River basin
Colorado River (U.S.)
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The
Kawuneeche Valley, near the headwaters of the Colorado River in
Rocky Mountain National Park
Colorado River (U.S.)
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Colorado River in the Grand Canyon seen from Pima Point, near
Hermit's Rest
19.
Gore Canyon
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Gore Canyon is a short isolated canyon on the upper Colorado River in southwestern Grand County, Colorado in the United States. The steep and rugged canyon, approximately 3 miles long, was carved by the river as it passed the end of the Gore Range southwest of Kremmling. The Colorado descends from approximately 7300 ft to approximately 7000 ft over the length of the canyon, the steep walls ascend approximately 1000 ft on either side. The canyon effectively marks the end of the Middle Park basin in north central Colorado. The canyon is roadless and inaccessible by most traffic, except for the Union Pacific Railroads Moffat Subdivision, despite the short length, the canyon presented a formidable obstacle for the railroad, and the building of the line through it was considered a monumental engineering achievement in its day. The California Zephyr also travels through the canyon, Gore Canyon is also famous for its wild class V whitewater. Captain Samuel Adams considered it unnavigable by boat during his expedition in the 19th century, the construction of the railroad has added boulders and other hazards that have since made the river even more difficult. Today, expert kayakers and rafters frequent the canyon, and now hold a river festival including races. The Gore Canyon Whitewater Festival is held every year on the third Saturday of August and is also the host of the US National White Water Rafting Championship, Gore Canyon was first rafted in the 1970s, and now is even available as a commercial river raft trip. Most outfitters agree that Gore Canyons whitewater is the wildest commercially available whitewater rafting in the state of Colorado and those who are brave enough to raft or kayak Gore Canyon will run rapids such as Pyrite, Tunnel Falls, and Gore Rapid. This is true wild water, so for those who are not expert river runners, Gore Canyon is considered a very dangerous section of the Colorado River
Gore Canyon
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Gore Canyon near one of the shorter tunnels on the track. The alarm fences located along the track in this area are visible
Gore Canyon
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Jurisdictions
Gore Canyon
Gore Canyon
20.
Middle Park (Colorado basin)
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Middle Park is a high basin in the Rocky Mountains of north-central Colorado in the United States. It is located in Grand County, on the southwest slope of Rocky Mountain National Park, the basin surrounds the headwaters of the Colorado River on the west side of the Front Range. It extends southwestward from the source of the Colorado at Grand Lake, downstream past Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs, Parshall and it terminates on the western end roughly where the Colorado passes Gore Canyon at the southern end of the Gore Range. The valley also extends into the valleys of side tributaries on the upper Colorado such as the Fraser River, Williams Fork. The valley of the Fraser contains the towns of Fraser and Winter Park, the valley receives its name from being the middle of the three large mountain valleys in Colorado on the western side of the Front Range. The other two are North Park and South Park, U. S. Highway 34 traverses the valley from the northeast to the southwest, and connects to U. S. Highway 40 at Granby. North Park, to the north, is drained by the North Platte River and separated from the valley by low passes, Muddy Pass. The passes on the east and south, connect to the basin of the South Platte River and they are both in the Front Range proper and thus are higher and more likely to be snow covered. Milner Pass is near the point on Trail Ridge Road and is open only during summer months. Berthoud Pass, at the headwaters of the Fraser south of Winter Park and this latter route is the most direct route between the valley and Denver. The valley contains several reservoirs on the Colorado and its tributaries, including Lake Granby, the main industry in the valley is tourism, including alpine skiing at Winter Park Ski Resort. Much traffic between Denver and the resort of Steamboat Springs passes through the valley as well, allowing for secondary tourism industries to proliferate in the smaller towns
Middle Park (Colorado basin)
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View of Middle Park near Granby, Colorado
21.
Yampa River
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The Yampa River flows 250 miles through northwestern Colorado in the United States. Rising in the Rocky Mountains, it is a tributary of the Green River, the Yampa is one of the few free-flowing rivers in the western United States, with only a few small dams and diversions. The name is derived from the Snake Indians word for the Perideridia plant, frémont was among the first to record the name Yampah in entries of his journal from 1843, as he found the plant was particularly abundant in the watershed. The headwaters of the Yampa are in the Park Range in Routt County, Colorado as the confluence of the Bear River and Phillips Creek, the Bear River, larger of the two, flows from a source of 11, 600-foot at Derby Peak in the Flat Tops Wilderness. The Yampa River then flows north through a mountain valley, through Stagecoach Reservoir and Lake Catamount, before reaching Steamboat Springs. Below Steamboat Springs, the Yampa flows through a valley in the western foothills of the Rockies. It receives the Elk River from the north, then passes the towns of Milner, after entering Moffat County the Yampa passes Craig and is joined by the Williams Fork. Below Cross Mountain the Yampa enters the valley of Lily Park, where it is joined by its largest tributary. Further west it enters Dinosaur National Monument, where it more than 40 miles of rugged canyons. The Yampa joins the Green in Echo Park deep within the national monument, the Yampa drains 7,660 square miles of mostly semi-arid plateau country in northwestern Colorado and a small portion of southern Wyoming. The bulk of the watershed is located between the Park Range, to the east, the Flat Tops, to the south, the Great Divide Basin, an area of closed drainage, borders the Yampa River basin to the north. The Continental Divide runs along the north and east sides of the Yampa basin, separating it from the headwaters of the North Platte River, which flows into the Mississippi River system. On the south, the Yampa River basin is bordered by that of the White River, the Yampa River is a typical Western snow-fed stream, and unlike other rivers in the western U. S. its seasonal discharge patterns are not affected by large dams and water projects. The river forms a wide, shallow braided stream throughout much of its course. The lower three fourths of the Yampa, from the Elk River down, are navigable by small craft, however the meandering, shallow nature of the river can render the river unnavigable during late summer in low water years. The upper section of the river freezes over between December and March, according to a U. S. Geological Survey stream gage at Deerlodge Park, about 50 miles above the mouth, the average river flow was 2,082 cu ft/s between 1983 and 2013. The highest annual mean was 4,431 cu ft/s in 2011, monthly average flows were highest in May at 8,200 cu ft/s and lowest in September at 342 cu ft/s. The highest recorded flow was 33,200 cu ft/s during the record snowment of May 18,1984
Yampa River
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The Yampa River, c. 1871–1878
Yampa River
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The Yampa River Valley, seen from a high overlook.
22.
Blue River (Colorado)
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The Blue River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 65 miles long, in the U. S. state of Colorado. It rises in southern Summit County, on the side of the continental divide in the Ten Mile Range. It flows north past Blue River and Breckenridge, then through the Dillon Reservoir near Dillon, north of Dillon it flows NNW along the eastern slope of the Gore Range and joins the Colorado at Kremmling. The dam is a project of the United States Bureau of Reclamation, List of rivers of Colorado List of tributaries of the Colorado River Town of Blue River
Blue River (Colorado)
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The Blue River near
Kremmling, Colorado.
Blue River (Colorado)
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The Blue River, a tributary of the Colorado, is shown highlighted on a map of the western United States
Blue River (Colorado)
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Jurisdictions
Blue River (Colorado)
23.
Trail Ridge Road
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Trail Ridge Road is the name for a stretch of U. S. Highway 34 that traverses Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park, Colorado in the east to Grand Lake, Colorado in the west. It requires access to Rocky Mountain National Park even for local residents, from Kawuneeche Visitor Center at the parks Grand Lake Entrance, Trail Ridge Road follows the North Fork of the Colorado River north through the Kawuneeche Valley. There are several trailheads along this section of the road, notably the Colorado River Trailhead, the road crosses the Continental Divide at Milner Pass and reaches a maximum elevation of 12,183 ft, near Fall River Pass. Near the highest point on the road is another pass, Iceberg Pass, according to construction contracts and park maintenance files the east end of the road is located at the Fall River Entrance, however some guides state that earlier - at Deer Ridge Junction. Trail Ridge is a flat spur range extending east from the main range of the Rockies between Fall River in the North and the Big Thompson River in the South. The road follows Trail Ridge from the Fall River Pass near Alpine Visitor Center to the Deer Ridge Junction, Fall River Road was the first road into the parks high country. It opened in 1921 and quickly proved inadequate for motor travel as a road with steep grades, tight curves. Construction began in 1929 and was complete to Fall River Pass by July 1932, the road was complete through the Kawuneeche Valley to Grand Lake in 1938. The route followed what was known to local Arapaho Indians as the Dog Trail, internal opposition to the construction of a road through the parks alpine tundra was overruled by National Park Service director Horace Albright, who wished to encourage park visitation. The road was designed to intrude as little as possible into the landscape, hidden Valley was a local ski area attraction from 1955 -1991, off of Trail Ridge Road, now in defunct status. Trail Ridge had been used by Native Americans to cross the mountains between their lands in the west and hunting areas on the east side. Arapahoe Indians called the trail located on the ridge as taienbaa because it was so steep that children could not be carried, the Ute tribe crossing the mountains at Forest Canyon Pass marked their route with stone cairns. The present park Ute Trail follows partially that ancient route, on the west side, about 1880, a wagon road was constructed along the Kawuneeche Valley from the town of Grand Lake to the mining camps of Lulu City and Gaskil. The camps were abandoned after a few years when short-lived mining boom ended and later the road was used occasionally by hunters
Trail Ridge Road
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Trail Ridge Road, with Longs Peak (left of center), Pagoda Peak (center, in sun), Chief's Head (right of center, in shadow), and Mount Terra Tomah (at far right edge, in shadow), from 12,000 feet (3,700 m) above sea level in
Rocky Mountain National Park
Trail Ridge Road
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Schematic map of the Trail Ridge Road
Trail Ridge Road
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View of Trail Ridge Road from a hill above the Ute Trail, nineteen miles from the eastern end of the highway
Trail Ridge Road
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The wooden poles mark the edge of the road for the spring snowplowing. The road is closed through the winter.
24.
Rocky Mountain National Park
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The park is situated between the towns of Estes Park to the east and Grand Lake to the west. The eastern and westerns slopes of the Continental Divide run directly through the center of the park with the headwaters of the Colorado River located in the northwestern region. The main features of the park include mountains, alpine lakes, the Rocky Mountain National Park Act was signed by then–President Woodrow Wilson on January 26,1915, establishing the park boundaries and protecting the area for future generations. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the main route, named Trail Ridge Road. In 1976, UNESCO designated the park as one of the first World Biosphere Reserves, in 2016, more than four and a half million recreational visitors entered the park, which is an increase of about nine percent from the prior year. The history of Rocky Mountain National Park began when Paleo-Indians traveled along what is now Trail Ridge Road to hunt, Ute and Arapaho people subsequently hunted and camped in the area. In 1820, the Long Expedition, led by Stephen H. Long for whom Longs Peak was named, approached the Rockies via the Platte River. Settlers began arriving in the mid-1800s, displacing the Native Americans who mostly left the area voluntarily by 1860, lulu City, Dutchtown, and Gaskill in the Never Summer Mountains were established in the 1870s when prospectors came in search of gold and silver. The boom ended by 1883 with miners deserting their claims, the railroad reached Lyons, Colorado in 1881 and the Big Thompson Canyon Road—a section of U. S. Route 34 from Loveland to Estes Park—was completed in 1904. The 1920s saw a boom in building lodges and roads in the park, prominent individuals in the effort to create a national park included Enos Mills from the Estes Park area, James Grafton Rogers from Denver, and J. Horace McFarland of Pennsylvania. The national park was established on January 26,1915, Precambrian metamorphic rock formed the core of the North American continent during the Precambrian eon 4. 5–1 billion years ago. During the Paleozoic era, western North America was submerged beneath a sea, with a seabed composed of limestone. Concurrently, in the period from 500–300 million years ago, the region began to sink while lime, eroded granite produced sand particles that formed strata—layers of sediment—in the sinking basin. About 300 million years ago, the land was uplifted creating the ancestral Rocky Mountains, fountain Formation was deposited during the Pennsylvanian period of the Paleozoic era, 290–296 million years ago. Over the next 150 million years, the uplifted, continued to erode. Wind, gravity, rainwater, snow, and glacial ice eroded the mountains over geologic time scales. The Ancestral Rockies were eventually buried under subsequent strata, the Pierre Shale formation was deposited during the Paleogene and Cretaceous periods about 70 million years ago. The region was covered by a deep sea—the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway—which deposited massive amounts of shale on the seabed
Rocky Mountain National Park
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View from
Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
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A view of a
tundra landscape in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Rocky Mountain National Park
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Longs Peak seen from
Dream Lake trail
Rocky Mountain National Park
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Lord Dunraven (1841-1926), the
Irish nobleman, in later life.
25.
Ireland
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Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth. Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, in 2011, the population of Ireland was about 6.4 million, ranking it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland, the islands geography comprises relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain, with several navigable rivers extending inland. The island has lush vegetation, a product of its mild, thick woodlands covered the island until the Middle Ages. As of 2013, the amount of land that is wooded in Ireland is about 11% of the total, there are twenty-six extant mammal species native to Ireland. The Irish climate is moderate and classified as oceanic. As a result, winters are milder than expected for such a northerly area, however, summers are cooler than those in Continental Europe. Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant, the earliest evidence of human presence in Ireland is dated at 10,500 BC. Gaelic Ireland had emerged by the 1st century CE, the island was Christianised from the 5th century onward. Following the Norman invasion in the 12th century, England claimed sovereignty over Ireland, however, English rule did not extend over the whole island until the 16th–17th century Tudor conquest, which led to colonisation by settlers from Britain. In the 1690s, a system of Protestant English rule was designed to materially disadvantage the Catholic majority and Protestant dissenters, with the Acts of Union in 1801, Ireland became a part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland saw much civil unrest from the late 1960s until the 1990s and this subsided following a political agreement in 1998. In 1973 the Republic of Ireland joined the European Economic Community while the United Kingdom, Irish culture has had a significant influence on other cultures, especially in the fields of literature. Alongside mainstream Western culture, an indigenous culture exists, as expressed through Gaelic games, Irish music. The culture of the island shares many features with that of Great Britain, including the English language, and sports such as association football, rugby, horse racing. The name Ireland derives from Old Irish Eriu and this in turn derives from Proto-Celtic *Iveriu, which is also the source of Latin Hibernia. Iveriu derives from a root meaning fat, prosperous, during the last glacial period, and up until about 9000 years ago, most of Ireland was covered with ice, most of the time
Ireland
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Satellite image of Ireland on 11 October 2010
Ireland
–
The
Gowran Ogham Stone,
Christianised c.6th Century. On display in
St. Mary's Collegiate Church Gowran.
Ireland
–
The Uragh Stone Circle a
Neolithic stone circle in Gleninchaquin Park,
County Kerry
26.
Baronet
–
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess, is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The practice of awarding baronetcies was originally introduced in England in the 14th century and was used by James I of England in 1611 as a means of raising funds. A baronetcy is the only British hereditary honour that is not a peerage, with the exception of the Anglo-Irish Black Knight, White Knight, Baronets are not deemed members of the nobility, but rather, titled gentry. Their social rank is equivalent to the petty nobility in some countries of continental Europe. The term baronet has medieval origins, Sir Thomas de La More, describing the Battle of Boroughbridge, mentioned that baronets took part, along with barons and knights. Edward III is known to have created eight baronets in 1328, at least one, Sir William de La Pole in 1340, was created for payment of money. Whether or not these early creations were hereditary, all have died out, in 1619 James I established the Baronetage of Ireland, Charles I in 1625 created the Baronetages of Scotland and Nova Scotia. The new baronets were each required to pay 2,000 marks or to support six settlers for two years. Over a hundred of these baronetcies, now known as Scottish baronetcies. As a result of the Union of England and Scotland in 1707, following the Union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, new creations were styled as baronets of the United Kingdom. Under royal warrants of 1612 and 1613, certain privileges were accorded to baronets, firstly, no person or persons should have place between baronets and the younger sons of peers. These privileges were extended to baronets of Ireland, and for baronets of Scotland the privilege of depicting the Arms of Nova Scotia as an augmentation of honour, the former applies to this day for all baronets of Great Britain and of the United Kingdom created subsequently. The title of baronet was initially conferred upon noblemen who lost the right of summons to Parliament. A similar title of rank was banneret. Like knights, baronets are accorded the style Sir before their first name, baronetesses in their own right use Dame, also before their first name, while wives of baronets use Lady followed by the husbands surname only, this by longstanding courtesy. Wives of baronets are not baronetesses, only women holding baronetcies in their own right are so styled, unlike knighthoods—which apply to the recipient only—a baronetcy is hereditarily entailed. With some exceptions granted with special remainder by letters patent, baronetcies descend through the male line, a full list of extant baronets appears in Burkes Peerage and Baronetage, which also published a record of extinct baronetcies. A baronetcy is not a peerage, so baronets like knights and junior members of families are commoners
Baronet
Baronet
–
Royal, noble and
chivalric ranks
Baronet
Baronet
27.
Hunting
–
Hunting is the practice of killing or trapping animals, or pursuing or tracking them with the intent of doing so. Hunting wildlife or feral animals is most commonly done by humans for food, recreation, to predators that are dangerous to humans or domestic animals. Lawful hunting is distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species. The species that are hunted are referred to as game or prey and are usually mammals, Hunting can also be a means of pest control. However, hunting has also contributed to the endangerment, extirpation and extinction of many animals. The pursuit, capture and release, or capture for food of fish is called fishing, the practice of foraging or gathering materials from plants and mushrooms is also considered separate from hunting. The word hunt serves as both a noun and a verb, the noun has been dated to the early 12th century, act of chasing game, from the verb hunt. The meaning of a body of persons associated for the purpose of hunting with a pack of hounds is first recorded in the 1570s, meaning the act of searching for someone or something is from about 1600. The verb, Old English huntian to chase game, perhaps developed from hunta hunter, is related to hentan to seize, from Proto-Germanic huntojan, the general sense of search diligently is first recorded c. Hunting has a history and may well pre-date the rise of the species Homo sapiens. Evidence from western Kenya suggests that hunting has been occurring for more two million years. Furthermore, evidence exists that hunting may have one of the multiple environmental factors leading to the Holocene extinction of megafauna. North American megafauna extinction was coincidental with the Younger Dryas impact event, however, in other locations such as Australia, humans are thought to have played a very significant role in the extinction of the Australian megafauna that was widespread prior to human occupation. The closest surviving relatives of the species are the two species of Pan, the common chimpanzee and bonobos. Common chimpanzees have a diet that includes troop hunting behaviour based on beta males being led by an alpha male. Bonobos have also observed to occasionally engage in group hunting. With the establishment of language, culture, and religion, hunting became a theme of stories and myths, as well as such as dance. Hunting was a component of hunter-gatherer societies before the domestication of livestock
Hunting
–
Boar hunting,
Tacuinum Sanitatis (a medieval handbook on health and wellbeing) (14th century)
Hunting
–
Mughal aristocrats hunting a
blackbuck alongside an
Asiatic cheetah.
Hunting
–
Saharan rock art
Hunting
–
Inuit walrus hunters
28.
American West
–
The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West, the Far West, or simply the West, traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because European settlement in the U. S. expanded westward after its founding, prior to about 1800, the crest of the Appalachian Mountains was seen as the western frontier. Since then, the frontier moved westward and eventually lands west of the Mississippi River came to be referred to as the West. The West contains several major biomes, the Western U. S. is the largest region of the country, covering more than half the land area of the United States. Given this expansive and diverse geography it is no wonder the region is difficult to specifically define, a majority of the historian respondents placed the eastern boundary of the West east of the Census definition out on the eastern edge of the Great Plains or on the Mississippi River. The survey respondents as a whole showed just how little agreement there was on the boundaries of the West, within a region as large and diverse as the Western United States, smaller areas with more closely shared demographics and geography have developed as subregions. Meanwhile, the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington can be considered part of the Northwest or Pacific Northwest, West Texas in the Chihuahuan Desert may be considered as part of the Western U. S. Fort Worth has long laid claim to be Where the West Begins, the West is still one of the most sparsely settled areas in the United States with 49.5 inhabitants per square mile. Only Texas with 78.0 inhabitants/sq mi, Washington with 86.0 inhabitants/sq mi. and California with 213.4 inhabitants/sq mi. exceed the national average of 77.98 inhabitants/sq mi. The entire Western region has also strongly influenced by European, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Native Americans. African and European Americans, however, continue to wield a stronger political influence because of the rates of citizenship and voting among Asians. The West also contains much of the Native American population in the U. S. particularly in the reservations in the Mountain. The Western United States has a sex ratio than any other region in the United States. Because the tide of development had not yet reached most of the West when conservation became an issue, agencies of the federal government own. National parks are reserved for activities such as fishing, camping, hiking, and boating, but other government lands also allow commercial activities like ranching, logging. The largest city in the region is Los Angeles, located on the West Coast, Other West Coast cities include San Diego, San Bernardino, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Bakersfield, Sacramento, Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland. Prominent cities in the Mountain States include Denver, Colorado Springs, Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Boise, El Paso, and Cheyenne. Along the Pacific Ocean coast lie the Coast Ranges, which and they collect a large part of the airborne moisture moving in from the ocean
American West
–
While the West is defined by many cultures, the American
cowboy is occasionally seen as iconic of the region, here portrayed by
C.M. Russell
American West
–
Regional definitions vary from source to source. This map reflects the Western United States as defined by the
Census Bureau, which includes 13 states:
Alaska,
Arizona,
California,
Colorado,
Hawaii,
Idaho,
Montana,
Nevada,
New Mexico,
Oregon,
Utah,
Washington, and
Wyoming. In turn, this region is sub-divided into Mountain and Pacific areas.
American West
–
The West, as the most recent part of the United States, is often known for broad
highways and
freeways and open space. Here is a highway in Northern Arizona.
American West
–
The geography of the Western United States is split into three
major physiographic divisions:
the Rocky Mountain System (areas 16-19 on map), the
Intermontane Plateaus (20-22), and the
Pacific Mountain System (23-25).
29.
Mountain ranges of Colorado
–
The following table lists the major mountain ranges of the U. S. State of Colorado. All of these ranges are all subranges of the Rocky Mountains, topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earths sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface. The topographic prominence of a summit is the difference between that summit and the highest or key col to a higher summit. The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum distance to a point of equal elevation. All elevations in this include an elevation adjustment from the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988. For further information, please see this United States National Geodetic Survey note, if an elevation or prominence is calculated as a range of values, the arithmetic mean is shown. com Peakbagger. com Peaklist. org Peakware. com Summitpost. org
Mountain ranges of Colorado
–
An enlargeable satellite photograph of the
Rocky Mountains in the
State of Colorado.
Mountain ranges of Colorado
–
Mount Elbert is the
highest peak of the
Sawatch Range and the entire
Rocky Mountains.
Mountain ranges of Colorado
–
Mount Harvard is the
highest of the
Collegiate Peaks and the third highest peak of the
Rocky Mountains.
Mountain ranges of Colorado
–
Blanca Peak is the
highest peak of the
Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the fifth highest peak of the
Rocky Mountains.
30.
List of mountain peaks of Colorado
–
This article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of the U. S. State of Colorado. The summit of a mountain or hill may be measured in three ways, The topographic elevation of a summit measures the height of the summit above a geodetic sea level. The first table ranks the 55 highest major summits of Colorado by elevation. The topographic prominence of a summit is a measure of how high the summit rises above its surroundings, the second table below ranks the 50 most prominent summits of Colorado. The topographic isolation of a summit measures how far the summit lies from its nearest point of equal elevation, the third table below ranks the 50 most isolated major summits of Colorado. Of the highest major summits of Colorado, the following 55 peaks exceed 4000 meters elevation and 117 peaks exceed 3000 meters elevation, of the most prominent summits of Colorado, only Mount Elbert exceeds 2000 meters of topographic prominence. Three peaks are ultra-prominent summits with more than 1500 meters of prominence and 14 peaks exceed 1000 meters of topographic prominence
List of mountain peaks of Colorado
–
Mount Elbert in the
Sawatch Range is the
highest peak of the
Rocky Mountains and the highest point in the
U.S. State of Colorado.
List of mountain peaks of Colorado
List of mountain peaks of Colorado
–
Mount Massive in the
Sawatch Range is the
second highest peak of the
Rocky Mountains.
List of mountain peaks of Colorado
–
Mount Harvard is the
highest of the
Collegiate Peaks and the third highest peak of the
Rocky Mountains.
31.
Book Cliffs
–
The Book Cliffs are a series of desert mountains and cliffs in western Colorado and eastern Utah, in the western United States. They are so named because the cliffs of Cretaceous sandstone that cap many of the buttes appear similar to a shelf of books. Stretching nearly 200 miles from east to west, the Book Cliffs begin where the Colorado River descends south through De Beque Canyon into the Grand Valley to Price Canyon, the Book Cliffs appear mostly along the southern and western edge of the Tavaputs Plateau. The cliffs are composed of sedimentary materials. The Book Cliffs are within the Colorado Plateau geologic province, in the Colorado stretch of the Book Cliffs, abandoned coal mines are present, as significant coal resources were present in the region. These mines are now generally capped for safety, but several fatalities of recreational hikers have occurred at these mines since 1989. In some places, wild horses can be found in the Book Cliffs, for example, the Book Cliffs are one of the worlds best places to study sequence stratigraphy. In the 1980s, Exxon scientists used the Cretaceous strata of the Book Cliffs to develop the science of sequence stratigraphy. The Book Cliffs have preserved excellent strata of the basin of the ancient Western Interior Seaway that stretched north from the Gulf of Mexico to the Yukon in the Cretaceous time. Components of deltaic and shallow marine reservoirs are very well preserved in the Book Cliffs, large mammals found in the Book Cliffs include coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, mule deer, pronghorn, American bison as an extension of the Henry Mountains bison herd and bighorn sheep. In January,2009, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials transplanted 31 bison from the Henry Mountains bison herd to the Book Cliffs, the new group joined 14 animals previously released in August,2008 from a private herd on the nearby Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. Since this herd is located approximately 100 miles north of the Henry Mountains, across mostly harsh, desert terrain, it should perhaps be considered as a separate herd, Cretaceous Paleogeography - Showing Western Interior Seaway The Soils of Western Colorado Mesa, Delta and Montrose Counties
Book Cliffs
–
The Spring Canyon sandstones in the Book Cliffs above the town of Helper, Utah. There are several sedimentary cycles visible in the cliffs (perhaps up to seven or eight)
Book Cliffs
–
Book Cliffs and Mt. Garfield (on right, approximate altitude 6,600') in Mesa County, Colorado
Book Cliffs
–
A
flute cast, one of many
sedimentary structures found in the Book Cliffs
32.
Elk Mountains (Colorado)
–
The Elk Mountains are a high, rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of west-central Colorado in the United States. The range sits west of the Sawatch Range and northeast of the West Elk Mountains, much of the range is located within the White River National Forest and the Gunnison National Forest, as well as the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and Raggeds Wilderness. The Elk Mountains rise nearly 9,000 ft. above the Roaring Fork Valley to the north, the highest peaks in the range are its fourteeners, Castle Peak, Maroon Peak, Capitol Peak, Snowmass Mountain, Pyramid Peak, and North Maroon Peak. Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak are collectively known as the Maroon Bells, mount Sopris sits at the northwest end of the range and dominates the skyline of the lower Roaring Fork Valley and the town of Carbondale, Colorado, serving as an unofficial symbol of the area. State Highway 133 traverses McClure Pass, at the end of the range. The range has been the site of mining activity since the days of the Colorado Silver Boom, in the late 19th century, the western and southern flank of the range became the site of intense coal mining activity which continues to the present day. Treasure Mountain, overlooking the town of Marble, is home to the famous Yule Marble Quarry, quarried marble was used to create The Tomb of the Unknowns, the Lincoln Memorial, Denver Post Office and other buildings. The range receives a great deal of snowfall due to its position to the west of the continental divide and this is exploited by the ski areas in the vicinity of Aspen, which are located on the flanks of smaller mountains alongside the Roaring Fork Valley
Elk Mountains (Colorado)
–
The
Maroon Bells, Elk Mountains.
Elk Mountains (Colorado)
–
Sievers Mountain South
Elk Mountains (Colorado)
–
Maroon Lake, Elk Mountains.
33.
Aspen Mountain (Colorado)
–
Aspen Mountain is a mountain summit in the Elk Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 10, 705-foot peak is located in White River National Forest,1.4 miles south-southeast of downtown Aspen in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The north face of the mountain is the location of the Aspen Mountain ski area, the mountain flank was the site of intense mining activity in the late 1880s and early 1890s, with many remains of mining activity below and on the surface of the mountain. In the middle 20th century it became the site of recreational downhill skiing, in 1946, the newly formed Aspen Skiing Company, founded by Walter Paepcke, built the first chairlift to the top of the mountain and opened the ski area that bears the name of the mountain. Nowadays, people use a gondola, which holds six people. Aspen Mountain is alternatively called Ajax by the locals
Aspen Mountain (Colorado)
–
Aspen Mountain, seen from the northwest showing the lower ski runs of the Aspen Mountain ski area
34.
Capitol Peak (Colorado)
–
Capitol Peak is a high and prominent mountain summit in the Elk Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. Capitol Peak lies on the ridge connecting the heart of the Elk Mountains with Mount Sopris to the northwest. Capitol Peak is notable for its impressive vertical relief, rising nearly 9,000 feet above the Roaring Fork Valley, Capitol Peak is one of the most difficult of Colorados fourteeners to climb. The only non-technical route, the Northeast Ridge, requires crossing the famously exposed Knife Edge, fatalities have occurred on this route. Other routes require technical climbing, for example, the Northwest Buttress Route. These routes have significant rockfall danger due to a deal of loose rock, however. A Climbing Guide to Colorados Fourteeners, photo Journal of a trip up Snowmass Mountain and Capitol Peak Capitol Peak. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09
Capitol Peak (Colorado)
–
Capitol Peak, from Capitol Lake
Capitol Peak (Colorado)
–
Capitol Peak Knife Edge
35.
Castle Peak (Colorado)
–
Castle Peak is the ninth highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U. S. state of Colorado. The prominent 14, 279-foot fourteener is the highest summit of the Elk Mountains, the summit of Castle Peak is the highest point of both counties. Castle Peak takes its name from its castellated summit, the best climbing months are June, July, August, September through the Montezuma Glacier, a permanent snowfield between Castle and Conundrum Peaks. There are two routes for ascent. The Northwest Ridge features a moderate snow climb followed by an easy ridge scramble and it should not be attempted late in the summer when the 200 feet of loose dirt and scree meet the climber near the top of the Castle-Conundrum saddle. The Northeast Ridge features an easy climb, but slightly harder scrambling and route-finding once on the ridge. Conundrum Peak is a subsummit of Castle Peak. It has two closely spaced summits, the northern is higher, with elevation of 14, 040+ feet and it is 0.4 miles north of Castle Peak, and has 200 feet of clean topographic prominence. This does not meet the usual 300-foot prominence criterion for a separate peak, however
Castle Peak (Colorado)
–
View from NNE above Montezuma Basin
36.
Maroon Bells
–
The Maroon Bells are two peaks in the Elk Mountains, Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak, separated by about a third of a mile. The mountains are on the border between Pitkin County and Gunnison County, Colorado, United States, about 12 miles southwest of Aspen, Maroon Peak, at 14,163 feet, is the 27th highest peak in Colorado. North Maroon Peak, at 14,019 feet, is the 50th highest, the view of the Maroon Bells to the southwest from the Maroon Creek valley is commonly photographed. The peaks are located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest, a US Forest Service sign on the access trail refers to these mountains as The Deadly Bells and warns would-be climbers of downsloping, loose, rotten and unstable rock that kills without warning. Unlike other mountains in the Rockies that are composed of granite and limestone, mudstone is weak and fractures readily, giving rise to dangerously loose rock along almost any route. The mudstone is responsible for the Bells distinctive maroon color, the Bells got their deadly name in 1965 when eight people died in five separate accidents. Maroon Lake occupies a basin that was sculpted by Ice-Age glaciers and later dammed by landslide, the Maroon Bells are an increasingly popular destination for day and overnight visitors, over 300,000 people visit the Bells every season. Due to the volume of people, a bus service runs everyday from 8am-5pm from mid-June through the first weekend in October, during these times, and with just a few exceptions, personal vehicle access is limited to those with handicap placards or disability license plates. The bus runs from Aspen Highlands to Maroon Lake every 20 minutes, the Maroon Bells scenic area features several hiking trails ranging from short hikes near Maroon Lake to longer hikes into the Maroon-Snowmass Wilderness. Because the Maroon Bells area receives high levels of visitor use. Colorado portal Mountains portal List of Colorado fourteeners Guide to Maroon Bells Colorado Maroon Bells on 14ers. com Maroon Bells on Distantpeak. com Maroon Bells Scenic Area on USFS
Maroon Bells
–
Maroon Bells With Aspen, September 2003
Maroon Bells
–
Maroon Lake and Maroon Bells, pre-dawn photo, 19 September 2012.
37.
Mount Sopris
–
Mount Sopris is a twin-summit mountain in the northwestern Elk Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. Mount Sopris is located in western Pitkin County, south of Carbondale and southwest of the confluence of the Crystal, Mount Sopris is notable for having two summits, East Sopris and West Sopris, that are one-half mile apart and have the same elevation of 12,965 feet. It is named for Richard Sopris, a mayor of Denver. In 2011 J. P. McDaniels petitioned to rename East Sopris Mount John Denver after the Colorado singer, a local poll in Aspen and Carbondale said 74 percent of the respondents were against the proposal. Mount Sopris is not a volcano, but it is possible that an ancient volcano sat above it, due to subsequent continued erosion, any evidence is now gone. In either case, the rock makes up Sopris never reached the surface, cooling and crystallizing in situ. Nearby prominent peaks Mount Gunnison and Crested Butte are believed to have formed similarly, Mount Sopris dominates the skyline of Carbondale and the lower Roaring Fork Valley, serving as an unofficial symbol of the area. It is prominently visible from State Highway 82 in the vicinity of Carbondale, in terms of local relief, it is one of the largest peaks in the state of Colorado. For example, West Sopris rises 6,400 ft above the valley to the west in only 2.7 mi, in fact a vertical rise of over 6,000 feet in less than 3 miles is rare and impressive anywhere in the contiguous United States. The Mount Sopris Trail ascends to East Sopris via its east ridge and it starts near Dinkle Lake, on the northeast side of the mountain, and passes between the two Thomas Lakes just before reaching timberline. The ascent involves about 4,300 ft of vertical gain and 12 mi of hiking, it is a trail hike. Mount Sopris on Summitpost, an excellent article with many further links Rock Glacier on Mount Sopris at NASA Earth Observatory
Mount Sopris
–
Mount Sopris as viewed from
State Highway 82.
Mount Sopris
–
Looking North West from Mt. Sopris
38.
Pyramid Peak (Colorado)
–
Pyramid Peak is a fourteen thousand foot mountain in the U. S. state of Colorado. It is the 47th highest mountain peak in Colorado, and 78th highest peak in the United States and it is located in the Elk Mountains in southeastern Pitkin County, approximately 12 miles southwest of Aspen. The summit somewhat resembles a square pyramid and is visible from the Roaring Fork River valley north of Aspen along the canyon of Maroon Creek. Like many of the peaks in the Elks, Pyramid Peak is quite steep, especially compared to more gentle fourteeners such as Mount Elbert. For example, the summit rises 4,000 feet above Crater Lake to the northwest in only 1.2 miles. The standard climbing routes on Pyramid Peak are the northeast and northwest ridges and these routes involve difficult route finding, high exposure, and a great deal of loose rock. Hence they are two of the most difficult and dangerous of all of the routes on the Colorado fourteeners. List of mountain peaks of Colorado List of Colorado fourteeners Pyramid Peak
Pyramid Peak (Colorado)
–
Pyramid Peak as seen from
Maroon Peak in 2009
39.
Snowmass Mountain
–
Snowmass Mountain is a fourteen thousand foot mountain in the U. S. state of Colorado and the thirty-fourth highest mountain peak in the state. Snowmass Mountain is named for the large snowfield that lies on its eastern slopes, Hagerman Peak sits between Snowmass Mountain and Snowmass Peak and is also often mistaken for Snowmass Mountain. The route most commonly used to climb Snowmass Mountain is the Snowmass Creek approach, the route to the summit starts at Snowmass Lake, which is itself an 8. 1-mile hike up Snowmass Creek from the parking area. Most people hike to the lake, camp the night and then proceed to the top and this route is recommended in the spring and early summer when the snowfield still covers much of the route, however an ice axe is recommended for travel on the snowfield. Later in the summer there is more travel on talus and more danger from rockfall, an alternative in snow-free conditions is to hike up to the saddle between the peak and Hagerman Peak. From that point there are climbers trails which proceed on the side of the ridge to the summit. A different and much less used route climbs the west side of Snowmass Mountain from Geneva Lake, Snowmass Mountain Snowmass Peak List of mountain peaks of Colorado List of Colorado fourteeners Snowmass Mountain on 14ers. com Snowmass Mountain. Photo Journal from a trip up Snowmass Mountain and on to Capitol Peak Aspen Ski & Snow Report
Snowmass Mountain
–
Snowmass Mountain, July 2007
Snowmass Mountain
40.
Snowmass Peak
–
Snowmass Peak in the U. S. state of Colorado dominates the view from Snowmass Lake. It is often mistaken for Snowmass Mountain, the thirty-fourth highest mountain peak in the state, Snowmass Peak is not really a peak but the lower end of Hagerman Peaks east ridge. Natural forced perspective causes the illusion that Snowmass Peak is higher than Hagerman Peak though it is actually 221 ft shorter than Hagermans summit. This illusion combined with its striking rise behind Snowmass Lake justifies it being a point on USGS topographical maps. It is located in the Elk Mountains, within the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of the White River National Forest and it lies along the border between Pitkin and Gunnison counties, west of Aspen and southwest of the town of Snowmass Village. The route used to climb Snowmass Peak is the Trail Rider Pass trail to Hagerman Peak and this trail can be accessed by Snowmass Creek approach off Divide Road Snowmass Village or the Geneva Lake trail. It is possible to reach the summit by horse between Hagerman Peak and Snowmass Mountain, but is more difficult
Snowmass Peak
–
Snowmass Peak rises up out of Snowmass Lake
41.
Treasure Mountain (Colorado)
–
Treasure Mountain, elevation 13,535 ft, is a summit in the Elk Mountains of western Colorado. The mountain is in the Raggeds Wilderness southeast of Marble, the massif has been the site of marble mining and a legend of lost French gold. Treasure Mountain forms a massif with Treasury Mountain, elevation 13,462 feet. Another Treasure Mountain, el.11,834 feet is located in Mineral County, the Ruby Range extends southward from Treasury Mountain forming the east boundary of the Raggeds Wilderness. The Yule Lakes are a series of lakes situated on the slopes which drain into Yule Creek. The watershed is part of Crystal River basin which drains the slopes of Treasure Mountain and is the northeastern boundary of Raggeds Wilderness. Yule Pass, south of Treasury Mountain separates the Raggeds Wilderness of the Sopris Ranger District from the Gunnison Ranger District, Yule Pass is to the east of the headwaters of Yule Creek. The Colorado Yule marble comes from the Leadville Limestone of Mississippian age quarried near the mountain and it was formed by contact metamorphism in the Tertiary period following the intrusion and uplift of nearby granitic Treasure Mountain dome. Yule marble was used in the building of the Lincoln Memorial, the Yule marble quarry is at an elevation of 9,300 ft on the west side of Treasure Mountain along Yule Creek. The original name of the peak was Citadel Mountain, the current name came from an ill-fated French mining expedition described in folklore documented in the 1930s and 1940s. The folklore states that the expedition was organized in the late 1700s by Napoleon Bonaparte, the expedition was reported to have consisted of 300 men and 450 horses. They left New Orleans and traveled through Leavenworth, Kansas en route to the Rocky Mountains, the folklore claims that a large amount of gold was discovered and amassed by the expedition near Wolf Creek Pass. The local Native Americans were reportedly friendly, but relations deteriorated. In the folklore, the French buried gold and escaped the area, one survivor by the name of Le Blanc made it back to Kansas. He was the historian and was reported to have made two maps of the hidden treasure. A later expedition failed to find the treasure, william Yule, many years later, claimed to possess a copy of the original map and explored the area south and west of the mountain. The mountain was named after the legend of the missing treasure, List of mountain peaks of North America List of mountain peaks of the United States List of mountain peaks of Colorado
Treasure Mountain (Colorado)
–
Treasure Mountain in the background
42.
Elkhead Mountains
–
The Elkhead Mountains are a mountain range in Colorado. The mountain range is considered to be low altitude within Colorado as the mountains are under 11,000 feet, located within Routt and Moffat counties, the mountain range is far from metropolitan areas and has few lakes and streams, so it attracts few visitors. The mountain range is a range and all of the peaks were formed by volcanic action. Almost all of the peaks within the Elkhead Mountains are a part of Routt National Forest, significant peaks are, Bears Ears, Sugar Loaf, Saddle Mountain, Black Mountain, Pilot Knob, and Meaden Peak. Park Range Mountain ranges of Colorado
Elkhead Mountains
–
The Elkhead Mountain Range
43.
Front Range
–
It is the first mountain range encountered moving west along the 40th parallel north across the Great Plains of North America. The Front Range runs north-south between Casper, Wyoming and Pueblo, Colorado and rises nearly 10,000 feet above the Great Plains, Longs Peak, Mount Evans, and Pikes Peak are its most prominent peaks, visible from the Interstate 25 corridor. The area is a destination for mountain biking, hiking, climbing. Millions of years ago the present-day Front Range was home to ancient mountain ranges, deserts, beaches and this urban corridor benefits from the weather-moderating effect of the Front Range mountains, which help block prevailing storms. About 1 billion years ago, the earth was producing massive amounts of rock that would one day amalgamate, drift together and combine. In the Colorado region, this molten rock spewed and cooled, over the next 500 million years, little is known about changes in the sedimentation after the granite was produced. However, at about 500 –300 million years ago, the region began to sink, eroded granite produced sand particles that began to form strata, layers of sediment, in the sinking basin. Sedimentation would continue to place until about 300 million years ago. Around 300 million years ago, the sinking suddenly reversed, over the next 150 million years, during uplift the mountains would continue to erode and cover themselves in their own sediment. Wind, gravity, rainwater, snow, and ice-melt supplied rivers that ultimately carved through the granite mountains, the sediment from these mountains lies in the Fountain Formation today. Red Rocks Amphitheater outside of Denver, Colorado, is set into the Fountain Formation. At 280 million years ago, sea levels were low and present-day Colorado was part of the super-continent Pangaea, sand deserts covered most of the area spreading as dunes seen in the rock record, known today as the Lyons Sandstone. These dunes appear to be cross-bedded and show various fossil footprints,30 million years later, the sediment deposition was still taking place with the introduction of the Lykins Formation. This formation can be best attributed to its layers of muddy limestone. 250 million years ago, the Ancestral Rockies were burying themselves while the shoreline was present during the break-up of Pangaea and this formation began right after Earth’s largest extinction 251 million years ago at the Permian-Triassic Boundary. Ninety percent of the marine life was destroyed and a great deal on land as well. After 100 million years of deposition, a new environment brought rise to a new formation, the Morrison Formation contains some of the best fossils of the Late Jurassic. It is especially known for its tracks and sauropod bones among other dinosaur fossils
Front Range
–
Front Range Peaks in the
Indian Peaks Wilderness.
Front Range
Front Range
–
Pikes Peak and
Garden of the Gods.
Front Range
–
Sandstone slabs along the eastern edge of the front range
44.
Mummy Range
–
The Mummy Range is a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States. The range is a subrange of the Front Range located in southwestern Larimer County northwest of the town of Estes Park. It is located largely within Rocky Mountain National Park, extending north from Trail Ridge Road approximately 15 miles, prominent peaks in the range include Hagues Peak, Ypsilon Mountain, Mummy Mountain, and Mount Chiquita. Some offer reasonably challenging technical routes but all can be ascended by steep hiking, Colorado mountain ranges U. S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System, Mummy Range Hiking info and photos of Ypsilon Lake, which sits at the base of Ypsilon Mountain
Mummy Range
–
Mummy Range seen from Lake Estes
Mummy Range
