Sawatch Range

Sawatch Range
Saguache Range
Range
View of the southern end of the Sawatch Range from the summit of Monarch Pass
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Part of	Rocky Mountains
Highest point	Mount Elbert
- elevation	14,440 ft (4,401 m)
- coordinates	39°07′03.9″N 106°26′43.29″W / 39.11775°N 106.4453583°W / 39.11775; -106.4453583
Length	70 mi (113 km), NW/SE

Mt. Aetna (13,746 feet (4,190 m)) and Taylor Mtn. (13,657 feet (4,163 m)), Sawatch Range, viewed from Poncha Pass.

The Sawatch Range ( /səˈwætʃ/)^[1] is a mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at 14,440 feet (4,401 m) elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies.

The range is oriented along a northwest-southeast axis, extending approximately 70 miles (110 km) from 39°37′36″N 106°32′13″W / 39.62667°N 106.53694°W / 39.62667; -106.53694 in the north to 38°33′19″N 106°17′32″W / 38.55528°N 106.29222°W / 38.55528; -106.29222 in the south. The range contains 15 peaks topping 14,000 feet (4,000 m). The range forms a portion of the Continental Divide, and its eastern flanks are drained by the headwaters of the Arkansas River. The western side of the range feeds the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River, the Eagle River, and the Gunnison River.

The Sawatch mountains in general are high, massive, and relatively gentle in contour. While some peaks are rugged enough to require technical climbing, most can be climbed by a simple, if arduous, hike. Notable summits include Mount Elbert, Mount Massive, La Plata Peak, Mount of the Holy Cross, and the Collegiate Peaks (Mounts Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale).

The town of Leadville, Colorado is located about 10 miles (16 km) to the east. State Highway 82 traverses the range at Independence Pass, which is typically open only from late spring to mid autumn. It is also traversed by Hagerman Pass to the north, connecting the Arkansas Headwaters near Leadville with the upper valley of the Fryingpan River. Hagerman pass is traversable with four-wheel drive vehicles and on foot during summer and early autumn months. The range contains numerous hiking trails within the White River National Forest and the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness.

Prominent peaks

The 18 Mountain Peaks of the Sawatch Range With At Least 500 Meters of Topographic Prominence

Rank	Mountain Peak	Elevation	Prominence	Isolation
1	Mount Elbert[2] NGS	4401.200 = 14,440 feet 4401 m	2771.546 = 9,093 feet 2772 m	01079.22 = 670.6 miles 1079.2 km
2	Mount Massive[3]	4397.607 = 14,428 feet 4398 m	0591.617 = 1,941 feet 592 m	00008.15 = 5.1 miles 8.2 km
3	Mount Harvard NGS	4395.6 = 14,421 feet 4395 m	0709.270 = 2,327 feet 709 m	00024.01 = 14.9 miles 24.0 km
4	La Plata Peak[3]	4379.216 = 14,368 feet 4379 m	0561.137 = 1,841 feet 561 m	00010.10 = 6.3 miles 10.1 km
5	Mount Antero NGS	4351.400 = 14,276 feet 4351 m	0762.914 = 2,503 feet 763 m	00028.56 = 17.7 miles 28.6 km
6	Mount Princeton NGS	4329.300 = 14,204 feet 4329 m	0663.550 = 2,177 feet 664 m	00008.36 = 5.2 miles 8.4 km
7	Mount Yale NGS	4328.810 = 14,202 feet 4329 m	0571.805 = 1,876 feet 572 m	00008.93 = 5.5 miles 8.9 km
8	Mount of the Holy Cross NGS	4270.510 = 14,011 feet 4271 m	0643.433 = 2,111 feet 643 m	00029.81 = 18.5 miles 29.8 km
9	Grizzly Peak NGS	4265.600 = 13,995 feet 4266 m	0581.558 = 1,908 feet 582 m	00010.89 = 6.8 miles 10.9 km
10	Mount Ouray NGS	4255.400 = 13,961 feet 4255 m	0810.463 = 2,659 feet 810 m	00021.86 = 13.6 miles 21.9 km
11	Mount Jackson[3] PB	4168.538 = 13,676 feet 4169 m	0551.688 = 1,810 feet 552 m	00005.16 = 3.2 miles 5.2 km
12	Williams Mountains High Point[3] PB	4080.878 = 13,389 feet 4081 m	0512.674 = 1,682 feet 513 m	00006.51 = 4.0 miles 6.5 km
13	Antora Peak[3] PB	4046.274 = 13,275 feet 4046 m	0734.263 = 2,409 feet 734 m	00010.86 = 6.7 miles 10.9 km
14	Henry Mountain[3] PB	4042.037 = 13,261 feet 4042 m	0510.235 = 1,674 feet 510 m	00018.55 = 11.5 miles 18.6 km
15	Park Cone[3] PB	3689.953 = 12,106 feet 3690 m	0621.792 = 2,040 feet 622 m	00005.53 = 3.4 miles 5.5 km
16	Red Table Mountain[3] PB	3670.656 = 12,043 feet 3671 m	0614.782 = 2,017 feet 615 m	00016.56 = 10.3 miles 16.6 km
17	Tomichi Dome[3] PB	3496.225 = 11,471 feet 3496 m	0708.660 = 2,325 feet 709 m	00021.39 = 13.3 miles 21.4 km
18	Castle Peak[3] PB	3439.719 = 11,285 feet 3440 m	0926.592 = 3,040 feet 927 m	00030.47 = 18.9 miles 30.5 km

See also

• Collegiate Peaks
• Geography of Colorado
• Mountain peaks of Colorado
• Mountain ranges of Colorado

References

1. ^ Sawatch is  /səˈwætʃ/. This name comes from a Ute language word meaning "blue earth" or "water at blue earth". The Spanish language version of this name is usually spelled Saguache, while the English language version is usually spelled Sawatch.
2. ^ The summit of Mount Elbert is the highest point of the Rocky Mountains and the State of Colorado.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} The elevation of this summit has been converted from the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). National Geodetic Survey

External links

• Rocky Mountains @ Peakbagger
  • Southern Rocky Mountains @ Peakbagger
    • Sawatch Range @ Peakbagger
    • Sawatch Range @ 14ers.com
    • Sawatch Range @ summitpost.org
• Mt. Aetna @ summitpost.org