Precipice Peak is a 13,144-foot-elevation (4,006 meter) mountain summit located in Hinsdale County, of Colorado, United States.[3] It is situated 10.5 miles northeast of the community of Ouray, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is part of the San Juan Mountains which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and is situated west of the Continental Divide. Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 2,500 feet (760 meters) above the West Fork Cimarron River valley in approximately one mile. Neighbors include Dunsinane Mountain three-quarters of a mile north, Courthouse Mountain 2.4 miles northwest, and Redcliff 2.2 miles south. The mountain's name was officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names in 1966.[3] It is so named because of a very prominent precipice on the mountain's east face.[5]

Precipice Peak
Northwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation	13,144 ft (4,006 m)[1]
Prominence	464 ft (141 m)[1]
Parent peak	Fortress Peak (13,241 ft)[2]
Isolation	1.52 mi (2.45 km)[2]
Coordinates	38°07′09″N 107°32′08″W[3]
Naming
Etymology	Precipice
Geography
Precipice Peak Location in Colorado Show map of Colorado Precipice Peak Precipice Peak (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Hinsdale County Colorado, US
Parent range	Rocky Mountains San Juan Mountains
Topo map	USGS Wetterhorn Peak
Climbing
Easiest route	class 2+[2] W slope, south ridge[4]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Precipice Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[6] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Cimarron River.

Gallery

See also

• Mountains of Hinsdale County, Colorado

References

External links

• Weather forecast: Precipice Peak