North Star Mountain (Colorado)

North Star Mountain
North aspect
Highest point
Elevation13,614 ft (4,150 m)[1][2]
Prominence414 ft (126 m)[2]
Parent peakWheeler Mountain (13,690 ft)[3]
Isolation0.82 mi (1.32 km)[2]
Coordinates39°22′39″N 106°06′28″W / 39.3773990°N 106.1076986°W / 39.3773990; -106.1076986[4]
Geography
North Star Mountain is located in Colorado
North Star Mountain
North Star Mountain
Location in Colorado
North Star Mountain is located in the United States
North Star Mountain
North Star Mountain
North Star Mountain (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyPark County / Summit County
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
Mosquito Range
Topo mapUSGS Breckenridge
Geology
Age of rockCambrian[5]
Type of rockLimestone, Sawatch Quartzite[5]
Climbing
Easiest routeHiking class 2[3]

North Star Mountain is a 13,614-foot (4,150 m) mountain summit on the shared border of Park County and Summit County, in Colorado, United States.

Description[edit]

North Star Mountain is set on the Continental Divide 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Hoosier Pass in the Mosquito Range which is a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. It ranks as the 187th-highest peak in Colorado.[3][6] The mountain is located 9 miles (14 km) south-southwest of the community of Breckenridge on land managed by Arapaho National Forest and Pike National Forest.[1] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's south slope drains into headwaters of the Middle Fork South Platte River and the north slope drains to the Blue River via Monte Cristo Creek. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,000 feet (610 m) above the Platte in one mile (1.6 km) and 1,600 feet (488 m) above Monte Cristo Creek in one-half mile (0.80 km). An ascent of the peak involves hiking eight miles (13 km) with 2,400 feet (732 m) of elevation gain.[1] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names,[4] and has been recorded in publications since at least 1884.[7]

Sunrise on North Star
Southeast aspect of North Star Mountain beyond Montgomery Reservoir
An Abandoned Mine on the side of the mountain

Climate[edit]

According to the Köppen climate classification system, North Star Mountain is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[8] 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.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Mike Garratt, Bob Martin (1984), Colorado's High Thirteeners, Johnson Books, ISBN 9780917895395, p. 17.
  2. ^ a b c "North Star Mountain, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "North Star Mountain - 13,614' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "North Star Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Jerry Grant (2020), Grants Mining Districts of the Western United States, Volume 1, Xlibris US, ISBN 9781664146914
  6. ^ Brian Tedesco (2017), Rocky Mountain High Peaks, Amherst Media, ISBN 9781682032855
  7. ^ United States Bureau of the Mint (1884), Report of the Director of the Mint Upon the Statistics of the Production of the Precious Metals in the United States, US Government Printing Office, p. 387.
  8. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.

External links[edit]