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Brown Mountain (Colorado)

Coordinates: 37°55′15″N 107°38′16″W / 37.9208227°N 107.6378274°W / 37.9208227; -107.6378274
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brown Mountain
Northeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation13,347 ft (4,068 m)[1][2]
Prominence647 ft (197 m)[1]
Parent peakHanson Peak (13,462 ft)[1]
Isolation1.78 mi (2.86 km)[1]
Coordinates37°55′15″N 107°38′16″W / 37.9208227°N 107.6378274°W / 37.9208227; -107.6378274[3]
Geography
Brown Mountain is located in Colorado
Brown Mountain
Brown Mountain
Location in Colorado
Brown Mountain is located in the United States
Brown Mountain
Brown Mountain
Brown Mountain (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyOuray / San Juan
Protected areaUncompahgre National Forest[1]
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
San Juan Mountains[4]
Topo mapUSGS Ironton
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 2 hiking[1]

Brown Mountain is a 13,347-foot-elevation (4,068-meter) summit located on the boundary shared by Ouray County with San Juan County in Colorado, United States.

Description

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Brown Mountain is situated midway between the towns of Ouray and Silverton, on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest. It is set west of the Continental Divide in the San Juan Mountains which are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. The long ridge-like mountain can be seen from the "Million Dollar Highway" (Highway 550) immediately east of Ironton Park.[5] Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 3,600 feet (1,100 meters) above Ironton Park in two miles and 2,350 feet (720 meters) above Gray Copper Gulch in one mile. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains primarily into the Uncompahgre River, except the peak's south slope drains to Cement Creek which is a tributary of the Animas River. The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[3]

South aspect of Brown Mountain in winter

Climate

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According to the Köppen climate classification system, Brown Mountain is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[6] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring. Hikers can expect afternoon rain, hail, and lightning from the seasonal monsoon in late July and August.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Brown Mountain - 13,347' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  2. ^ National Geodetic Survey data sheet, Duco Benchmark
  3. ^ a b "Brown Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  4. ^ "Brown Mountain, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  5. ^ Robert M. Ormes (2000), Guide to the Colorado Mountains, Colorado Mountain Club Press, ISBN 9780967146607, p. 266.
  6. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.
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