Sawatch Range

The Sawatch Range or Saguache RangeThe place name "Saguache” is pronounced “Sawatch” . This name derives from the Ute language noun "sawup" meaning "sand dunes" and is spelled using the Spanish language version of this name "Saguache".Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition (1997), p. 1060 s.v. Sawatch Range. is a high and extensive mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies.

The range is oriented along a northwest–southeast axis, extending roughly from in the north to in the south. The range contains fifteen peaks in excess of , also known as fourteeners. The range forms a part of the Continental Divide, and its eastern side drains into 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, tributaries of the Colorado 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, yet 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, Yale, Belford, and Oxford).

State Highway 82 traverses the range at Independence Pass. It is also traversed by Cottonwood Pass, which connects the town of Buena Vista with Gunnison County. Both Independence Pass and Cottonwood Pass are over , making them 2 of the highest passes in Colorado and are typically open only from late spring to mid autumn. Hagerman Pass is another 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 San Isabel National Forest and White River National Forest. __TOC__

Prominent peaks

+The 18 Mountain Peaks of the Sawatch Range With At Least 500 Meters of Topographic ProminenceRankMountain PeakElevationProminenceIsolation1Mount ElbertThe summit of Mount Elbert is the highest point of the Rocky Mountains and the State of Colorado. NGS4401.200 = 14,440 feet4401 m2771.546 = 9,093 feet2772 m01079.22 = 670.6 miles1079.2 km2Mount MassiveThe 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 Survey4397.607 = 14,428 feet4398 m0591.617 = 1,941 feet592 m00008.15 = 5.1 miles8.2 km3Mount Harvard NGS4395.6 = 14,421 feet4395 m0709.270 = 2,327 feet709 m00024.01 = 14.9 miles24.0 km4La Plata Peak4371.7 = 14,343 feet4372 m0561.137 = 1,841 feet561 m00010.10 = 6.3 miles10.1 km5Mount Antero NGS4351.400 = 14,276 feet4351 m0762.914 = 2,503 feet763 m00028.56 = 17.7 miles28.6 km6Mount Princeton NGS4329.300 = 14,204 feet4329 m0663.550 = 2,177 feet664 m00008.36 = 5.2 miles8.4 km7Mount Yale NGS4328.810 = 14,202 feet4329 m0571.805 = 1,876 feet572 m00008.93 = 5.5 miles8.9 km8Mount of the Holy Cross NGS4270.510 = 14,011 feet4271 m0643.433 = 2,111 feet643 m00029.81 = 18.5 miles29.8 km9Grizzly Peak NGS4265.600 = 13,995 feet4266 m0581.558 = 1,908 feet582 m00010.89 = 6.8 miles10.9 km10Mount Ouray NGS4255.400 = 13,961 feet4255 m0810.463 = 2,659 feet810 m00021.86 = 13.6 miles21.9 km11Mount Jackson PB4168.538 = 13,676 feet4169 m0551.688 = 1,810 feet552 m00005.16 = 3.2 miles5.2 km12Bill Williams Peak PB4080.878 = 13,389 feet4081 m0512.674 = 1,682 feet513 m00006.51 = 4.0 miles6.5 km13Antora Peak PB4046.274 = 13,275 feet4046 m0734.263 = 2,409 feet734 m00010.86 = 6.7 miles10.9 km14Henry Mountain PB4042.037 = 13,261 feet4042 m0510.235 = 1,674 feet510 m00018.55 = 11.5 miles18.6 km15Park Cone PB3689.953 = 12,106 feet3690 m0621.792 = 2,040 feet622 m00005.53 = 3.4 miles5.5 km16Red Table Mountain PB3670.656 = 12,043 feet3671 m0614.782 = 2,017 feet615 m00016.56 = 10.3 miles16.6 km17Tomichi Dome PB3496.225 = 11,471 feet3496 m0708.660 = 2,325 feet709 m00021.39 = 13.3 miles21.4 km18Castle Peak PB3439.719 = 11,285 feet3440 m0926.592 = 3,040 feet927 m00030.47 = 18.9 miles30.5 km

Sawatch Range

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