Pigeon Peak

Pigeon Peak
Pigeon Peak
	Pigeon Peak (center) from US 550, Colorado
Highest point
Elevation	13,978 ft (4,260 m)
Prominence	1,152 ft (351 m)
Isolation	1.49 mi (2.40 km)
Coordinates	37°37′57″N 107°38′46″W / 37.6324989°N 107.6461723°W
Geography
	Pigeon Peak Colorado
Location	La Plata County, Colorado, U.S.
Parent range	San Juan Mountains, br/>Needle Mountains
Topo map(s)	USGS 7.5' topographic map; Snowdon Peak, Colorado
Climbing
Easiest route	Northwest slope: scramble, class 3

Pigeon Peak, elevation 13,978 ft (4,260 m), is a summit in the Needle Mountains, a subrange of the San Juan Mountains in the southwestern part of the US State of Colorado. It rises dramatically on the east side of the Animas River, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the fourteener Mount Eolus. It is located in the Weminuche Wilderness, part of the San Juan National Forest.

Pigeon Peak is notable both for its absolute height and for its local relief. It is the 57th highest independent peak in Colorado,^[4]^[5] narrowly missing the well-known list of fourteeners. In terms of local relief, it is one of the most impressive peaks in Colorado. Its most dramatic rise is over the Animas River to the west, over which it rises nearly 6,000 feet (1,829 m) in under 2.5 miles (4 km). Also, its east face is an 800 feet (244 m) cliff.^[6]

Climbing

Since Pigeon Peak is not a fourteener, it sees far less traffic than the nearby trio of Mount Eolus, Windom Peak and Sunlight Peak. The standard route is not technically difficult, but it is long and requires a little-hiked wilderness approach. Climbers typically camp near Ruby Lake north of the peak. From there the route ascends to a saddle between Pigeon Peak and Turret Peak, southwest of Pigeon. The route then descends and makes a traverse around to the opposite side of the peak, finally ascending the northwest slopes.^[5] Difficulties involve class 3 scrambling.^[7]

Pigeon Peak viewed from Durango and Silverton train

References

^ The elevation of Pigeon Peak includes an adjustment of +1.697 m (+5.57 ft) from NGVD 29 to NAVD 88.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Pigeon Peak, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Pigeon Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
^ The usual criteria for a peak to be considered independent is that it have 300 feet (91 m) of topographic prominence.
^ ^a ^b Garratt, Mike; Martin, Bob (1992). Colorado's High Thirteeners (3rd ed.). Boulder: Johnson Press. ISBN 0-917895-39-8.
^ Snowdon Peak quadrangle, Colorado (Map). 1:24000. 7.5 Minute Topographic. USGS. 1972. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
^ "Pigeon Peak". Summitpost.org. Retrieved 2009-01-22.