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Amherst Mountain

Coordinates: 37°33′54″N 107°33′34″W / 37.5651020°N 107.5863069°W / 37.5651020; -107.5863069
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amherst Mountain
Northwest aspect, centered
(Organ Mountain to left)
Highest point
Elevation13,165 ft (4,013 m)[1]
Prominence1,211 ft (369 m)[2]
Parent peakMount Valois (13,173 ft)[2]
Isolation1.58 mi (2.54 km)[2]
Coordinates37°33′54″N 107°33′34″W / 37.5651020°N 107.5863069°W / 37.5651020; -107.5863069[3]
Geography
Amherst Mountain is located in Colorado
Amherst Mountain
Amherst Mountain
Location in Colorado
Amherst Mountain is located in the United States
Amherst Mountain
Amherst Mountain
Amherst Mountain (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyLa Plata County
Protected areaWeminuche Wilderness
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
San Juan Mountains
Needle Mountains[1]
Topo mapUSGS Columbine Pass
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 2[2]

Amherst Mountain is a 13,165-foot (4,013 m) summit in La Plata County, Colorado, United States.

Description

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Amherst Mountain is situated in the Needle Mountains which are a subrange of the San Juan Mountains.[1] The remote mountain is located 30 miles (48 km) northeast of the community of Durango and set in the Weminuche Wilderness on land managed by San Juan National Forest. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes drains to Vallecito Creek which is a tributary of the Los Pinos River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 4,165 feet (1,269 m) above Vallecito Creek in 2 miles (3.2 km) and nearly 3,000 feet (914 m) above Johnson Creek in 1 mile (1.6 km). The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names,[3] and has been recorded in publications since at least 1906.[4]

Organ Mountain (center) and Amherst Mountain (right)

Climate

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According to the Köppen climate classification system, Amherst Mountain is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[5] 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

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Amherst Mountain, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Amherst Mountain - 13,164' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Amherst Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  4. ^ Henry Gannett, United States Geological Survey (1906), A Gazetteer of Colorado, US Government Printing Office, p. 15.
  5. ^ 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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