The Sharkstooth

The Sharkstooth is a 12,630-foot-elevation (3,850-meter) mountain summit in Larimer County, Colorado, United States.[4]

The Sharkstooth
Northeast aspect, centered
(Taylor Peak in background)
Highest point
Elevation12,630 ft (3,850 m)[1][2]
Prominence394 ft (120 m)[3]
Parent peakTaylor Peak (13,158 ft)[3]
Isolation0.54 mi (0.87 km)[3]
Coordinates40°16′51″N 105°40′28″W[4]
Geography
The Sharkstooth is located in Colorado
The Sharkstooth
The Sharkstooth
Location in Colorado
The Sharkstooth is located in the United States
The Sharkstooth
The Sharkstooth
The Sharkstooth (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyLarimer
Protected areaRocky Mountain National Park
Parent rangeRocky Mountains
Front Range[2]
Topo mapUSGS McHenrys Peak
Geology
Age of rockPaleoproterozoic[5]
Type of rockBiotite schist and gneiss[6][5]
Climbing
Easiest routeEast gully class 5.4 climbing[3]

Description

The Sharkstooth is set 1,500 feet east of the Continental Divide in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. It is in the "Cathedral Spires" area,[7] and is the second-steepest point in Colorado.[1] The summit is situated within Rocky Mountain National Park, approximately 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Estes Park. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of Glacier Creek which in turn is a tributary of the Big Thompson River. Topographic relief is significant with the summit rising 2,200 feet (670 meters) above Loch Vale in one mile. The landforms's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[4]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, The Sharkstooth 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.

  • North aspect of Sharkstooth viewed from The Gash
    North aspect of Sharkstooth viewed from The Gash
  • Cathedral Spires seen from Sky Pond. The apparent highest spire is "Saber" and immediately left of it is "Petit Grepon". At far left edge is Taylor Peak. Even though Sharkstooth is higher, it is hidden behind Saber.
    Cathedral Spires seen from Sky Pond. The apparent highest spire is "Saber" and immediately left of it is "Petit Grepon". At far left edge is Taylor Peak. Even though Sharkstooth is higher, it is hidden behind Saber.
  • The top of Sharkstooth is the apparent highest point, view from The Loch
    The top of Sharkstooth is the apparent highest point, view from The Loch

See also

References
  1. John Fayhee (2012), The Colorado Mountain Companion: A Potpourri of Useful Miscellany from the Highest Parts of the Highest State, West Margin Press, ISBN 9780871089670
  2. "Sharkstooth, Colorado". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  3. "Sharkstooth, The - 12,531' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  4. "The Sharkstooth". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  5. Geologic map of the Estes Park 30' x 60' quadrangle, north-central Colorado, W.A. Braddock, U.S. Geological Survey, 1984.
  6. George Wuerthner (2001), Rocky Mountain National Park Visitors Companion, Stackpole Books,ISBN 0-8117-2919-2, p. 22.
  7. "The Sharkstooth, Peakvisor.com". Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  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.
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