Oct. 2 hike might produce a name for 'Point 11,682'
Brief by George Sibley
Geography - October 1999 - Colorado Central Magazine - No. 68 -
Page 7
Copyright © 1999 by George Sibley and Central Colorado
Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
You might think that every place worth naming has been named now,
but there is at least one small unnamed peak in the Colorado Rockies
that is unique enough to warrant a name -- and a coterie of
Coloradans are going to do something about it, starting with a hike
Saturday, October 2.
On the Continental Divide, about four miles south of Marshall Pass
in Saguache County, in the region known as the Cochetopa Hills, is a
point just to the northeast of Windy Peak marked on the map only with
its unimpressive elevation, 11,862 feet. What makes "Point 11,862"
interesting, however, is the convergence there of watershed ridges
such that water from the point runs off into three of the major river
basins of the American West: to the Arkansas River via Silver Creek;
to the Colorado River via Marshall Creek, Tomichi Creek and the
Gunnison; and to the Rio Grande, via a manmade canal from the Closed
Basin in the upper San Luis valley.
There are only a few "triple divides" like this in the Rockies,
and an ad hoc "Point 11,862 Committee" wants this one to be
appropriately recognized. The committee, at this point, is composed
of Ed Quillen, Denver Post columnist and publisher of this magazine;
Dale Sanderson, a cartographer for US West; and George Sibley,
Special Projects Coördinator for Western State College.
The naming process for geographic features is complex, and
involves a number of actions at the local, state and federal levels.
Sanderson will explain the process, appropriately, at "Point 11,862,"
on Saturday, October 2, following a hike there of interested parties.
The hiking party will be limited to around 15 people, to avoid undue
impact on the terrain.
Weather permitting, the trip to "Point 11,862" will begin from the
top of Marshall Pass at 9 o'clock Saturday morning, Oct. 2, with
plans to be back at the top of the Pass no later than 5 p.m. The
round trip is about nine miles; the route follows both the Colorado
Trail and the National Divide Trail (one and the same in that area),
with many magnificent vistas down into the Arkansas and Gunnison
basins (and into the Rio Grande region at the end). The trail is
never particularly rigorous, although there are numerous uphill and
downhill stretches.
Those interested in the hike and the naming project can contact
either Ed Quillen in Salida at 719-539-5345, or George Sibley in
Gunnison at 970-641-4340. Some transportation will be available from
the Gunnison side.
--George Sibley
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