Mount Blue Sky

Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) is the highest peak in the Mount Evans Wilderness in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 14,271-foot (4,350 m) fourteener is located 13.4 miles (21.6 km) southwest by south (bearing 214°) of Idaho Springs in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide between Arapaho National Forest and Pike National Forest.

Mount Blue Sky
Mount Blue Sky seen from the south.
Highest point
Elevation14,271 feet (4,350 m)
NAVD88
Prominence2,770 feet (844 m)
Isolation9.79 miles (15.76 km)
Listing
Coordinates39.5883°N 105.6438°W / 39.5883; -105.6438 (Mount Blue Sky)
Geography
Mount Blue Sky
LocationClear Creek County, Colorado, United States
Parent rangeFront Range
Topo mapUSGS 7.5' topographic map
Mount Blue Sky, Colorado
Climbing
First ascentdisputed:
1863 by Albert Bierstadt
1872 by Judge Lunt
Easiest routeWest Ridge from Summit Lake: Hike, class 2

The peak is one of the characteristic Front Range peaks, dominating the western skyline of the Great Plains along with Pikes Peak, Longs Peak, and nearby Mount Bierstadt. Mount Blue Sky can be seen from over 100 miles (160 km) to the east, and many miles in other directions. Mount Blue Sky dominates the Denver metropolitan area skyline, rising over 9,000 feet (2,700 m) above the area. Mount Blue Sky can be seen from points south of Castle Rock, up to (65 miles (105 km) south) and as far north as Fort Collins (95 miles (153 km) north), and from areas near Limon (105 miles (169 km) east).

Due to the negative associations of Territorial Governor John Evans with the Sand Creek Massacre, changing the name of Mount Evans was discussed over several years. On September 15, 2023, the United States Board on Geographic Names officially changed the mountain's name to Mount Blue Sky.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.