Mt. Sopris
| Mount Sopris West Peak | |
|---|---|
 Mount Sopris as viewed from State Highway 82.
| |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,965 ft (3,952 m) |
| Prominence | 1,453 ft (443 m) |
| Isolation | 9.23 mi (14.85 km) |
| Coordinates | 39°15′48″N 107°10′33″W / 39.2632208°N 107.1758583°WCoordinates: 39°15′48″N 107°10′33″W / 39.2632208°N 107.1758583°W |
| Geography | |
  Mount Sopris West Peak
| |
| Location | Pitkin County, Colorado, U.S. |
| Parent range | Elk Mountains |
| Topo map |
USGS 7.5' topographic map Mount Sopris, Colorado |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Mount Sopris Trail (hike) |
| Mount Sopris East Peak | |
|---|---|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,965 ft (3,952 m) |
| Prominence | 1,453 feet (443 m) |
| Coordinates | 39°15′40″N 107°09′51″W / 39.26113°N 107.16417°W |
Mount Sopris is a twin-summit mountain in the northwestern Elk Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 12,965-foot (3,952 m) mountain is located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest, 6.6 miles (10.7 km) north by northeast (bearing 30°) of the community of Redstone in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States.
Mount Sopris is located in western Pitkin County, south of Carbondale and southwest of the confluence of the Crystal and Roaring Fork rivers. Mount Sopris is notable for having two summits, East Sopris and West Sopris, that are one-half mile (0.8 km) apart and have the same elevation of 12,965 feet (3,952 m).
It is named for Richard Sopris, a former mayor of Denver and part of the first European expedition in the Roaring Fork Valley. In 2011 J.P. McDaniels petitioned to rename East Sopris "Mount John Denver" after the Colorado singer. A local poll in Aspen and Carbondale said 74 percent of the respondents were against the proposal.
Mount Sopris is believed to have been formed by an igneous intrusion 10,000 feet below the earth's surface, geologically referred to as a pluton, that occurred around 30 million years ago, after the initial uplift of the modern Rocky Mountains. Mount Sopris is not a volcano, but it is possible that an ancient volcano sat above it, with the current rock forming the magma chamber far below. Due to subsequent continued erosion, any evidence is now gone. In either case, the rock that makes up Sopris never reached the surface, cooling and crystallizing in situ, and later becoming exposed due to erosion. Nearby prominent peaks Mount Gunnison and Crested Butte are believed to have formed similarly.
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Wikipedia