Pipe Organ (Colorado National Monument)

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Coordinates: 39°05′56″N 108°43′34″W / 39.0988704°N 108.7262103°W / 39.0988704; -108.7262103
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Pipe Organ
Northwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation5,731 ft (1,747 m)[1]
Prominence241 ft (73 m)[1]
Parent peakIndependence Monument[1]
Isolation0.28 mi (0.45 km)[1]
Coordinates39°05′56″N 108°43′34″W / 39.0988704°N 108.7262103°W / 39.0988704; -108.7262103[2]
Geography
Pipe Organ is located in Colorado
Pipe Organ
Pipe Organ
Location in Colorado
Pipe Organ is located in the United States
Pipe Organ
Pipe Organ
Pipe Organ (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyMesa
Protected areaColorado National Monument
Parent rangeColorado Plateau
Uncompahgre Plateau
Topo mapUSGS Colorado National Monument
Geology
Age of rockLate Triassic to Early Jurassic[3]
Type of rockWingate Sandstone
Climbing
First ascentJanuary 31, 1961
Easiest routeclass 5.10 C1 climbing[1]

Pipe Organ is a 5,731-foot-elevation (1,747-meter) sandstone pillar located in Colorado National Monument, in Mesa County of western Colorado, United States.[2] This 400+ foot tower is situated in Wedding Canyon, less than one-half mile east of the monument's visitor center, and 9 miles (14 km) west of the community of Grand Junction. It is also immediately northwest of another popular climbing destination, Independence Monument, and both can be seen from viewpoints along Rim Rock Drive. The first ascent of the summit was made January 31, 1961, by John Auld, Gary Ziegler, Jim Dyson, and John Kuglin.[4][5] Pipe Organ has a subsidiary summit unofficially named Organ Pipe Spire on the east aspect,[6] which the National Park Service refers to as Praying Hands.[7] This 325-foot-high subsidiary peak was originally named Squall Spire in 1976 by Harvey T. Carter of the first ascent party.[8]

Geology[edit]

This tower is the remnant of a differentially eroded fin composed primarily of cliff-forming Wingate Sandstone, which consists of wind-borne, cross-bedded quartzose sandstones deposited as ancient sand dunes approximately 200 million years ago in the Late Triassic. The thin caprock at the summit consists of fluvial sandstones of the resistant Kayenta Formation. The slope around the base of Pipe Organ is Chinle Formation.[9] The floor of the canyon is Precambrian basement rock consisting of gneiss, schist, and granites. Precipitation runoff from this geographical feature drains to the Colorado River, approximately two miles to the northeast.

Climate[edit]

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Pipe Organ is located in a semi-arid climate zone.[10] Summers are hot and dry, while winters are cold with some snow. Temperatures reach 100 °F (38 °C) on 5.3 days, 90 °F (32 °C) on 57 days, and remain at or below freezing on 13 days annually. The months April through October offer the most favorable weather to visit.

Gallery[edit]

  • Pipe Organ centered with the lower Organ Pipe Spire to immediate left
    Pipe Organ centered with the lower Organ Pipe Spire to immediate left
  • East aspect
    East aspect
  • Southeast aspect
    Southeast aspect
  • South aspect
    South aspect
  • Pipe Organ (left), Independence Monument (right) from Rim Rock Drive
    Pipe Organ (left), Independence Monument (right) from Rim Rock Drive
  • South aspect
    South aspect

Climbing[edit]

Established rock climbing routes on Pipe Organ and Organ Pipe Spire:[11]

  • Southeast – class 5.10 C1 – 3 pitches – First Ascent 1961
  • Southwest Face – class 5.10+ C2 – 3 pitches
  • Organ Pipe Spire – class 5.8+ – 2 pitches
  • Sirocco – class 5.9 – FA 1976
  • Pipe Dream – class 5.11+ – 5 pitches – FA 2005
  • Aces & Eights – class 5.12 C2 – 4 pitches
  • Ender's Game – class 5.10 – 3 pitches
  • The Weird Fun – class 5.10 – 3 pitches

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Pipe Organ - 5,731' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Pipe Organ". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  3. ^ Fruita, Mailing Address: 1750 Rim Rock Drive; Us, CO 81521 Phone: 970 858-2800 Contact. "Geologic Formations - Colorado National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Jeff Achey, 2002, Climb! The History of Rock Climbing in Colorado, The Mountaineers Books, page 123.
  5. ^ "First Ascent Timeline". DesertTowersBook. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  6. ^ "Organ Pipe Spire - 5,710' CO". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  7. ^ "Canyon rim and window rock trail" (PDF). nps.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  8. ^ Stewart M. Green, 2019, Rock Climbing Colorado A Guide to More Than 1,800 Routes, 3rd Edition, Falcon Guides, ISBN 9781493037353, page 444.
  9. ^ Stanley William Lohman, The Geologic Story of Colorado National Monument, Geological Survey Bulletin 1508, pages 28-30.
  10. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. ISSN 1027-5606.
  11. ^ "Rock Climbing in Organ Pipe Spire and Pipe Organ Spire, Grand Junction Area". Mountain Project. Retrieved April 24, 2023.

External links[edit]

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