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Geomorphology

Pikes Peak (Author: Nick B.)
 

3D Perspectives from Digital Elevation Models
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General Overview

Pikes Peak (source: 14ers.com)

Pikes Peak is located just west of Colorado Springs.  Unlike other mountains along Colorado's Front Range, Pikes Peak's massive flank juts out toward the eastern plains of Colorado.  Being so close to Interstate 25, the major highway that runs along the Front Range, access to the mountain - including the ability to drive or take a cog railway to the summit - is readily available.  From I-25, take exit 141 and head west on US Highway 24 toward the town of Manitou Springs. After approximately 9 miles, turn left on Fountain Avenue. The Pikes Peak Highway is about a third of a mile down the road on the left.  Portions of the highway are unpaved and the road may or may not be open all the way to the top.  A fee is charged to access the road to the summit of the mountain.  If the summit road is open, you are able to summit the United States' most beloved mountain by car!  Hiking routes to the summit include an access on the east side of the mountain (near The Crags) and an access from Manitou Springs, which is near Colorado Springs.  More information on hiking routes is available here.

Geomorphology

Pikes Peak (source: 14ers.com)

Consider the general geographic region where Pikes Peak is located. There are several things of note. How old is Pikes Peak and what is its geologic composition? Furthermore, what kinds of weathering and erosion processes are have occurred or are occurring on the mountain? Through the use of the lead-uranium method, researchers have determined that Pikes Peak is approximately one billion years old and is composed entirely of granite. The rock generally has a rusty red color due to large amounts of hematite within the potash feldspars. With regard to the mountain's geology, the Pikes Peak area is home to several micro-joints which were caused by stresses encountered in the cooling process of the mountain in its infancy. These micro-joints are the most important geomorphologic factor in the Pikes Peak region. Finally, weathering has been the principle force affecting the topography of the region and has been occurring for the past 40 million years. Weathering takes three principle forms: mechanical, chemical, and biological. Mechanical processes include exfoliation, frost wedging, and thermal expansion. Dissolution, oxidation, and hydrolysis are examples of chemical weathering. Lastly, biological weathering includes things such as roots of plants, lichen, fungi, and other organisms, and animals, to include humans.

General Landscape

Pikes Peak (source)

Pikes Peak is located near the geographic center of the state of Colorado and is part of the North American Rocky Mountain Range. The Rocky Mountains extend all the way from Canada to Mexico and are home to many of the world's most beautiful mountains. Colorado has the highest average elevation of all fifty states at 6,811 feet. Depending on who you ask there are between 53 and 55 mountains in Colorado that rise above 14,000 feet. The highest point in Colorado is Mount Elbert at 14,431 feet and the lowest is in the southeastern part of the state along the Arkansas River at 3,350 feet. Incidentally, the geographic center of the state is approximately 30 miles northwest of Pike's Peak. The Continental Divide lies on and among some of the highest peaks in the state. The watersheds of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are divided by the Continental Divide. In fact, many of the great rivers in the United States have their headwaters in the Colorado Rockies. As examples, the Colorado, Platte, Arkansas, and Rio Grande Rivers all begin in Colorado. Pikes Peak is a unique mountain with this massive flanks covering parts of three countries.  Pikes Peak is composed entirely of granite. This rock once existed as molten rock located as deep as 20 miles below the earth's surface. About 1 billion years ago, this molten rock cooled and forces from within the earth pushed the rock up and created dome-shaped mountains covered in layers of soil and softer rock.  After hundreds of thousands of years of erosion and weathering, the bare granite was exposed. But the mountains still did not appear as they do today. Huge glaciers that once existed in the Colorado Mountains gouged at and sculpted the granite leaving canyons, basins, peaks and valleys. The glaciers lasted about 1 million years and then disappeared about 11,000 years ago or less. What remains from this high ice-covered landscape are today's Colorado Rockies.

Weathering and Erosion

Pikes Peak (source)

Pikes Peak is subject to both weathering and erosion.  As stated earlier, Pikes Peak is made entirely of granite.  However, Pikes Peak granite comprises a much larger deposit known as the Pikes Peak batholiths.  As you look around Pikes Peak, you can see where weathering and erosion have taken place. This is due in part to ancient planes of weakness and the mineralogical make-up of the rock. Fresh exposures of the granite are usually pink in color due to the presence of the mineral orthoclase. It is largely composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica minerals. It usually appears in rounded forms because of weathering. How does this happen? Because of the presence of moisture on Pikes Peak, the mica and feldspar are chemically altered and expand into clay minerals. This expansion creates stresses in the rock which break it down and round off the sharp edges. As the granite around Pikes Peak was cooling, cracks in the rock developed.  As the rock on top of the granite was removed through weathering and erosion, these cracks developed into fractures and planes of weakness. The cracks and planes obviously let water in which greatly increases the speed and concentration of chemical and mechanical weathering processes that work to further break down the rock. Some rock has weathered into vertical spires and some has weathering in horizontal directions.  Weathering and erosion are still at work today reducing elevated rock units. Pikes Peak has been and remains a haven for recreational enthusiasts. Due to its popularity and proximity to large populations, erosion on the mountains continues to be a concern. Off-road vehicle use, hiking, climbing and biking is prevalent. In general, dirt trails and roads can cause erosion problems if they are not designed and managed properly. Pikes Peak granite gravel (called grus) is the predominate substrate in the area and is highly erodible. Water runoff and impact from humans - including the notorious erosional impacts stemming from the road to the top - are the predominant causes of denudation on the mountain today. 

Hazards
Geomorphic and other natural hazards are present on Pikes Peak.  Weather hazards include extreme cold, wind, and lightning risk.  Weather on Pikes Peak is known for its extreme variability and one should be prepared for all four season if they venture onto the mountain.  Consider checking the weather forecast before venturing to Pikes Peak.  The National Weather Service Office based in Pueblo provides excellent coverage of the region's weather. 

Geomorphologic hazards in the Pikes Peak region can be things such as expansive soils and expansive rock, unstable or potentially unstable slopes, landslides, debris fans, rock falls, subsidence, shallow water tables, springs, flood prone areas, collapsing soils, faults, avalanches, or dipping bedrock.  An avalanche is a large mass of snow, ice, soil or rock, or mixtures of these materials flowing very rapidly under the force of gravity. Creep is similar, but at a very slow gradual pace. A debris fan is a triangular shaped landform that forms at the intersection of a tributary valley and a larger valley. The material consists of stream-flood sediment and/or mudflow and is deposited where the stream channel size opens into the larger valley. A landslide is a general term covering a wide variety of slope movement involving the down slope transport of soil and rock material. The displaced material usually moves over a relatively confined zone or surface. Rock falls can be another hazard on Pikes Peak. It is basically a free falling movement of a newly detached segment of bedrock of any size from a cliff or other very steep slope. 

Lastly, consider the rock's instability. Due to expansive rock which contains clay and expands and contracts due to the availability of moisture, much of the rock on Pikes Peak is loose and unstable. In summary, Pikes Peak can present many hazards and one should be educated and prepared before wandering off the beaten path.

Driving Directions and Google Earth .kmz File

Google Earth Placemark File (.kmz) file: link
Driving Directions from Downtown Colorado Springs:

  • From I-25 in Colorado Springs, take the US-24 W exit- EXIT 141- toward Cimarron St. 0.1 mile.

  • Take the US-24 W ramp toward Manitou Springs / Pikes Peak / Woodland Park <0.1 mile.

  • Turn left onto W Cimarron St.  / US-24 W. Continue to follow US-24 W. 9.3 miles.

  • Turn left onto Fountain Ave. 0.3 miles.

  • Turn slight left onto Pikes Peak Highway (portions unpaved, portions may be closed seasonally, fee required) 13.2 miles.