# Crestones
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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Crestones.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crestones
> Source revision: 1356006144
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{Short description|Group of mountains in Colorado, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Crestones
| image = Crestone peaks fall.jpg
| image_size =
| image_caption = Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle seen from the south
| etymology =
| country = [United States](/source/United_States)
| subdivision1_type = State
| subdivision1 = [Colorado](/source/Colorado)
| parent = [Sangre de Cristo Range](/source/Sangre_de_Cristo_Range)
| geology =
| orogeny =
| area_mi2 =
| area_ref =
| length_mi =
| length_ref =
| length_orientation =
| width_mi =
| width_ref =
| width_orientation =
| highest = [Crestone Peak](/source/Crestone_Peak)
| elevation = {{convert|14300|ft|m|0}}
| elevation_ref = [{{cite opentopomap|Crestone Peak|37.966667|-105.585287|2023-01-02}}]
| coordinates = {{coord|37.9666665|N|105.5852865|W|type:mountain_region:US-CO_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline}}
| coordinates_ref = [{{cite gnis|id=192423|name=Crestone Peak|access-date=November 14, 2014}}]
| listing = [Mountain ranges of Colorado](/source/List_of_mountain_ranges_of_Colorado)
| map = USA Colorado
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| range_coordinates = {{coord|37.9668400|N|105.5853471|W|region:US-CO|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| range_coordinates_ref = [{{cite gnis|id=203952|name=Crestone Peaks|access-date=January 2, 2023}}]
}}
The '''Crestones''' are a group of four {{convert|14,000|ft|m|adj=on}} peaks ([fourteeners](/source/fourteeners)) in the [Sangre de Cristo Range](/source/Sangre_de_Cristo_Range) above [Crestone](/source/Crestone%2C_Colorado), central southern [Colorado](/source/Colorado), comprising:
#[Crestone Peak](/source/Crestone_Peak) ({{convert|14,294|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} )
#[Crestone Needle](/source/Crestone_Needle) ({{convert|14,197|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} )
#[Kit Carson Mountain](/source/Kit_Carson_Mountain) ({{convert|14,165|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} )
#[Humboldt Peak](/source/Humboldt_Peak_(Colorado)) ({{convert|14,064|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} )
Snow is usually mostly melted by early July. Climbers can expect afternoon rain, hail, and lightning from the seasonal [monsoon](/source/monsoon) in late July and August.
==Climbing==
*[Crestone Peak](/source/Crestone_Peak) and [Crestone Needle](/source/Crestone_Needle) are rock [scrambles](/source/scrambling) (Class 3) with some exposure.
*[Kit Carson Mountain](/source/Kit_Carson_Mountain) is a walk-up (Class 2), but only if the correct route is carefully followed; it has claimed more lives than Crestone Peak or Crestone Needle. [Challenger Point](/source/Challenger_Point) ({{convert|14,081|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} ) and [Columbia Point](/source/Columbia_Point) ({{convert|13980|ft|m|0|adj=on}}) are sub-peaks of Kit Carson Mountain.
*[Humboldt Peak](/source/Humboldt_Peak_(Colorado)) is the easiest of the four, with a straightforward walk-up route. Sometimes Humboldt is not included in the term "The Crestones."
[Broken Hand Peak](/source/Broken_Hand_Peak), {{convert|13573|ft|m|abbr=on}}, southeast of Crestone Needle, is included within the official name "Crestone Peaks".[ [Mount Adams](/source/Mount_Adams_(Colorado)) ({{convert|13,931|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} ) is a notable peak just to the north of the Crestones, and is quite rugged.
Note that Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle are somewhat more technical climbs than many Colorado fourteeners; caution is advised. About one person per year is killed on the Crestones; occasionally they are skilled mountaineers.][{{cite news|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/plano/2010/08/03/Plano-mountaineers-fall-to-their-deaths-4533|title=Plano mountaineers fall to their deaths in Colorado|first=Matthew|last=Haag|publisher=[The Dallas Morning News](/source/The_Dallas_Morning_News)|date=August 3, 2010|access-date=January 16, 2018}}]
==See also==
{{portal|Geography|North America||United States|Colorado|Mountains}}
**[Rocky Mountains](/source/Rocky_Mountains)
***[Southern Rocky Mountains](/source/Southern_Rocky_Mountains)
****[Sangre de Cristo Mountains](/source/Sangre_de_Cristo_Mountains)
*****[Sangre de Cristo Range](/source/Sangre_de_Cristo_Range)
*[Geography of Colorado](/source/Geography_of_Colorado)
**[Mountain ranges of Colorado](/source/Mountain_ranges_of_Colorado)
***[Mountain peaks of Colorado](/source/Mountain_peaks_of_Colorado)
***[Mountain passes of Colorado](/source/Mountain_passes_of_Colorado)
*[Outline of Colorado](/source/Outline_of_Colorado)
*[Index of Colorado-related articles](/source/Index_of_Colorado-related_articles)
{{clear}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lat=37.97&lon=-105.5805&size=m&symshow=n&datum=nad83&layer=DRG100&s=200 The Crestones on TopoQuest]
*{{gnis|203952|Crestone Peaks or Crestone Group}}
*[http://14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=9185 Well illustrated trip report of climbs of Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak via Broken Hand Pass]
{{Commons category|Crestones|position=left}}
{{Colorado|state=collapsed}}
Category:Fourteeners of Colorado
Category:Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Category:Mountains of Custer County, Colorado
Category:Mountains of Saguache County, Colorado
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Crestones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crestones) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crestones?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.