Slumgullion Pass
Encyclopedia
Slumgullion Pass, elevation 11358 ft (3,461.9 m), is a mountain pass in Colorado
traversed by State Highway 149
east of Lake City
. The north side has the steepest grade of any continuously paved road in Colorado (9%), but the pass does not close often in winter because snowplows clear the route regularly during this season. It has a few switchbacks and tight spots, but other than that, most travelers will find it an easy, scenic route.
Slumgullion Pass is named for the nearby Slumgullion Slide or Earthflow, a gigantic landslide whose yellowish soil reminded early settlers and miners of slumgullion stew.
The Slumgullion Slide began about 700 years ago when weak volcanic tuff and breccia on the southern flank of Mesa Seco slumped several miles down the steep mountainside. Approximately 300 years ago, a second earthflow started from the top of the mountain and is still active, moving as much as twenty feet (six meters) per year. Trees growing on the newer slide are tipped at odd angles.
The first flow was so large and cataclysmic, it blocked the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River
and created Lake San Cristobal
, Colorado's second largest natural lake.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
traversed by State Highway 149
Colorado State Highway 149
State Highway 149 is a long state highway in southwestern Colorado. Its south end is at U.S. Route 160 and its north end is at U.S. Route 50.-Route description:...
east of Lake City
Lake City, Colorado
The Town of Lake City is a Statutory Town that is the county seat of, and the only incorporated municipality in, Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 375 at the U.S. Census 2000...
. The north side has the steepest grade of any continuously paved road in Colorado (9%), but the pass does not close often in winter because snowplows clear the route regularly during this season. It has a few switchbacks and tight spots, but other than that, most travelers will find it an easy, scenic route.
Slumgullion Pass is named for the nearby Slumgullion Slide or Earthflow, a gigantic landslide whose yellowish soil reminded early settlers and miners of slumgullion stew.
The Slumgullion Slide began about 700 years ago when weak volcanic tuff and breccia on the southern flank of Mesa Seco slumped several miles down the steep mountainside. Approximately 300 years ago, a second earthflow started from the top of the mountain and is still active, moving as much as twenty feet (six meters) per year. Trees growing on the newer slide are tipped at odd angles.
The first flow was so large and cataclysmic, it blocked the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River
Lake Fork Gunnison River
Lake Fork Gunnison River or Lake Fork is a tributary of the Gunnison River in Colorado. The river's source is Sloan Lake near Handies Peak in the San Juan Mountains of Hinsdale County. Lake Fork flows through Lake San Cristobal and Lake City before a confluence with the Gunnison River in Blue...
and created Lake San Cristobal
Lake San Cristobal
Lake San Cristobal is the second largest natural lake in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in the San Juan Mountains at an elevation of , the freshwater lake is long, up to deep, has a surface area of , and holds about of water. The town of Lake City, a few miles to the north, is named after...
, Colorado's second largest natural lake.