Truchas Peak
Encyclopedia
Truchas Peak is the second highest independent peak in the US State of New Mexico
. It is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
26 mi (42 km) northeast of Santa Fe
. It lies within the Pecos Wilderness
, part of the Santa Fe National Forest
. (The north end of the mountain borders on the Carson National Forest
.) The name of the peak is Spanish for "trout" (plural).
The entire mountain is a small north-south trending massif
with four identifiable summits, North Truchas Peak, Middle Truchas Peak, "Medio Truchas Peak" (unofficial name), and South Truchas Peak, the highest. Of the three subsidiary summits, only North Truchas Peak, 13,024 ft (3,970 m) has enough topographic prominence
(about 650 ft or 200 m) to be considered an independent peak.
The Truchas Peaks lie on the divide
between the Rio Grande
and the Pecos River
. They are drained on the west by the Rio Medio, the Rio Quemado, and the Rio de las Trampas; on the northeast by the Rio Santa Barbara; and on the southeast by small creeks that quickly run into the upper reaches of the Pecos River. The massif also connects to numerous other high peaks in the region, many via the Santa Barbara Divide, a major east-west high ridge which separates the Pecos watershed on the south from the Santa Barbara watershed to the north.
The Truchas group has a true wilderness character, as it is difficult to access the peaks within a single day. Many trails access the slopes of the peaks, most notably the Skyline Trail (Trail number 251), which traverses the eastern slopes at elevation around 12,000 feet (3,660 m) and accesses the Truchas Lakes, a set of small lakes in a cirque
below the south side of North Truchas Peak.
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. It is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Sangre de Cristo Mountains
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States...
26 mi (42 km) northeast of Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. It lies within the Pecos Wilderness
Pecos Wilderness
The Pecos Wilderness is a protected wilderness area within the Santa Fe National Forest and Carson National Forest. The Pecos Wilderness is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of north central New Mexico, easily accessible from Santa Fe, the state capital. Covering an area of , it is the second...
, part of the Santa Fe National Forest
Santa Fe National Forest
The Santa Fe National Forest is a protected national forest in northern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. It was established in 1915 and covers 1,567,181 acres . Elevations range from 5,300 feet to 13,103 feet at the summit of Truchas Peak, located within the Pecos Wilderness...
. (The north end of the mountain borders on the Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern New Mexico, United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers and is administered by the United States Forest Service...
.) The name of the peak is Spanish for "trout" (plural).
The entire mountain is a small north-south trending massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
with four identifiable summits, North Truchas Peak, Middle Truchas Peak, "Medio Truchas Peak" (unofficial name), and South Truchas Peak, the highest. Of the three subsidiary summits, only North Truchas Peak, 13,024 ft (3,970 m) has enough topographic prominence
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
(about 650 ft or 200 m) to be considered an independent peak.
The Truchas Peaks lie on the divide
Water divide
A drainage divide, water divide, divide or watershed is the line separating neighbouring drainage basins...
between the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
and the Pecos River
Pecos River
The headwaters of the Pecos River are located north of Pecos, New Mexico, United States, at an elevation of over 12,000 feet on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County. The river flows for through the eastern portion of that state and neighboring Texas before it...
. They are drained on the west by the Rio Medio, the Rio Quemado, and the Rio de las Trampas; on the northeast by the Rio Santa Barbara; and on the southeast by small creeks that quickly run into the upper reaches of the Pecos River. The massif also connects to numerous other high peaks in the region, many via the Santa Barbara Divide, a major east-west high ridge which separates the Pecos watershed on the south from the Santa Barbara watershed to the north.
The Truchas group has a true wilderness character, as it is difficult to access the peaks within a single day. Many trails access the slopes of the peaks, most notably the Skyline Trail (Trail number 251), which traverses the eastern slopes at elevation around 12,000 feet (3,660 m) and accesses the Truchas Lakes, a set of small lakes in a cirque
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
below the south side of North Truchas Peak.
See also
- Mountain peaks of North AmericaMountain peaks of North AmericaThis article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of greater North America.This article defines greater North America as the portion of the continental landmass of the Americas extending northward from Panama plus the islands surrounding that landmass...
- Mountain peaks of the Rocky MountainsMountain peaks of the Rocky MountainsThis article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains of North America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Mountain peaks of the United StatesMountain peaks of the United StatesThis article comprises three sortable tables of the major mountain peaks of the United States of America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Southern Rocky MountainsSouthern Rocky MountainsThe Southern Rocky Mountains are a major subregion of the Rocky Mountains of North America located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming, the central and western portions of Colorado, the northern portion of New Mexico, and extreme eastern portions of Utah...