It follows a trail for about 2 miles (3.2 km) to treeline. The other structures, hundreds of dikes which radiate out from the two mountains, were formed in the same way, but instead of a large pool of molten rock, the magma filled cracks in the soft sedimentary layer. To the north and south are very steep descents. West Spanish Peak Weather (Days 0-3): The weather forecast for West Spanish Peak is: … The peaks rise 6,000 ft from the edge of the eastern plains, and were used as a navigation aid for centuries for people heading west. Best time to climb: early June through late October. Due to its position well east of the Culebra Range and on the edge of the eastern plains of Colorado, West Spanish Peak enjoys great local vertical relief in almost all directions. West Spanish Peak (13,625′) and East Spanish Peak (12,684′) have world class geological features that made the two peaks a National Natural Landmark in 1976 and designated as a Wilderness Area in 2000. Though not a fourteener, West Spanish Peak is the twelfth most topographically prominent peak in the state. Stocks are large masses of igneous (molten) rock which forced their way into seams of the sedimentary rock which were later exposed by erosion. The prominent 13,631-foot (4,155 m) peak is located in the Spanish Peaks Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, 9.1 miles (14.7 km) south (bearing 175°) of the Town of La Veta, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide between Huerfano and Las Animas counties. Your email address will not be published. At the summit is a large rock cairn with the usual PVC tube and "sign-in" sheet inside. East Peak is a nearly circular stock about 5.5 miles long by 3 miles wide while West Peak is a stock about 2.75 miles long by 1.75 miles wide. West Spanish Peak is a high and prominent mountain summit that is the higher of the two Spanish Peaks in the Rocky Mountains of North America. Click image above to ENLARGE!! CategoriesDifficult Hikes, Rocky Mountains, Sangre de Cristo Range, Trip ReportsTagsWest Spanish Peak. While the Spanish Peaks are categorized as belonging to the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range, the are not geologically part of a chain of mountains, having been formed independently by different processes. When in doubt stay to the left and close to the ridge, the climbing is on more solid footing. This mountain is very unsafe when there is snow on the ground. West Spanish Peak (13,625′) and East Spanish Peak (12,684′) have world class geological features that made the two peaks a National Natural Landmark in 1976 and designated as a Wilderness Area in 2000. The West Spanish Peak is best reached by way of CO Hwy 12, which connects south and west through the town of La Veta, Colorado. Mostly flat, the trail rolls through the forest with frequent views. Posted onJuly 28, 2018September 2, 2020Authormlz2000Leave a comment. West Spanish Peak is the larger of the two sitting at 13,625 ft. West Spanish Peak Trail starts at Cordova Pass, which lies at 11,243 ft.The first mile and a half of this trail are a dream. At about 13,000' is a large shale buttress to the right that usually has a small pool of warm water at its foot. Gaining the false summit, the actual summit comes into view, not far away and on much more even terrain. Trailhead: West Peak Trail (Cordova Pass)Round trip: 7.5 miles / 12 kmElevation: 11,276′ -13,625′ (2,349′)/ 3,437 m – 4,153 m (716 m). The Spanish Peaks are two large igneo The Spanish Peaks are world class examples of “stocks” and “dikes”. If climbers stay to the left and close to the ridge, the climbing is much easier. [5] The trail is very braided and has a tendency to "go to the right" (which is into loose scree). Learn how your comment data is processed. For example, it rises over 6,000 ft (1,828 m) in less than 6.5 miles (10.5 km) on both its north and south flanks. The summit of West Spanish Peak is the highest point in Las Animas County, Colorado. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/west-spanish-peak-trail At Walsenburg take US 160 to CO 12 southwest through the towns of La Veta and Cuchara. Erosion wore away the softer sedimentary rock leaving dikes (walls) of hard rock up to 100′ high, 100′ wide, and 14 miles long. ! It is the focus of over 500 radiating dikes.[4]. All content is original and described from Trekking Colorado’s personal experiences. There is a rough path on talus (scree) up the southwest ridge of the peak for the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of steep climbing. From Denver travel I-25 south to Walsenburg (about 3.5 hours). Once up on the main part of the top ridge, it's an easy hike to the actual summit. Thunderstorm and lightning activity can be high in July, August and September. Igneous dikes, looking north from West Spanish Peak. The elevation of West Spanish Peak includes an adjustment of +1.469 m (+4.82 ft) from, easternmost 4000 meter (13,123 ft) mountain peak, List of mountain peaks of the United States, Iron Mountain (Costilla/Huerfano Counties), The 124 highest major summits of greater North America, Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, http://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/34.pdf, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_Spanish_Peak&oldid=819686948, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 January 2018, at 19:20.