Stones Peak

Stones Peak is a mountain summit located in Larimer County, Colorado. It is situated in Rocky Mountain National Park, one mile east of the Continental [Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide] and west of the community of Estes Park. Stones Peak is part of the Front Range which is a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Big Thompson River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises over above the Big Thompson River in Forest Canyon in two miles. The peak is a prominent landmark viewed from Forest Canyon Overlook along the Trail Ridge Road.

History

The peak's namesake is glacial geologist George Hapgood Stone, a professor at Colorado College who visited this area in 1886. The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1932 by the United States Board on [Geographic Names].
The first documented ascent of the peak was made by Frederick H. Chapin and William L. Hallett as published in Chapin's 1889 book, Mountaineering in Colorado: The Peaks about Estes Park.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Stones Peak is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers. Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring. This climate supports the Sprague Glacier on the southwest aspect of Stones Peak.