Mount Sniktau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Sniktau |
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Mount Sniktau viewed from Point 13152.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 13,240 ft (4,036 m) |
| Prominence | 520 ft (158 m) |
| Isolation | 2.41 mi (3.88 km) |
| Geography | |
 Mount Sniktau
Location in Colorado
Mount Sniktau
Location in the United States
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| Location | Clear Creek County, Colorado, U.S. |
| Parent range | Front Range |
| Topo map | USGS 7.5' topographic map Grays Peak, Colorado |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Trail hike |
Mount Sniktau is a tall mountain summit located in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. This impressive peak stands at 13,240-foot (4,036 m) high, making it a "thirteener" (a mountain over 13,000 feet). You can find Mount Sniktau in Arapaho National Forest, about 1.6 miles (2.5 km) northeast of Loveland Pass in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States.
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What's in a Name? The Story of Mount Sniktau
The name "Sniktau" comes from the pen name (a fake name used by a writer) of Edwin H. N. Patterson. He was a journalist who worked in the Clear Creek County area during the 1860s. Patterson was good friends with the famous poet, Edgar Allan Poe, and they even wrote letters to each other in the 1840s.
Patterson said that Native Americans gave him the nickname "Sniktau." However, it might have come from another journalist named W. F. Watkins. Watkins had reversed the letters of his own name to create his pen name, "Sniktaw." Patterson moved to Colorado in 1875 from his home in Oquawka, Illinois. He became the editor of the Colorado Miner, a newspaper printed in Georgetown, which is about 15 miles from the mountain. Patterson is buried in Alvarado Cemetery, near Georgetown.
Where is Mount Sniktau?
Mount Sniktau is located just east of the Continental Divide in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The mountain's peak is less than a mile south of Interstate 70 and east of the Eisenhower Tunnel. Other large mountains like Grays Peak, Torreys Peak, and Mount Parnassus are all within 5-mile (8 km) of Mount Sniktau. The closest major town is Silver Plume. If you drive from Denver, Mount Sniktau is about an hour away, located within the Arapaho National Forest.
Water flowing from Mount Sniktau first goes into Clear Creek (Colorado). Then, it flows into the South Platte River. Eventually, all the water from the peak reaches the Platte River, the Missouri River, the Mississippi River, and finally, the Gulf of Mexico.
Hiking Mount Sniktau
You can hike to the top of Mount Sniktau! The trail starts right off a parking lot at Loveland Pass on U.S. Highway 6. The trailhead (the start of the trail) is already high up, above the treeline (where trees stop growing), at about 12,000 feet (3,660 m). It climbs to 13,234 feet (4,034 m) at the peak. You don't usually need special mountain climbing gear like ropes to reach the summit. From the same spot at Loveland Pass, you can also hike to Grizzly Peak, a nearby mountain. (Be careful not to confuse it with the taller Grizzly Peak in Chaffee County!)
The hike from Loveland Pass to the peak is about two miles long. However, the first mile is quite steep, gaining over 1,000 feet (300 m) in elevation. Because it's fairly easy to reach by car from cities like Denver, Boulder, and Breckenridge, Mount Sniktau is a very popular spot for hikers.
From the top of Mount Sniktau, hikers can look down at Loveland Pass, which is at 11,990 ft (3,655 m). You can also see nearby Grizzly Peak, Grays Peak, Torreys Peak, and the Gore Range. If you love skiing, you'll be able to spot the ski runs of the nearby Loveland Ski Area. You can also see Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, and Breckenridge ski resorts across the Divide in Summit County.
Mount Sniktau and the Olympics
In May 1970, the International Olympic Committee chose Denver to host the 1976 Winter Olympics. The plan was to use Mount Sniktau as the main place for alpine ski racing, including events like downhill and giant slalom. The slalom event was planned for Loveland Ski Area.
However, by early 1972, organizers decided to move the alpine events to Vail. This was because the plans for Mount Sniktau didn't meet the high standards required for the Olympics. Later that year, in November 1972, people in Colorado voted against using public money for the Olympics. Because of this, the Games were moved to Innsbruck, Austria.
Other Names for Mount Sniktau
Over time, Mount Sniktau has been known by a few different names:
- Big Professor
- Engelmann
- Engelmann Peak
- Mount Sniktau – This became the official name in 1926.
See also
In Spanish: Monte Sniktau para niños
