Truchas Peaks
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 (13,025 feet or 3,970 meters) has enough topographic prominence (about 624 feet or 190 meters) 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.
Climate
| Climate data for Truchas Peak 35.9683 N, 105.6411 W, Elevation: 12,418 ft (3,785 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 27.8 (−2.3) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
34.0 (1.1) |
39.7 (4.3) |
48.2 (9.0) |
59.6 (15.3) |
62.1 (16.7) |
59.7 (15.4) |
54.6 (12.6) |
45.0 (7.2) |
35.2 (1.8) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
43.5 (6.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.2 (−7.7) |
18.4 (−7.6) |
23.3 (−4.8) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
36.8 (2.7) |
47.1 (8.4) |
50.4 (10.2) |
48.9 (9.4) |
44.0 (6.7) |
34.8 (1.6) |
25.7 (−3.5) |
18.5 (−7.5) |
32.9 (0.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 8.5 (−13.1) |
8.2 (−13.2) |
12.5 (−10.8) |
17.0 (−8.3) |
25.5 (−3.6) |
34.7 (1.5) |
38.8 (3.8) |
38.0 (3.3) |
33.4 (0.8) |
24.7 (−4.1) |
16.2 (−8.8) |
9.0 (−12.8) |
22.2 (−5.4) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.67 (93) |
3.58 (91) |
3.90 (99) |
4.62 (117) |
2.63 (67) |
1.59 (40) |
4.72 (120) |
5.28 (134) |
2.73 (69) |
2.84 (72) |
4.01 (102) |
3.85 (98) |
43.42 (1,102) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Jicarita Peak 36.0515 N, 105.5510 W, Elevation: 12,530 ft (3,820 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 28.7 (−1.8) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
34.1 (1.2) |
39.1 (3.9) |
47.6 (8.7) |
59.0 (15.0) |
61.5 (16.4) |
59.1 (15.1) |
54.1 (12.3) |
44.5 (6.9) |
35.8 (2.1) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
43.5 (6.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 17.8 (−7.9) |
18.0 (−7.8) |
22.6 (−5.2) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
35.9 (2.2) |
46.2 (7.9) |
49.5 (9.7) |
47.9 (8.8) |
43.0 (6.1) |
33.9 (1.1) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
18.3 (−7.6) |
32.1 (0.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 7.0 (−13.9) |
6.7 (−14.1) |
11.2 (−11.6) |
15.7 (−9.1) |
24.2 (−4.3) |
33.5 (0.8) |
37.5 (3.1) |
36.7 (2.6) |
32.0 (0.0) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
14.6 (−9.7) |
7.5 (−13.6) |
20.8 (−6.2) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.59 (91) |
3.41 (87) |
3.73 (95) |
4.06 (103) |
2.28 (58) |
1.87 (47) |
4.97 (126) |
4.91 (125) |
2.42 (61) |
2.80 (71) |
3.79 (96) |
3.63 (92) |
41.46 (1,052) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group | |||||||||||||
See also
- Mountain peaks of North America
- Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains
- Mountain peaks of the United States
- Southern Rocky Mountains
References
- ^ "Truchas". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ "Truchas Peak, New Mexico". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ Harrington, J. P. (1920). "Old Indian Geographical Names around Santa Fe, New Mexico". American Anthropologist. 22 (4): 341–359. doi:10.1525/aa.1920.22.4.02a00050. ISSN 0002-7294. JSTOR 660331.
- ^ "Middle and Medio Truchas Peaks". SummitPost.org. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ "North Truchas Peak, New Mexico". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.
- ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.
External links
- "Truchas Peak". SummitPost.org.
- "Middle Truchas Peak, New Mexico". Peakbagger.com.
- "Medio Truchas Peak, New Mexico". Peakbagger.com.