Sunlight Spire Poll

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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Would it be nice to have Sunlight Spire be considered a 14'er?

Yes! It would be nice if one of the 14'ers required technical climbing, and make completion of the 14ers more meaningful!
89
23%
Yes, because if some list include North Maroon and El Diente, Sunlight should be included.
56
15%
No, because it would make climbing the 14'ers too hard for most people.
23
6%
No, because the 300 feet rule should be set in stone, and eliminates other peaks such as North Maroon and El Diente as well.
94
24%
I really don't care either way.
124
32%
 
Total votes: 386
TomPierce
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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by TomPierce »

There's a fair bit of Spire information, gear sizes, etc. on mountainproject.com.

-Tom
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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by onebyone »

All I know is that you would not want that thing ranked. Pretty much guarantee it will end up bolted, gear all over the place. .1% care about that spire currently. Make it #59, well, whole different ball game.
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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by bergsteigen »

I’m just sad my trad mentors climbed the Spire without giving me enough notice. I was quite literally driving home from the SJ’s as I got the text that they were packing in for it. Didn’t have my kit with me!

But yes, if it was ranked it would be the new ABS, while the traffic on it for those that had to finish would multiply, and so would the injuries and rescues.
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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by eskermo »

CheapCigarMan wrote: Sat Mar 06, 2021 9:55 am
To agree with a couple of other folks on here. The Spire is a high point / bump on a ridge. What makes the Spire be considered a 14'er or mountain, when there are so many other high points / bumps out there? Because it simply looks cool? Challenging? Just the thought of "What if it were a 14'er!" I probably answered my own question but maybe there's another, more technical answer?
I believe it is due to the same reason Cameron, North Maroon, El Diente and North Eoulus are 14ers - they are named summits on USGS Topographic Quad maps. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but that is the one and only criteria that qualifies those four peaks, as well as other lower peaks that do not meet the 300' rule, to be included in peak lists.
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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by CheapCigarMan »

eskermo wrote: Sat Mar 06, 2021 4:23 pm
CheapCigarMan wrote: Sat Mar 06, 2021 9:55 am
To agree with a couple of other folks on here. The Spire is a high point / bump on a ridge. What makes the Spire be considered a 14'er or mountain, when there are so many other high points / bumps out there? Because it simply looks cool? Challenging? Just the thought of "What if it were a 14'er!" I probably answered my own question but maybe there's another, more technical answer?
I believe it is due to the same reason Cameron, North Maroon, El Diente and North Eoulus are 14ers - they are named summits on USGS Topographic Quad maps. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but that is the one and only criteria that qualifies those four peaks, as well as other lower peaks that do not meet the 300' rule, to be included in peak lists.
That's interesting. Do you know what the criteria is for the USGS Topo Quad maps? What was their criteria to make it on their maps?
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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by Salient »

eskermo wrote: Sat Mar 06, 2021 4:23 pm
CheapCigarMan wrote: Sat Mar 06, 2021 9:55 am
To agree with a couple of other folks on here. The Spire is a high point / bump on a ridge. What makes the Spire be considered a 14'er or mountain, when there are so many other high points / bumps out there? Because it simply looks cool? Challenging? Just the thought of "What if it were a 14'er!" I probably answered my own question but maybe there's another, more technical answer?
I believe it is due to the same reason Cameron, North Maroon, El Diente and North Eoulus are 14ers - they are named summits on USGS Topographic Quad maps. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but that is the one and only criteria that qualifies those four peaks, as well as other lower peaks that do not meet the 300' rule, to be included in peak lists.
This reply leaves me in a bit of a conondrum with how to reply.
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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by DaveLanders »

Sunlight Spire is not officially named. Names are on the USGS quads if they are official names determined by the US Board of Geographic Names. Since the current policy is to not give new names to unnamed peaks in wilderness areas, Sunlight Spire is unlikely to be officially named anytime soon. The recent naming of Fowler and Boskoff peaks is a rare exception to this policy
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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by CheapCigarMan »

Making a couple of edits.

USGS classifies Sunlight as a Summit and gives it an elevation of 14,055' - my mistake. This was Sunlight Peak not Spire. :justkillme:

Lists Pyramid Peak as the highest 13'er at 13,993'
Mentions Gannett Peak (not official) at 14,413' - Apparently this seems to be the same summit as Mt. Massive and was almost named Gannett Peak. However, the coordinates aren't exactly the same.

Disclaims elevations are from the National Elevation Dataset
Naming of summits seems to be based on public opinion, mostly but not always.

https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=138:2:::NO:RP::
Last edited by CheapCigarMan on Mon Mar 08, 2021 11:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Monte Meals
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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by Monte Meals »

Unless I'm mistaken,

Most listed 14ers have a recognized ski decent.

I'm looking forward to that first ski trip report :-D
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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by nunns »

Monte Meals wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 6:16 pm Unless I'm mistaken,

Most listed 14ers have a recognized ski decent.

I'm looking forward to that first ski trip report :-D
Give Dr. Jon a chance OK?

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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by nunns »

justiner wrote: Sat Mar 06, 2021 11:54 am
jrs1965 wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 5:32 pm
justiner wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 10:21 am He also went through the proper channels to do so - and did a 1 for 1 replacement and he drilled it in by hand!. There's absolutely nothing weird or controversial about it, it was a nice community gesture.
I'm hoping to maybe do the Spire this summer. Most likely as an aid climb. Do you have any beta on this bolt Justiner? I assume it's at the top for a rap?
Yeah, it's at the top anchor to rap off of. I wanna say there was a small, older bolt that was removed and a newer one put in its place. There's some fixed gear in there as well. I'm sure it's fine for rapping off of. As an aid climb, it would go totally clean. If you can get a list of the exact sizes you needed, I bet you could bring a very minimal kit with you, so you don't have to hump up a whole big wall kit. The crack looks really bomber, so you could probably aid solo it with a lot of confidence. Sorry I don't have those sizes. I'd be interested in doing the crack as a free climb, if we can do it sub-24 :lol: If it's IC grades, it's not out of the realm of mediocre climber abilities.
I claim no personal experience (way beyond me), but I do believe there is at least one trip report on here that has a list of the "pro" that was used to climb The Spire.

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Re: Sunlight Spire Poll

Post by Hiking_TheRockies »

tbh, I think that it would be cool for the spire to be considered a 14er, but im sure a lot of people would avoid it, because it would not be a real 14er due to the 300-foot saddle rule.
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