Nokhu Crags is a

rock formation A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term ''rock formation'' can also refer to specific sediment ...

and

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...

in the

Never Summer Mountains The Never Summer Mountains are a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado in the United States consisting of seventeen named peaks. The range is located along the northwest border of Rocky Mountain National Park, forming t ...

range of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. The name is derived from the

Arapaho language The Arapaho (Arapahoe) language () is one of the Plains Algonquian languages, closely related to Gros Ventre and other Arapahoan languages. It is spoken by the Arapaho of Wyoming and Oklahoma. Speakers of Arapaho primarily live on the Wind River ...

, ''Neaha-no-xhu'', meaning "Eagles Nest." The peak is located in

State Forest State Park State Forest State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Jackson and Larimer counties east of Walden, Colorado, United States. The park was established in 1970 in the Medicine Bow Range of the Rocky Mountains. Facilities include a visitors' ...

, south ( bearing 181°) of Cameron Pass in Jackson County,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The summit lies just northwest of the

Continental Divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...

and

Rocky Mountain National Park Rocky Mountain National Park is an American national park located approximately northwest of Denver in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The park is situated between the towns of Estes Park to the east and ...

, near the headwaters of the

Michigan River The Michigan River is a tributary of the North Platte River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 21, 2011 in north central Colorado in the United S ...

. The peak is prominently visible from State Highway 14 and can be seen throughout the southern North Park basin where it is known also known as "the Crags" or "Sleeping Indian" for its resemblance to the form of a supine chief. To the east lie the shallow basins of Snow Lake and the Michigan or American Lakes; to the north lies a snow filled

couloir A ''couloir'' (, "passage" or "corridor") is a narrow gully with a steep gradient in a mountainous terrain.Whittow, John (1984). ''Dictionary of Physical Geography''. London: Penguin, p. 121. . Geology A couloir may be a seam, scar, or fissu ...

; to the west the mountain descends directly into the deep waters of Lake Agnes; and to the south lie

Static Peak Static Peak () is located in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. Located southeast of Buck Mountain, the summit is also east of the Alaska Basin Trail, from a point known as Static Peak Divide, the summit ...

Mount Richthofen Mount Richthofen is the highest summit of the Never Summer Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent peak is located northwest by west ( bearing 308°) of Milner Pass, Colorado, United States, on the Continental ...

, and the remainder of the Never Summer Mountain Range.

Geology

The rocks of the peak were formed as a sedimentary deposit millions of years ago in an ancient ocean basin. The entire region was subsequently thrust up with the formation of the Medicine Bow Range at the close of the Mesozoic Era. Around 24–29 million years ago, rising magma began to create volcanoes that were the predecessors of the

. The magma cooled into granitic formations and nearby, now vertical, shale metamorphosed into the

hornfels Hornfels is the group name for a set of contact metamorphic rocks that have been baked and hardened by the heat of intrusive igneous masses and have been rendered massive, hard, splintery, and in some cases exceedingly tough and durable. These pro ...

that forms the present day Nokhu Crags. After millions of years of erosion and glaciation, the vertical fin-like form of the Nohku Crags was exposed. Erosion continues to reshape the Crags, as evidenced by the extensive talus field at its base. Today the mountain is a barren, almost treeless form, virtually devoid of vegetation. During the day,

pika A pika ( or ; archaically spelled pica) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal found in Asia and North America. With short limbs, very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the rabbit, but wi ...

and mountain goats may be seen and heard on the steep slopes. In the afternoon light green and orange hues of lichen covering the face of the rocks becomes apparent. In the evening thousands of bats stream from nooks and crannies of the western face. In the winter the Nokhu Crags are covered with deep snow and the flanks are the scene of frequent avalanches. An avalanche in 2013 killed a skier and buried another skier for hours.

Historical names

*Nokhu Crags *Sawtooth Crags

References

External links

Colorado State Forest Geology
{{Protected areas of Colorado Mountains of Colorado Rock formations of Colorado Mountains of Jackson County, Colorado North American 3000 m summits

Geology

Historical names

See also

References

External links