Columbia Point is a high mountain summit of the Crestones in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America . The 13,986-foot (4,263 m) thirteener is located 5.5 miles (8.8 km) east by south ( bearing 102°) of the Town of Crestone in Saguache County , Colorado , United States . The Crestones are a cluster of high summits in the Sangre de Cristo Range, comprising Crestone Peak , Crestone Needle , Kit Carson Peak , Challenger Point , Humboldt Peak , and Columbia Point.
16-464: Columbia Point is subpeak of Kit Carson Mountain . It was known informally as Kat Carson, but was officially named Columbia Point in 2003 to honor the seven astronauts who died when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry on February 1, 2003. With a topographic prominence over 300 ft (91 m), it qualifies as a separate summit under the standard cutoff, but it is not
32-465: A high elevation trailhead; however this road will be closed halfway up on October 13, 2009.) This route starts by using part of the trail for Humboldt Peak , and then traverses a ridge and plateau toward Kit Carson. A sub-peak named Columbia Point (informally known as "Kat Carson") is climbed on the way to the main summit. Kit Carson does not have any glaciers but it does have a semi-permanent ice patch on its rugged north face, which rarely melts even in
48-543: A well-known peak. The USGS Board of Geographic Names approved the name of Columbia Point in June, 2003. On the weekend of August 7, 2003, a group consisting of family members, astronauts, friends and climbers installed a memorial plaque on the summit. The trip included a dedication service for the memorial, and an F16 flyby in missing man formation . Today, we name a point in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Colorado in honor of
64-660: Is a high mountain summit of the Crestones in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America . Officially designated Kit Carson Mountain , the 14,165.2-foot (4,318 m) fourteener is located 5.2 miles (8.4 km) ESE ( bearing 102°) of the Town of Crestone in Saguache County , Colorado , United States . The name Kit Carson Mountain is used for both
80-474: Is on the northwest shoulder of Kit Carson Mountain , and is a subpeak of the latter. It was renamed in memory of the seven astronauts who died when the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated shortly after liftoff on January 28, 1986. The proposal to name the summit Challenger Point was made by Colorado Springs resident Dennis Williams in 1986. The USGS Board of Geographic Names approved
96-677: The Nature Conservancy announced the signing of a $ 31 million purchase agreement for the Baca Ranch . The purchase significantly expanded the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in 2004. As part of that complex transaction Kit Carson Mountain was transferred to the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness within the Rio Grande National Forest . Kit Carson Mountain features complex terrain that has misled climbers in
112-480: The massif with three summits ( Columbia Point , Kit Carson Peak and Challenger Point ), or to describe the main summit only. The mountain is named in honor of frontiersman Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson . The Crestones are a cluster of high summits in the Sangre de Cristo Range, comprising Crestone Peak , Crestone Needle , Kit Carson Peak, Challenger Point , Humboldt Peak , and Columbia Point . They are usually accessed from common trailheads. In January 2002,
128-451: The Civil War. Incidentally, local residents for decades had called the mountain "Crestone Peak" (the official name of a neighboring peak), and never called it by "that other name". One popular route on Kit Carson Mountain climbs from the west side of the range, starting at Willow Creek Trailhead (elevation: 8,900 ft or 2,700 m). This route first climbs Challenger Point , just to
144-481: The Space Shuttle Columbia. Seven brave astronauts perished during her final mission on February 1, 2003. Columbia Point is an appropriate honor for this shuttle's last voyage. Those who explore space in the days ahead may gaze back at Earth - and know that Columbia Point is there to commend a noble mission. The point looks up to the heavens and it allows us, once again, to thank our heroes who soared far beyond
160-522: The application on April 9, 1987. Local climber Alan Silverstein organized and led an expedition on the weekend of July 18, 1987 to place a 6 by 12 inches (15 by 30 cm) memorial plaque on the summit. The plaque reads: CHALLENGER POINT, 14080+' In Memory of the Crew of Shuttle Challenger Seven who died accepting the risk, expanding Mankind's horizons January 28, 1986 Ad Astra Per Aspera The Latin phrase " Ad Astra Per Aspera " translates as "To
176-431: The area, and thus not as quickly available to respond. Challenger Point Challenger Point is a high mountain summit of the Crestones in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America . The 14,087-foot (4,294 m) fourteener is located 5.0 miles (8.1 km) east by south ( bearing 102°) of the Town of Crestone in Saguache County , Colorado , United States . The summit
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#1732847799344192-408: The couloir looks like a short cut down, and starts off gently enough, it leads to ice fields, and on the edges it quickly becomes cliffed-out, with patches of scree and loose rock, ending in sheer and highly technical terrain. Search and Rescue teams regularly recover bodies from the bottom of the couloir. Bodies that do not make it to the bottom require highly specialized technical teams, not local to
208-408: The driest years (such as 2002 and 2006). During the summer Kit Carson and the neighboring peaks are hit with a diurnal cycle of thunder storms, which often form within a short time period; lightning occurs almost daily and has killed climbers as recently as 2003. Fatalities also occur because climbers make the mistake of descending the couloir (gulley) between the summit and Challenger Point. Though
224-492: The mountain, traveled past the sky -- and live on in our memories forever. The plaque reads: In Memory of the Crew of Shuttle Columbia Seven who died accepting the risk, Expanding humankind's horizons February 1, 2003 "Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on." Kit Carson Mountain Kit Carson Peak
240-586: The past, contributing to deaths in the summer of 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2019. In 2011, the United States Board on Geographic Names considered a proposal to rename the peak Mount Crestone, voting unanimously against it due to the potential confusion with nearby Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle . The proposal had been put forward because Carson had led an 1863-64 campaign to remove Navajo Indians , who had increased raiding of settlements in New Mexico during
256-492: The west of Kit Carson. Climbing from the saddle between Challenger Point to Kit Carson peak involves crossing a path commonly called 'Kit Carson Avenue'. Total elevation gain for this route is 6,250 ft (1,905 m), in a 14 miles (23 km) round-trip. Kit Carson can also be reached from the east side of the Sangre de Cristos via the South Colony Lakes access. (A four-wheel drive road currently provides relatively
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