• Source: Pipe Organ (Colorado National Monument)

      • Pipe Organ is a 5,731-foot-elevation (1,747-meter) sandstone pillar located in Colorado National Monument, in Mesa County of western Colorado, United States. This 400+ foot tower is situated in Wedding Canyon, less than one-half mile east of the monument's visitor center, and 9 miles (14 km) west of the community of Grand Junction. It is also immediately northwest of another popular climbing destination, Independence Monument, and both can be seen from viewpoints along Rim Rock Drive. The first ascent of the summit was made January 31, 1961, by John Auld, Gary Ziegler, Jim Dyson, and John Kuglin. Pipe Organ has a subsidiary summit unofficially named Organ Pipe Spire on the east aspect, which the National Park Service refers to as Praying Hands. This 325-foot-high subsidiary peak was originally named Squall Spire in 1976 by Harvey T. Carter of the first ascent party.


      Geology


      This tower is the remnant of a differentially eroded fin composed primarily of cliff-forming Wingate Sandstone, which consists of wind-borne, cross-bedded quartzose sandstones deposited as ancient sand dunes approximately 200 million years ago in the Late Triassic. The thin caprock at the summit consists of fluvial sandstones of the resistant Kayenta Formation. The slope around the base of Pipe Organ is Chinle Formation. The floor of the canyon is Precambrian basement rock consisting of gneiss, schist, and granites. Precipitation runoff from this geographical feature drains to the Colorado River, approximately two miles to the northeast.


      Climate


      According to the Köppen climate classification system, Pipe Organ is located in a semi-arid climate zone. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are cold with some snow. Temperatures reach 100 °F (38 °C) on 5.3 days, 90 °F (32 °C) on 57 days, and remain at or below freezing on 13 days annually. The months April through October offer the most favorable weather to visit.


      Gallery




      Climbing


      Established rock climbing routes on Pipe Organ and Organ Pipe Spire:

      Southeast – class 5.10 C1 – 3 pitches – First Ascent 1961
      Southwest Face – class 5.10+ C2 – 3 pitches
      Organ Pipe Spire – class 5.8+ – 2 pitches
      Sirocco – class 5.9 – FA 1976
      Pipe Dream – class 5.11+ – 5 pitches – FA 2005
      Aces & Eights – class 5.12 C2 – 4 pitches
      Ender's Game – class 5.10 – 3 pitches
      The Weird Fun – class 5.10 – 3 pitches


      See also


      List of rock formations in the United States
      Kissing Couple
      Sentinel Spire


      References




      External links


      Weather forecast: National Weather Service
      Pipe Organ rock climbing: Mountainproject.com
      Pipe Organ photo: USGS

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