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22-468: The name of the mountains may refer to the occasional reddish hues observed during sunrise and sunset, and when alpenglow occurs, especially when the mountains are covered with snow. Although the particular origin of the name is unclear, it has been in use since the early 19th century. Before that time the terms "La Sierra Nevada", "La Sierra Madre", "La Sierra", and "The Snowies" (used by English speakers) were used. According to legend, "sangre de Cristo" were

44-665: A National Natural Landmark in 1976 as one of the best known examples of igneous dikes . The mountains can be seen from as far as 133 mi (214 km) to the north from Colorado Springs , 65 mi (105 km) to the south from Raton, New Mexico , and 85 mi (137 km) to the east from La Junta, Colorado . The Culebra Range runs almost due north and south, with its northern limit at La Veta Pass in Colorado, and its southern limit at Costilla Creek , just south of Big Costilla Peak in New Mexico. Its highest point

66-682: A high ridge separating the San Luis Valley on the west from the watershed of the Arkansas River on the east. The Crestones are a group of four 14,000 feet (4,000 m)+ peaks ( fourteeners ) in the Sangre de Cristo Range above Crestone, Colorado . The Spanish Peaks are a pair of mountains, West Spanish Peak , 13,626 ft (4,153 m), and East Spanish Peak , 12,860 ft (3,920 m), located in southwestern Huerfano County , Colorado . The Spanish Peaks were designated

88-671: A rich agricultural history and has been the scene of land disputes between the descendants of Hispanic settlers and Anglo ranchers since the 1860s. The Taos Mountains span the western lobe of the range from Costilla Creek in the north, to Tres Ritos in the south. They include the highest point in New Mexico, Wheeler Peak , at 13,161 feet (4,011 m), which is part of the Wheeler Peak Wilderness . Other notable peaks include Pueblo Peak, which at 12,305 feet (3,751 m) rises dramatically above Taos Pueblo , and Latir Peak , at 12,708 feet (3,873 m). Williams Lake

110-561: Is Culebra Peak at 14,047 ft (4,282 m), which is notable for being the only fourteener in Colorado on private land with an access fee. Climbers wishing to ascend Culebra must pay a fee (currently US$ 150 per person), and the number of climbers per year is limited. It is also the most southerly fourteener in the U.S. Rockies. Standing to the east of the main crest are the two prominent Spanish Peaks (West: 13,626 ft (4,153 m), East: 12,860 ft (3,920 m)). These peaks were important landmarks for 19th century travelers on

132-438: Is an older (24.59 +/- 0.13 Ma) quartz syenite. East Spanish Peak (23.36 +/- 0.18 Ma) is composed of a granodiorite porphyry surrounded by a more aerially-extensive exposure of granite porphyry. The granite porphyry represents the evolved upper portion of the magma chamber while the interior granodiorite porphyry is exposed by erosion at the summit. The Spanish Peaks were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1976 as two of

154-558: Is located below Wheeler Peak in the Wheeler Peak Wilderness. Taos Ski Valley lies just to the west of Wheeler Peak. Much of the central portion of the Taos Mountains is on Taos Pueblo land. As viewed from Taos , they are locally called "Taos Mountain." The southern portion of the Taos Mountains, between Palo Flechado Pass and Tres Ritos ( U.S. Route 64 and NM Route 518), is lower and less dramatic than

176-511: Is only visible after sunset or before sunrise. After sunset, if mountains are absent, aerosols in the eastern sky can be illuminated in a similar way by the remaining scattered reddish light above the fringe of Earth's shadow . This backscattered light produces a pinkish band opposite of the Sun's direction, called the Belt of Venus . Alpenglow in a looser sense may refer to any illumination by

198-539: The Cenozoic Laramide orogeny . They are bounded on the west by the Rio Grande rift and on the east by a series of reverse and thrust faults . Vertical displacement along the faults is at least 4,200 metres (13,800 ft), and gravity measurements suggest the uplift has been thrust eastward great distances. This faulting places Precambrian basement rock in contact with sedimentary strata along

220-727: The Culebra Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains . Both of the Spanish Peaks are higher than any point in the United States farther east. The Spanish Peaks are situated 100 miles (160 km) due south of Colorado Springs . The Spanish Peaks were formed by two separate shallow (or hypabyssal ) igneous intrusions during the Late- Oligocene epoch of the Paleogene Period. West Spanish Peak

242-466: The Pecos River . The peaks include Truchas Peak , 13,102 ft (3,993 m), as their highest point. Other notable peaks are Santa Fe Baldy (12,622 ft (3,847 m)) and Jicarita Peak (12,835 ft (3,912 m)). The Pecos Wilderness is crossed by many trails and is popular for backpacking and for fishing in its high alpine lakes. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains were uplifted during

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264-566: The Sangre de Cristo Wilderness in Colorado and the Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico, as well as some smaller wilderness areas, such as Latir Peak Wilderness . The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve lies on the southwest side of the mountains in Colorado and are managed by the National Park Service. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are divided into various subranges, described here from north to south. Use of

286-417: The atmosphere after sunset or before sunrise . This diffuse illumination creates soft shadows in addition to the reddish color. The term is also used informally to include direct illumination by the reddish light of the rising or setting sun, with sharply defined shadows. When the Sun is below the horizon, sunlight has no direct path to reach a mountain. Unlike the direct sunlight around sunrise or sunset,

308-626: The best known examples of igneous dikes . They were an important landmark on the Santa Fe Trail , the first sighting of the Rocky Mountains for travelers on the trail. The mountains can be seen as far north as Colorado Springs (102 miles [164 km]), points south to Raton, New Mexico (65 miles [105 km]), and points on the Great Plains east of Trinidad (up to 100 miles [160 km]). A classic book about travel to

330-606: The east side of the Cimarron Range. This is a minor subrange, significantly lower than the rest of the Sangre de Cristos; it lies east of the southernmost portion of the Taos Mountains. Rounding out the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the Santa Fe Mountains, which include all peaks south of NM Route 518. This group lies near Santa Fe and surrounds the Pecos Wilderness , which protects the source watershed of

352-534: The eastern margin of the uplift except where igneous rocks have been intruded along the fault. Alpenglow Alpenglow (from German : Alpenglühen , lit.   'Alps glow'; Italian : enrosadira ) is an optical phenomenon that appears as a horizontal reddish glow near the horizon opposite to the Sun when the solar disk is just below the horizon. Strictly speaking, alpenglow refers to indirect sunlight reflected or diffracted by

374-627: The last words of a priest who was killed by Native Americans. Much of the mountains are within various National Forests: the Rio Grande and San Isabel in Colorado, and the Carson and Santa Fe in New Mexico. These publicly accessible areas are managed by the United States Forest Service and are popular for hunting , camping , hiking , mountain biking , backpacking , climbing , and cross-country and downhill skiing . The mountains include two large wilderness areas ,

396-410: The light that causes alpenglow is reflected off airborne precipitation , ice crystals , or particulates in the lower atmosphere. These conditions differentiate between direct sunlight around sunrise or sunset and alpenglow. The term is generally confused to be any sunrise or sunset light reflected off the mountains or clouds, but alpenglow in the strict sense of the word is not direct sunlight and

418-491: The mountain branch of the Santa Fe Trail . The western slope of the Culebras and the San Luis Valley are located within the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant , dating back to the 1840s but still a factor in the pattern of land ownership within the grant. The San Luis Valley is arid. The town of San Luis, Colorado has an annual precipitation of only 9.6 inches (240 mm).The surrounding area, traversed by Culebra Creek , has

440-470: The northern section, with its high point being Cerro Vista, 11,939 ft (3,639 m). The Fernando Mountains are a small subrange lying in this section, just south of US Route 64. The Cimarron Range lies across the Moreno Valley to the east of the Taos Mountains. It is a lower range, with its highest point being Baldy Mountain at 12,441 ft (3,792 m). The Philmont Scout Ranch lies on

462-709: The rosy or reddish light of the setting or rising Sun. This article about atmospheric science is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This optics -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Spanish Peaks The Spanish Peaks are a pair of prominent mountains located in southwestern Huerfano County , Colorado . The Comanche people call them Huajatolla ( / w ɑː h ɑː ˈ t ɔɪ ə / wah-hah- TOY -ə ) or Wa-ha-toy-yah meaning "double mountain" The two peaks, East Spanish Peak at elevation 12,688 feet (3,867 m) and West Spanish Peak at elevation 13,631 feet (4,155 m), are east of, and separate from,

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484-548: The terms "Sangre de Cristo Range" and "Sangre de Cristo Mountains" is inconsistent and may refer to the northernmost subrange, the southernmost subrange, or the mountains as a whole. The Sangre de Cristo Range, the largest and most northerly subrange of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, runs directly along the east side of the Rio Grande rift , extending southeast from Poncha Pass for about 75 miles (120 km) through south-central Colorado to La Veta Pass , approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Walsenburg . They form

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