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Schofield Pass, elevation 10,707 ft (3,263 m), is a mountain pass in the Elk Mountains of Colorado. The pass is the high point on Gothic Road, which connects the towns of Marble and Crested Butte. The pass is closed for most of the year due to snow or mud, and is open only for one or two months in late summer.
| Schofield Pass | |
|---|---|
  Schofield Pass Location in Colorado | |
| Elevation | 10,707 ft (3,263 m)[1] |
| Traversed by | Unimproved road |
| Location | Gunnison County, Colorado, U.S. |
| Range | Sawatch Range |
| Coordinates | 39°00′54″N 107°02′48″W / 39.01500°N 107.04667°W[1] |
| Topo map | USGS Snowmass Mountain |
The road over the summit to the townsite of Schofield is suitable for a passenger car with moderate clearance if traveling from Crested Butte; however, between Schofield and the town of Crystal it becomes recommended for Jeeps and ATVs only as it descends into the Devil's Punchbowl Canyon and becomes an exposed, narrow, rocky shelf road. From the northwest, high clearance vehicles can make it from Marble to Crystal via two routes.
The road west of the pass is considered one of the most dangerous in Colorado.[2] In 1970, an over-loaded vehicle ran off the road and into Crystal River, killing 9 of the 12 passengers.[3]
Schofield Pass was named for B. F. Schofield, a silver miner.[4]
Climate edit
| Climate data for Schofield Pass, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1985-2020 extremes: 10700ft (3261m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 63 (17) |
62 (17) |
64 (18) |
66 (19) |
76 (24) |
78 (26) |
90 (32) |
77 (25) |
75 (24) |
67 (19) |
70 (21) |
60 (16) |
90 (32) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 48.0 (8.9) |
47.2 (8.4) |
53.4 (11.9) |
58.4 (14.7) |
65.5 (18.6) |
71.8 (22.1) |
75.3 (24.1) |
71.9 (22.2) |
68.4 (20.2) |
60.6 (15.9) |
53.7 (12.1) |
45.9 (7.7) |
76.0 (24.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.2 (−0.4) |
32.4 (0.2) |
39.9 (4.4) |
45.2 (7.3) |
53.9 (12.2) |
62.4 (16.9) |
67.5 (19.7) |
64.8 (18.2) |
58.1 (14.5) |
47.5 (8.6) |
37.5 (3.1) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
47.5 (8.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.7 (−7.4) |
19.9 (−6.7) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
32.3 (0.2) |
41.0 (5.0) |
49.1 (9.5) |
54.4 (12.4) |
52.6 (11.4) |
46.4 (8.0) |
36.0 (2.2) |
25.8 (−3.4) |
18.3 (−7.6) |
35.1 (1.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 6.3 (−14.3) |
7.3 (−13.7) |
12.8 (−10.7) |
19.4 (−7.0) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
35.6 (2.0) |
41.2 (5.1) |
40.4 (4.7) |
34.6 (1.4) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
13.9 (−10.1) |
6.5 (−14.2) |
22.5 (−5.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −11.3 (−24.1) |
−10.4 (−23.6) |
−5.1 (−20.6) |
4.2 (−15.4) |
14.4 (−9.8) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
35.0 (1.7) |
34.6 (1.4) |
22.8 (−5.1) |
6.6 (−14.1) |
−6.9 (−21.6) |
−13.1 (−25.1) |
−16.6 (−27.0) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) |
−25 (−32) |
−14 (−26) |
−8 (−22) |
2 (−17) |
11 (−12) |
25 (−4) |
25 (−4) |
0 (−18) |
−7 (−22) |
−19 (−28) |
−28 (−33) |
−28 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.63 (143) |
6.21 (158) |
5.39 (137) |
5.31 (135) |
3.27 (83) |
1.39 (35) |
2.19 (56) |
2.47 (63) |
2.88 (73) |
3.54 (90) |
4.65 (118) |
5.12 (130) |
48.05 (1,221) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 75.8 (193) |
90.7 (230) |
98.1 (249) |
91.9 (233) |
74.5 (189) |
26.1 (66) |
4.1 (10) |
3.6 (9.1) |
3.7 (9.4) |
11.8 (30) |
32.5 (83) |
55.7 (141) |
100.3 (255) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 16.2 | 16.3 | 16.6 | 16.8 | 12.5 | 7.1 | 9.1 | 10.1 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 156.2 |
| Source 1: XMACIS2(normals, records & 1997-2020 snow depth)[5] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (precip/precip days)[6] | |||||||||||||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "Schofield Pass". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
- ^ "Schofield Pass – Marble-Crested Butte, CO | Gothic Road".
- ^ UPI (1970-07-09). "9 killed in accident; River searched for three bodies". Golden Transcript. Golden, Colorado. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
- ^ Dziezynski, James (1 August 2012). Best Summit Hikes in Colorado: An Opinionated Guide to 50+ Ascents of Classic and Little-Known Peaks from 8,144 to 14,433 Feet. Wilderness Press. p. 239. ISBN 978-0-89997-713-3.
- ^ "xmACIS2". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ^ "Schofield Pass, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved January 7, 2024.
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