The Sentinel (Zion National Park)

Last updated
The Sentinel
The Sentinel, Zion.jpg
The Sentinel, northeast aspect, May 2017
Highest point
Elevation 7,120 ft (2,170 m) [1]
Prominence 400 ft (120 m) [1]
Parent peak The East Temple [1]
Isolation 0.81 mi (1.30 km) [2]
Coordinates 37°13′53″N112°58′51″W / 37.23136°N 112.980779°W / 37.23136; -112.980779 Coordinates: 37°13′53″N112°58′51″W / 37.23136°N 112.980779°W / 37.23136; -112.980779 [1]
Geography
USA Utah relief location map.svg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
The Sentinel
Location in Utah
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
The Sentinel
The Sentinel (the United States)
Location Zion National Park
Washington County, Utah
United States
Parent range Colorado Plateau
Topo map USGS Springdale East
Geology
Age of rock Jurassic
Type of rock Navajo sandstone
Climbing
First ascent 1938 Bob Brinton, Glen Dawson
Easiest route class 5 climbing

The Sentinel is a 7,120+ ft (2,170+ m) elevation Navajo Sandstone summit located near the Court of the Patriarchs in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States, that is part of the Towers of the Virgin. [3] The national park map lists the elevation as 7,157-feet.

Contents

Description

The Sentinel is located 1.5 mi (2.4 km) north of Zion's park headquarters, towering 3,000 feet (910 m) above the park road and the floor of Zion Canyon. It is set alongside the North Fork of the Virgin River which drains precipitation runoff from this mountain. Its neighbors include Bee Hive, Mount Spry, The East Temple, Mount Moroni, Mountain of the Sun, Twin Brothers, and the Three Patriarchs. This feature's name was officially adopted in 1934 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. [3] In 1995, a landslide at the base of The Sentinel dammed the Virgin River and washed out a section of the park road. The Sentinel was once much bigger before a huge rock avalanche fell from it, when 4,800 years ago the Sentinel Slide with a volume of 286 million cubic meters {10.1 billion cubic feet) dammed the river, thereby creating Sentinel Lake which existed for 700 years and filled with sediments, creating Zion's flat valley. [4] [5]

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit The Sentinel. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below 32 °F (0 °C), and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

Geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area Geology of Zion National Park in Utah

The geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area includes nine known exposed formations, all visible in Zion National Park in the U.S. state of Utah. Together, these formations represent about 150 million years of mostly Mesozoic-aged sedimentation in that part of North America. Part of a super-sequence of rock units called the Grand Staircase, the formations exposed in the Zion and Kolob area were deposited in several different environments that range from the warm shallow seas of the Kaibab and Moenkopi formations, streams and lakes of the Chinle, Moenave, and Kayenta formations to the large deserts of the Navajo and Temple Cap formations and dry near shore environments of the Carmel Formation.

Court of the Patriarchs

The Court of the Patriarchs' is a sandstone cliff on the south face of the Three Patriarchs in Zion Canyon in Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States.

Bee Hive (peak)

Bee Hive is a 6,904 feet (2,104 m) Navajo Sandstone mountain in Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States, that is part of the Towers of the Virgin.

Mount Spry

Mount Spry is a small 5,720-ft elevation mountain summit made of Navajo Sandstone located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States. Officially named in 1934, it honors William Spry (1864-1929), the third governor of Utah. The nearest higher peak is The East Temple, 0.34 miles (0.55 km) to the east. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the North Fork Virgin River.

The Watchman (Utah)

The Watchman is a 6,545-foot (1,995 m) sandstone mountain summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States.

Mount Moroni

Mount Moroni is a 5,690-foot (1,730 m) elevation Navajo Sandstone summit located at the Court of the Patriarchs in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States.

Cathedral Mountain (Zion National Park)

Cathedral Mountain is a 6,930-foot (2,110 m) elevation Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States.

Altar of Sacrifice

Altar of Sacrifice is a 7,505-foot (2,288 m) Navajo Sandstone mountain in Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States, that is part of the Towers of the Virgin.

Mountain of the Sun

Mountain of the Sun is a 6,722-foot (2,049 m) elevation Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States. Mountain of the Sun is situated immediately east of Court of the Patriarchs, and south of Zion Lodge, towering 2,500-feet above the lodge and the floor of Zion Canyon. It is set on the east side of the North Fork of the Virgin River which drains precipitation runoff from this mountain. Its neighbors include The Sentinel, Mount Spry, The East Temple, and Mount Moroni. This feature's name was officially adopted in 1934 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

Lady Mountain

Lady Mountain is a 6,945-foot (2,117 m) elevation Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States.

Red Arch Mountain

Red Arch Mountain is a 5,930-foot (1,810 m) elevation Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States.

Twin Brothers

Twin Brothers is a 6,863-foot (2,092 m) Navajo Sandstone mountain in Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States.

Checkerboard Mesa

Checkerboard Mesa is an iconic 6,520+ ft elevation Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Kane County of southwest Utah, United States. Checkerboard Mesa is situated immediately southwest of the park's east entrance, towering 900-feet above the Zion – Mount Carmel Highway. Its nearest neighbor is Crazy Quilt Mesa, one-half mile immediately west, and separated by Checkerboard Mesa Canyon. This canyon holds pools of rainwater which provide a vital source of water for resident bighorn sheep. This feature's name was officially adopted in 1935 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The descriptive name stems from the cliff's distinctive multitudinous check lines in cross-bedded white sandstone which give the impression of a checkerboard. The horizontal lines are caused by cross-bedding, a remnant of ancient sand dunes. The vertical and sub-vertical lines formed by the contraction and expansion of the sandstone caused by temperature changes, freezing and thawing cycles, in combination with wetting and drying. This peak was originally named Checkerboard Mountain by the park's third superintendent, Preston P. Patraw. Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains into tributaries of the Virgin River.

The Sundial (Zion National Park)

The Sundial is a 7,590-foot elevation white Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States.

Meridian Tower (Zion National Park)

Meridian Tower is a 7,340-foot (2,240 m) Navajo Sandstone mountain in Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States, that is part of the Towers of the Virgin

Three Marys (Zion National Park)

Three Marys are three sandstone pillars in Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States.

The Witch Head

The Witch Head is a 7,340-foot (2,240 m) white Navajo Sandstone mountain in Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States, that is part of the Towers of the Virgin.

Crazy Quilt Mesa

Crazy Quilt Mesa is a 6,760 ft (2,060 m) elevation white Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Kane County of southwest Utah, United States.

Three Patriarchs

The Three Patriarchs is a set of three sandstone monoliths on the west side of Zion Canyon in Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States. The three main peaks were named by Frederick Fisher in 1916 for the biblical figures Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Court of the Patriarchs is the cliff that runs along the south face of the Three Partiarchs.

Towers of the Virgin (Zion National Park)

The Towers of the Virgin is a series of several lofty sandstone monoliths on the west side of Zion Canyon in Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The Sentinel, Utah". Peakbagger.com.
  2. ↑ "Sentinel, The - 7,160' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  3. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: The Sentinel
  4. ↑ https://unews.utah.edu/how-a-huge-landslide-shaped-zion-national-park/
  5. ↑ James Kaiser, Zion: The Complete Guide, 1st Edition, 2019, Destination Press, ISBN   978-1940754-40-6
  6. ↑ "Zion National Park, Utah, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
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