page:  = Mount <unk> = 
   
   Mount <unk> is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the highest point in the U.S. state of Colorado and the entire Mississippi River drainage basin . The ultra @-@ prominent 14 @,@ 440 @-@ foot ( <unk> @.@ 2 m ) <unk> is the highest peak in the <unk> Range and the second @-@ highest summit in the contiguous United States after Mount Whitney . Mount <unk> is located in San Isabel National Forest , 12 @.@ 1 miles ( 19 @.@ 4 km ) southwest ( bearing 223 ° ) of the City of <unk> in Lake County , Colorado . 
   The mountain was named in honor of Colorado statesman Samuel <unk> <unk> , who was active in the formative period of the state and Governor of the Territory of Colorado from 1873 to 1874 . Henry W. <unk> of the <unk> Survey was the first to record an ascent of the peak , in 1874 . The <unk> and most popular climbing routes are categorized as Class 1 to 2 or A + in <unk> <unk> . Mount <unk> is therefore often referred to as the " gentle giant " that tops all others in the Rocky Mountains . 
   
   = = Geography = = 
   
   Mount <unk> is visible to the southwest of <unk> , often snow @-@ capped even in the summer . Many other <unk> surround <unk> in all directions , and it is very close to central Colorado 's Collegiate <unk> . The neighboring Mount Massive , to the north , is the second @-@ highest peak in the Rocky Mountains and the third @-@ highest in the contiguous United States , and La Plata Peak , to the south , is the fifth @-@ highest in the Rockies . The community of Twin Lakes lies at the base of Mount <unk> , Denver is about 130 miles ( <unk> km ) to the east , <unk> is 50 miles ( 80 km ) to the north , and <unk> is 40 miles ( 64 km ) to the west . <unk> , about 16 miles ( 26 km ) to the northeast , is the nearest large town . <unk> 's parent peak is Mount Whitney in California . Including Alaska and Hawaii , Mount <unk> is the fourteenth @-@ highest mountain in the United States . 
   Weather conditions often change rapidly , and afternoon thunderstorms are common in the <unk> ; <unk> and snow are possible year @-@ round . An electrical storm on the mountain 's summit was considered remarkable enough to be reported in the July 1894 issue of Science . 
   
   = = Geology = = 
   
   Mount <unk> is part of the <unk> Range , an <unk> of the Laramide <unk> which separated from the Mosquito Range to the east around 28 million years ago . The tops of this range were heavily <unk> , leaving behind characteristic summit features and other such clues . For example , the base of <unk> on the eastern side exhibits large igneous and <unk> rocks deposited when the glaciers <unk> , which lie on a lateral <unk> . Further up the eastern side there is a large <unk> with a small <unk> . There are also lakes to both the north and south , <unk> and Twin Lakes respectively ; the Twin Lakes are a result of the natural dam of end moraines , and <unk> Lake was created by the <unk> Sugar <unk> Dam . 
   Mount <unk> is composed largely of <unk> . However , the summit ridge consists of <unk> basement rock , which is Pre @-@ <unk> in origin and about 1 @.@ 7 billion years old . There are various igneous <unk> including <unk> , as well as " bands " of <unk> and <unk> . Unlike mountains of similar altitude elsewhere , <unk> lacks both a permanent <unk> and a prominent north @-@ facing <unk> , which can be attributed to its position amongst other mountains of similar height , causing it to receive relatively small quantities of precipitation . 
   
   = = History = = 
   
   Mount <unk> was named by miners in honor of Samuel <unk> <unk> , the governor of the then @-@ Territory of Colorado , because he brokered a treaty in September 1873 with the <unk> tribe that opened up more than 3 @,@ 000 @,@ 000 acres ( 12 @,@ 000 km2 ) of reservation land to mining and railroad activity . The first recorded ascent of the peak was by <unk> <unk> in 1874 , who was surveying the mountain as part of the <unk> Survey . 
   Originally measured as 14 @,@ <unk> feet ( 4 @,@ <unk> m ) in height , Mount <unk> 's elevation was later adjusted to 14 @,@ 440 feet ( 4 @,@ 400 m ) following a re @-@ evaluation of mapped elevations , which sparked protests . The actual change was made in 1988 as a result of the North American <unk> <unk> of 1988 ; it seems the original measurement resulted from the Sea Level <unk> of 1929 . A matter of some contention arose after the Great Depression over the heights of <unk> and its neighbor , Mount Massive , which differ in elevation by only 12 feet ( 3 @.@ 7 m ) . This led to an ongoing dispute that came to a head with the Mount Massive supporters building large piles of stones on the summit to boost its height , only to have the Mount <unk> proponents <unk> them . The effort was ultimately unsuccessful and Mount <unk> has remained the highest peak in Colorado . The first <unk> ascent of <unk> occurred in 1949 , when a Jeep was driven to the summit , apparently to judge suitability for skiing development . 
   
   = = Flora and fauna = = 
   
   The summit of Mount <unk> is an alpine environment , featuring plants such as <unk> <unk> ( sky @-@ pilot ) , <unk> <unk> ( old @-@ man @-@ of @-@ the @-@ mountain ) , and <unk> <unk> ( alpine <unk> ) . Also noted are <unk> <unk> var. <unk> , <unk> <unk> , <unk> <unk> , <unk> <unk> , <unk> <unk> , <unk> album , <unk> <unk> var. <unk> , and <unk> <unk> . Below <unk> the mountain is heavily forested , with the lower slopes covered with a mixture of lodgepole pine , spruce , <unk> and fir . 
   Some of the fauna reported on the climb to the summit include black bears , <unk> , mule deer , <unk> , and pocket <unk> ; there are also many species of <unk> . Elk , grouse , turkey and <unk> sheep are present in the area during the summer . 
   
   = = <unk> = = 
   
   There are three main routes which ascend the mountain , all of which gain over 4 @,@ 100 feet ( 1 @,@ 200 m ) of elevation . The standard route <unk> the peak from the east , starting from the Colorado Trail just north of Twin Lakes . The 4 @.@ 6 miles ( 7 @.@ 4 km ) long North ( Main ) <unk> Trail begins close to the <unk> Creek <unk> , and gains about 4 @,@ 500 feet ( 1 @,@ 400 m ) . The trail is open to <unk> , mountain <unk> and hunters during season . An easier , but longer route , the South <unk> Trail , is 5 @.@ 5 miles ( 8 @.@ 9 km ) long , climbing 4 @,@ 600 feet ( 1 @,@ 400 m ) at a less @-@ punishing gradient than the North <unk> Trail , approaching from the south and then climbing the eastern ridge . 
   The most difficult of the main routes is the Black Cloud Trail , a Class 2 climb that takes ten to fourteen hours depending on pace , gains 5 @,@ 300 feet ( 1 @,@ 600 m ) in elevation , and also involves an ascent of the sub @-@ peak , South <unk> , at 14 @,@ 134 feet ( 4 @,@ 308 m ) . Even healthy and experienced <unk> report great difficulty on this route , and despite the fact that there is a trail , the route is extremely steep , unstable , and rocky in places . The elevation gain is not evenly distributed over the 5 @.@ 5 @-@ mile ascent . There are also routes approaching from the western face , and southwestern ridge , from South <unk> Creek <unk> and Echo Canyon <unk> respectively . 
   Although strenuous and requiring physical fitness , none of the conventional routes require specialist <unk> skills or technical rock climbing . The main dangers of the mountain are those common to all high mountains , particularly altitude sickness . This can affect anyone , even those who are <unk> . In serious cases , it can lead to high @-@ altitude pulmonary <unk> and <unk> <unk> , which can lead to difficulties with breathing , <unk> , and death . <unk> are advised to begin their ascent at or before 6 a.m. and to summit and descend before early afternoon to minimize exposure to possible afternoon thunderstorms while at high altitudes . Although the most conventional form of ascent is by hiking , Anna Elizabeth Dickinson , the <unk> , ascended the mountain on a mule borrowed from the U.S. government . 
   
   