Editing Crestones

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{{Infobox mountain
 | name          = Crestones
 | photo         = Crestone peaks fall.jpg
 | photo_size    = 
 | photo_caption = Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle seen from the south
 | etymology     = 
 | country       = [[United States]]
 | subdivision1_type = State
 | subdivision1  = [[Colorado]]
 | parent        = [[Sangre de Cristo Range]]
 | geology       = 
 | orogeny       = 
 | area_mi2      =  | area_ref      = 
 | length_mi     =  | length_ref    = 
 | length_orientation= 
 | width_mi      =  | width_ref     = 
 | width_orientation = 
 | highest       = [[Crestone Peak]]
 | elevation     = {{convert|14300|ft|m|0}}
 | elevation_ref = <ref name=otm>{{cite opentopomap|Crestone Peak|37.966667|-105.585287|2023-01-02}}</ref>
 | coordinates   = {{coord|37.9666665|N|105.5852865|W|type:mountain_region:US-CO_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline}}
 | coordinates_ref   = <ref name=GNIS>{{cite gnis|id=192423|name=Crestone Peak|access-date=November 14, 2014}}</ref>
 | listing       = [[List of mountain ranges of Colorado|Mountain ranges of Colorado]]
<!-- *** Map section *** -->
 | map           = USA Colorado
 | map_size      = 
 | map_caption   = 
 | range_coordinates = {{coord|37.9668400|N|105.5853471|W|region:US-CO|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
 | range_coordinates_ref= <ref name=gnis_range>{{cite gnis|id=203952|name=Crestone Peaks|access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref>
}}
The '''Crestones''' are a group of four {{convert|14,000|ft|m|adj=on}} peaks ([[fourteeners]]) in the [[Sangre de Cristo Range]] above [[Crestone, Colorado|Crestone]], central southern [[Colorado]], comprising:
#[[Crestone Peak]] ({{convert|14,294|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} )
#[[Crestone Needle]] ({{convert|14,197|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} )
#[[Kit Carson Mountain]] ({{convert|14,165|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} )
#[[Humboldt Peak (Colorado)|Humboldt Peak]] ({{convert|14,064|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} )

Snow is usually mostly melted by early July. Climbers can expect afternoon rain, hail, and lightning from the seasonal [[monsoon]] in late July and August.

==Climbing==
*[[Crestone Peak]] and [[Crestone Needle]] are rock [[scrambling|scrambles]] (Class 3) with some exposure. 
*[[Kit Carson Mountain]] is a walk-up (Class 2), but only if the correct route is carefully followed; it has claimed more lives than Crestone Peak or Crestone Needle. [[Challenger Point]] ({{convert|14,081|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} ) and [[Columbia Point]] ({{convert|13980|ft|m|0|adj=on}}) are sub-peaks of Kit Carson Mountain. 
*[[Humboldt Peak (Colorado)|Humboldt Peak]] is the easiest of the four, with a straightforward walk-up route. Sometimes Humboldt is not included in the term "The Crestones."

[[Broken Hand Peak]], {{convert|13573|ft|m|abbr=on}}, southeast of Crestone Needle, is included within the official name "Crestone Peaks".<ref name=gnis_range/>  [[Mount Adams (Colorado)|Mount Adams]] ({{convert|13,931|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}} ) is a notable peak just to the north of the Crestones, and is quite rugged.

Note that Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle are somewhat more technical climbs than many Colorado fourteeners; caution is advised. About one person per year is killed on the Crestones; occasionally they are skilled mountaineers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/plano/2010/08/03/Plano-mountaineers-fall-to-their-deaths-4533|title=Plano mountaineers fall to their deaths in Colorado|first=Matthew|last=Haag|publisher=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|date=August 3, 2010|access-date=January 16, 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Geography|North America|<!-- Northern America -->|United States|Colorado|Mountains}}
**[[Rocky Mountains]]
***[[Southern Rocky Mountains]]
****[[Sangre de Cristo Mountains]]
*****[[Sangre de Cristo Range]]
*[[Geography of Colorado]]
**[[Mountain ranges of Colorado]]
***[[Mountain peaks of Colorado]]
***[[Mountain passes of Colorado]]
*[[Outline of Colorado]]
*[[Index of Colorado-related articles]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lat=37.97&lon=-105.5805&size=m&symshow=n&datum=nad83&layer=DRG100&s=200 The Crestones on TopoQuest]
*{{gnis|203952|Crestone Peaks or Crestone Group}}
*[http://14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=9185 Well illustrated trip report of climbs of Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak via Broken Hand Pass]
{{Commons category|Crestones|position=left}}

{{Colorado|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Fourteeners of Colorado]]
[[Category:Sangre de Cristo Mountains]]
[[Category:Mountains of Custer County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Mountains of Saguache County, Colorado]]