Guanella Pass
Guanella Pass from Mount Bierstadt
Elevation11,669 ft (3,557 m)
Traversed byGuanella Pass Scenic Byway
LocationClear Creek County, Colorado, U.S.
RangeFront Range
Coordinates39°35′42″N 105°42′40″W / 39.59500°N 105.71111°W / 39.59500; -105.71111
Topo mapUSGS Mount Evans

Guanella Pass (elevation 11,669 ft or 3,557 m) is a high mountain pass in central Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains of the western United States.

The pass is located in southwestern Clear Creek County, in the Front Range west of Denver and south of Georgetown. The pass was named in 1953 for Byron Guanella, a road supervisor and commissioner in Clear Creek County for nearly 50 years.

The pass provides a route between Georgetown in the valley of Clear Creek to the north and Grant in the valley of Geneva Creek, a tributary of the North Fork South Platte River, to the south. The pass is traversed by the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway. The road provides a link between Interstate 70 to the north and U.S. Highway 285 to the south. From Georgetown, take Clear County Route 381 south for 11 miles to the pass; from Grant, take Park County Route 62 13.5 miles to the pass. [1]

The entire route from Georgetown to U.S. Highway 285 is paved.[2] The road is no longer maintained in the winter and expect closure after the first heavy snow in the winter. There is a parking area at the closure gate on the Georgetown side of the pass to allow access to the pass by foot or snowmobile during the winter.

At the summit of the pass, hiking trails lead east to Mount Bierstadt (elevation 14,060 ft (4,290 m)) and west to Square Top Mountain among other places.

The Geneva Basin Ski Area which existed from 1963 to 1984 was located just a few miles south of the pass.[3]

Climate

Guanella Pass has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc).

Climate data for Guanella Pass 39.5911 N, 105.7172 W, Elevation: 11,663 ft (3,555 m) (1991–2020 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 24.4
(−4.2)		 25.6
(−3.6)		 32.7
(0.4)		 38.5
(3.6)		 47.2
(8.4)		 58.4
(14.7)		 64.0
(17.8)		 61.4
(16.3)		 55.1
(12.8)		 43.6
(6.4)		 32.1
(0.1)		 24.1
(−4.4)		 42.3
(5.7)
Daily mean °F (°C) 14.7
(−9.6)		 15.5
(−9.2)		 21.5
(−5.8)		 27.0
(−2.8)		 36.0
(2.2)		 46.1
(7.8)		 52.0
(11.1)		 50.1
(10.1)		 43.8
(6.6)		 33.1
(0.6)		 22.4
(−5.3)		 14.7
(−9.6)		 31.4
(−0.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 5.0
(−15.0)		 5.4
(−14.8)		 10.2
(−12.1)		 15.6
(−9.1)		 24.7
(−4.1)		 33.9
(1.1)		 40.0
(4.4)		 38.9
(3.8)		 32.4
(0.2)		 22.5
(−5.3)		 12.6
(−10.8)		 5.3
(−14.8)		 20.5
(−6.4)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.04
(52)		 2.10
(53)		 2.56
(65)		 3.29
(84)		 2.59
(66)		 1.53
(39)		 2.60
(66)		 2.45
(62)		 1.79
(45)		 1.73
(44)		 1.91
(49)		 1.94
(49)		 26.53
(674)
Source: PRISM Climate Group[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Guanella Pass Scenic Byway". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "Final nine miles of Guanella Pass slated for completion". Retrieved 2015-09-20.
  3. ↑ Colorado Ski History: Geneva Basin Ski Area
  4. ↑ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved October 10, 2023. To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.
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