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Marching Men (Utah)

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Coordinates: 38°47′09″N 109°40′03″W / 38.7858105°N 109.6676211°W / 38.7858105; -109.6676211
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marching Men
Northwest aspect
North Marcher, Time Tower, Cuddlebunny Tower
Highest point
Elevation5,300 ft (1,615 m)[1]
Prominence120 ft (37 m)[1]
Parent peakKlondike Bluffs (5,591 ft)[1]
Isolation0.65 mi (1.05 km)[1]
Coordinates38°47′09″N 109°40′03″W / 38.7858105°N 109.6676211°W / 38.7858105; -109.6676211[2]
Geography
Marching Men is located in Utah
Marching Men
Marching Men
Location in Utah
Marching Men is located in the United States
Marching Men
Marching Men
Marching Men (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateUtah
CountyGrand
Protected areaArches National Park
Parent rangeColorado Plateau
Topo mapUSGS Klondike Bluffs
Geology
Rock ageJurassic
Rock typeEntrada Sandstone
Climbing
First ascent1979
Easiest routeclass 5.10+ climbing[1]

Marching Men is an area of pillars in Grand County, Utah, United States.

Description

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The Marching Men is located in Arches National Park in the remote northwest section that was added to the park in 1971 when the boundaries of Arches National Monument were expanded and the monument changed to National Park status.[3] Unofficial names for some of the seven towers include Cuddlebunny Tower, Time Tower, and North Marcher, although the National Park Service does acknowledge these names.[4] Topographic relief is modest as the summit of the highest, North Marcher, rises 300 feet (91 meters) above surrounding terrain in 200 feet (61 meters) laterally. Any scant precipitation runoff from Marching Men drains to the nearby Colorado River via Klondike Wash and Salt Valley Wash. The Marching Men area is accessed by a six-mile loop hike that starts at the Klondike Bluffs parking area, and also leads to Tower Arch.[5] This landform's descriptive toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[2]

Climbing

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The first ascent of the highest tower, North Marcher, was made by Leonard Coyne, Dennis Jackson, and Stewart Green in November 1979.[6]

Rock-climbing routes at the Marching Men:

  • North Marcher - class 5.10+ - FA Leonard Coyne, Dennis Jackson, Stewart Green - (1979)[7]
  • Cuddlebunny Tower - class 5.11d - Charlie Fowler, Rob Slater, Geoff Tabin - (December 30, 1986)[6][8]
  • Time Tower - class 5.10 - Frank Nebbe, Renate Stockburger - (1987)[9][10]
  • Sand Hearse - class 5.11+ - Charlie Fowler, Jack Roberts - (April 23, 1987)[6][11]
  • The Bouquet - class 5.7 - Frank Nebbe, Renate Stockburger - (August 1987)[6][12]
  • Hearse So Good - class 5.9+ - Fred Knapp, Jane Sears - (1991)[13]
  • Time Marches On - class 8 - Leslie Henderson, Mike Baker - (1993)[14]

Rock climbing at Marching Men is strictly regulated, including temporary closure from March 1 through August 31 for raptor protection.[15]

Climate

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According to the Köppen climate classification system, Marching Men is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers.[16] Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to experience Arches National Park, when highs average 60 to 80 °F (15 to 25 °C) and lows average 30 to 50 °F (0 to 10 °C). Summer temperatures often exceed 100 °F (40 °C). Winters are cold, with highs averaging 30 to 50 °F (0 to 10 °C), and lows averaging 0 to 20 °F (−20 to −5 °C). As part of a high desert region, it can experience wide daily temperature fluctuations. The park receives an average of less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain annually.

Geology

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Like most of the arches and rock formations in the park, these spires are composed of Entrada Sandstone, specifically the Slick Rock Member.[17] Because the sandstone is not uniformly cemented with calcium carbonate which is the binding material, chemical weathering and differential erosion has sculpted the iconic landforms of Arches National Park. These towers are the result of erosion and weathering that reduced vertical cross joints of a fin to rock pinnacles.[18] The Marching Men terrain is similar to that of the Devils Garden area to the east, but the two areas are separated by the flat expanse of Salt Valley which was created by a collapsed salt anticline.[19]

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    Marching Men
  • Marching Men
    Marching Men

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "North Marcher - 5,300' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  2. ^ a b "Marching Men". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  3. ^ The Geologic Story of Arches National Park, S. W. Lohman, US Government Printing Office, 1975,p. 6.
  4. ^ Eric Bjørnstad, Desert Rock: Rock Climbs in the National Parks, Chockstone Press, 1996, ISBN 9781575400105.
  5. ^ Bill Schneider, Hiking Utah: A Guide to Utah's Greatest Hiking Adventures, Rowman & Littlefield, 2022, ISBN 9781493056019, p. 221.
  6. ^ a b c d First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  7. ^ North Marcher, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  8. ^ Cuddlebunny Tower (Original Route), Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  9. ^ Time Tower (False Start), Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  10. ^ Eric Bjornstad, 1988 American Alpine Journal, The Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9781933056357, p. 140.
  11. ^ Sand Hearse (Original Route), Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  12. ^ The Bouquet, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  13. ^ Hearse So Good, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  14. ^ Eric Bjornstad, 1994 American Alpine Journal, The Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9781933056418, p. 143.
  15. ^ Rock Climbing - Arches National Park, National Park Service, Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  16. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L. & McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. ISSN 1027-5606. S2CID 9654551.
  17. ^ Stanley William Lohman, The Geologic Story of Arches National Park, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1975, p. 63.
  18. ^ Eugene P. Kiver, Geology of U.S. Parklands, John Wiley & Sons, 1999, ISBN 9780471332183, p. 509.
  19. ^ Geologic characterization report for the Paradox basin study region, Utah study areas, Vol. 6, Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation, Battelle Project Management Division, 1982, p. 22.
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