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Wright Mountain (Texas)

Coordinates: 29°17′44″N 103°13′33″W / 29.2954782°N 103.2257288°W / 29.2954782; -103.2257288
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wright Mountain
North aspect
Highest point
Elevation6,031 ft (1,838 m)[1]
Prominence209 ft (64 m)[1]
Parent peakPanther Peak (6,418 ft)[2]
Isolation0.63 mi (1.01 km)[2]
Coordinates29°17′44″N 103°13′33″W / 29.2954782°N 103.2257288°W / 29.2954782; -103.2257288[3]
Naming
EtymologyGeorge Melendez Wright
Geography
Wright Mountain is located in Texas
Wright Mountain
Wright Mountain
Location of Wright Mountain in Texas
Wright Mountain is located in the United States
Wright Mountain
Wright Mountain
Wright Mountain (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyBrewster
Protected areaBig Bend National Park[1]
Parent rangeChisos Mountains[1]
Topo mapUSGS Panther Junction
Geology
Rock ageOligocene[4]
Rock typeExtrusive igneous rock[4]
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 5.x[2]

Wright Mountain is a 6,031-foot-elevation (1,838-meter) summit in Brewster County, Texas, United States.

Description

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Wright Mountain is set within Big Bend National Park, the Chihuahuan Desert, and the Chisos Mountains. The mountain is composed of volcanic rock which formed during the Oligocene period.[4] Although modest in elevation, topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,800 feet (549 m) above the surrounding terrain in one mile (1.6 km). Based on the Köppen climate classification, Wright Mountain is located in a hot arid climate zone with hot summers and mild winters.[5] Any scant precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes drains northeast to Tornillo Creek which is a tributary of the Rio Grande. The lower slopes of the peak are covered by juniper, oak, and piñon. The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1948 by the United States Board on Geographic Names to honor George Melendez Wright (1904–1936), an American biologist who conceived of, then conducted, the first scientific survey of fauna for the National Park Service between 1929 and 1933.[3][6] He advanced quickly with the National Park Service, in 1933 becoming the first leader of the agency's new Wildlife Division. In 1936, Wright was part of an international commission to investigate the potential values of a protected area to straddle the Rio Grande area of Texas and Mexico. The report was enthusiastic and the commission endorsed the national park idea. Tragically, George Wright and Roger Toll were killed in a car accident on their return from Texas. Toll and Wright Mountains were named in their memory.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Wright Mountain, Texas". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  2. ^ a b c "Wright Mountain - 6,041' TX". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  3. ^ a b "Wright Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  4. ^ a b c Geologic Map of the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park, Texas, Robert G. Bohannon, 2011, U.S. Geological Survey.
  5. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.
  6. ^ United States Board on Geographic Names, Decision Lists October, November, December, 1948.
  7. ^ Texas' Gift to the Nation: The Establishment of Big Bend National Park, National Park Service, Retrieved 2024-11-18.
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