Kintla Peak

Kintla Peak
Kintla Peak at right above Agassiz Glacier
Highest point
Elevation10,106 ft (3,080 m)[1] NAVD 88
Prominence4,401 ft (1,341 m)[1]
Parent peakMount Cleveland
Coordinates48°56′38″N 114°10′16″W / 48.94389°N 114.17111°W / 48.94389; -114.17111[2]
Geography
Kintla Peak is located in Montana
Kintla Peak
Kintla Peak
Location in Montana
Kintla Peak is located in the United States
Kintla Peak
Kintla Peak
Location in the United States
LocationFlathead County, Montana, U.S.
Parent rangeLivingston Range
Topo map(s)USGS Kintla Peak, MT
Geology
Rock agePrecambrian (Mesoproterozoic)[3]
Climbing
Easiest routeScramble (Class 3/4), often some snow

Kintla Peak (10,106 ft (3,080 m)) is a pyramidal peak in the Livingston Range of Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana.[4] It is the tallest mountain in the Livingston Range and the third-tallest in the park.[1] It is also the most northerly peak and land area in the contiguous United States above 10,000 ft (3,000 m). The Agassiz Glacier lies below it to the southeast.[4][5]

Kintla Peak consists of ancient Precambrian (Mesoproterozoic) rock strata that are part of the Belt Supergroup.[3] It is named after the Kintla Lakes, and the word "Kintla" originates from the Kootenai word for "sack". Kootenai legend states that a man had apparently drowned in one of the lakes and likened the lake to a sack where "once you got in, you couldn't get out".[6]

Kintla Peak lies the remote northwest corner of the park and a hike of almost 15 miles (24 km) from the nearest road is required just to reach the base of the mountain. The peak is notable for its large rise above local terrain; the elevation of nearby Upper Kintla Lake is only 4,370 feet (1,330 m). (Kintla Peak's northern neighbor Kinnerly Peak has an even more dramatic drop to Upper Kintla Lake.) This helps make Kintla "the most arduous climb in the northwest section of the park".[7] The standard route is the Southeast Ridge Route, from the Agassiz Glacier basin. This route has a long approach and a large total vertical gain, and involves rock scrambling up to Class 4, in addition to some climbing on snow, depending on the season. Other routes include the East Ridge, West Face, and Upper North Face routes.

  1. ^ a b c "Kintla Peak, Montana". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  2. ^ "Kintla Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Alt, D.D. and Hyndman, D.W. 1986. Roadside geology of Montana. Mountain Press Publishing Co., Missoula, Montana, 427 p. ISBN 0-87842-202-1.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference topo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gildart_1990 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference montana_pn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Edwards was invoked but never defined (see the help page).