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ROCKFALL ON EAST THORN, GORE RANGE, COLORADO 09/10/16
East Thorn is a prominent horn peak on a ridge east of Mount Silverthorne (which is on the crest of the Gore Rang)e between where Penny and I live and the town of that name. Yesterday, 9/10, it had a massive rockfall. Here are before and after photos.
Left photo of East Thorn, before, view by Jeff Ring, from trail below it a few weeks ago. Note largest vertical face with light-colored dikes that dip steeply. Here is his report:
The Thorne lost a huge chunk this morning around 9:00 a.m., I could hear the rumbling while out hunting, but didn't know what it was at the time. We thought at first there was a fire near Willow Lake, but it ended up being dust from the rock slide. We eventually could smell the dust here at the house, amazing! [Jeff lives in Sierra Bosque, same as Penny and Bill--ed.] There's a pic from when we hiked up there a couple of weeks ago...
Right photo, after, view from slightly different angle to
above by Bill Jones, from deck of house at 637 Blue Ridge Rd., Silverthorne,
9/11/16.
Large vertical face with dikes has slabbed off. Skyline appears intact. Is this
why climbers prefer solid (somewhat) granite? A couple of years ago in another
Colorado locale a rockfall killed 5 hikers and injured a 6th. Now
that East Thorn has lost its big slab, will that loss undermine the rock above
it?
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This "Contents of Sumrockthorn" page last modified 09/11/16: \summitco.us\sumrockthorn.htm. Copyright © 2016 Elizabeth A. Kerr & William R Jones.