North Maroon Peak is one of Colorado’s most iconic mountains. Located in the Elk Mountains near Aspen, it towers at 14,019 feet above sea level. Known for its steep climbs, incredible views, and challenging trails, North Maroon Peak offers plenty of riddles and trivia for outdoor enthusiasts and peak baggers.
Geography
Let’s start with some geographical riddles about North Maroon Peak’s location and features:
Riddle 1
I’m one of two tall, rocky peaks that stand side by side. My fraternal twin tower has almost the exact same name. What am I?
Answer: North Maroon Peak. Its twin is South Maroon Peak, sometimes called “Frat” and “Sor” by climbers.
Riddle 2
I’m a steep mountain valley carved between North Maroon and South Maroon Peaks, named after an outdoor clothing company. What am I?
Answer: Maroon Bells. The valley and peaks together are known as the famous Maroon Bells. The valley was likely named after Maroon Creek and the bells shape of the peaks.
Riddle 3
You can glimpse my craggy summit on airplane descents into a famous Rocky Mountain resort town. What mountain am I?
Answer: North Maroon Peak overlooks the glitzy ski town of Aspen.
Geology
Let’s explore some of the unique geological features of North Maroon Peak:
Riddle 4
My steep slopes are known for crumbly dark red rocks and fragile soils. What is this rock type called?
Answer: The peak has layers of mudstone and sandstone collectively called “Maroon Formation.”
Riddle 5
After a glacier scraped me bare long ago, iron minerals oxidized and stained my bedrock this vibrant color. What hue am I?
Answer: Rusty red is the color that gives North Maroon Peak its name.
Climbing
The challenging, steep climbs and scrambles up North Maroon Peak create more riddles:
Riddle 6
I’m an exposed, nearly vertical gully you must climb to summit this peak. What am I named after?
Answer: North Maroon Peak’s crux is the famous Beckey-Temple climbing chimney, likely named after climbers Fred Beckey and Bill Temple who first ascended it.
Riddle 7
I’m the easiest route up North Maroon Peak, though still extremely challenging, involving miles of boulders and scree. What colorful name do climbers call me?
Answer: The Class 3 West Ridge route goes by the name “Bells Traverse” for how it traverses across the Maroon Bells valley.
Wildlife
Though barren at the summit, North Maroon Peak harbors mountain wildlife and beautiful wildflowers:
Riddle 8
I’m one of the first flowers to bloom after winter snow melt, splashing vibrant skirts across the rocky tundra. What yellow alpine beauty am I?
Answer: Alpine sunflowers burst forth with cheerful blooms shortly after snowmelt each summer.
Riddle 9
I’m a sure-footed grazer named for my dark fur and white rump patch. I bound easily across North Maroon’s craggy cliffs. What am I?
Answer: The white-tailed ptarmigan is a grouse with feathered feet well adapted to rocky mountain slopes.
Weather
Treacherous weather changes create hazards on North Maroon Peak:
Riddle 10
In sunny skies I may materialize within minutes, enveloping the peaks in frigid fog. What am I?
Answer: Lenticular clouds often form suddenly around North Maroon Peak, even on clear days.
Riddle 11
My fierce gusts and icy debris have blown unsuspecting climbers off North Maroon Peak to their deaths. What am I?
Answer: The peak is infamous for its violent, unpredictable windstorms striking without warning.
Records
From speed records to first woman to summit, North Maroon has many mountaineering milestones:
Riddle 12
We raced up and down North Maroon’s rugged trail in just 1 hour 47 minutes, setting a speed record in 2007. Who are we?
Answer: Buzz Burrell and Jason Halladay set the infamous record, now bested by younger athletes.
Riddle 13
I was the first woman to summit North Maroon Peak back in 1901, guiding ladies on 10 first ascents of Colorado fourteeners. Who am I?
Answer: The iconic mountaineer Agnes Vaille Rogers pioneered women in climbing and summited North Maroon Peak first.
Accidents
The treacherous terrain has led to many climbing accidents and deaths over the years:
Riddle 14
In 1967, a stranded climber had to survive alone for seven days after my climbing partner fell and died on North Maroon Peak. Who am I?
Answer: College student Joe Simpson barely survived alone after his partner died in a fall, as chronicled in Simpson’s book “Touching the Void.”
Riddle 15
In 1976 on North Maroon Peak, we were four teenage Aspen friends stranded by bad weather for 15 days, trapped in snow, triggering a huge rescue mission. What’s our group name?
Answer: The event became known simply as “The Aspen Four” when frantic rescuers finally located the boys.
Locations
Many colorful locations surround North Maroon Peak:
Riddle 16
I’m an icy blue glacial tarn nestled dramatically beneath North Maroon Peak’s summit cliffs. What am I named for?
Answer: Crater Lake gets its name from its location directly under the summit in a glacial cirque.
Riddle 17
I’m the ghost town located right at the North Maroon Creek trailhead, near trees charred in the once-massive forest fire. What am I?
Answer: Maroon townsite is very close to the trailhead parking area for North Maroon Peak.
Hiking
Let’s explore popular hiking route trivia about North Maroon Peak:
Riddle 18
I’m the length in miles roundtrip of the standard hike up North Maroon Peak from the trailhead. What number am I?
Answer: The North Maroon Creek Trail hike is roughly 16 miles roundtrip from the trailhead parking to North Maroon Peak summit.
Riddle 19
I’m the steepest, toughest section of trail on the North Maroon Peak hike, requiring hands and feet for steep rock scrambling. What am I?
Answer: The trail gains over 1,500 feet elevation across the mile-long section called “the Gauntlet” just below Crater Lake.
Camping
Rugged backcountry campsites dot the route up to North Maroon Peak:
Riddle 20
I’m a scenic alpine basin named for its resident elk herd, a popular place for North Maroon climbers to camp. What am I?
Answer: Elk Basin is a common backpacking destination en route to climbing the peak.
Riddle 21
I’m an idyllic lake with an island, grassy meadows and towering cliff views. Backpackers camp here before summiting North Maroon Peak. What’s my name?
Answer: Maroon Lake with its iconic views and camping.
Mountaineering
The peak presents many challenges for mountaineers:
Riddle 22
We’re the elevation gain in feet from Crater Lake at 11,000 feet up to North Maroon Peak summit. How many feet are we?
Answer: It’s 3,000 feet of gain from Crater Lake to North Maroon Peak summit.
Riddle 23
I’m the easiest technical route rating for skilled mountaineers climbing to North Maroon’s summit. What rating am I?
Answer: The Class 4 Southeast Face route is one of the least difficult technical summit routes, though still extremely challenging.
Rescues
Many epic tales of searches and rescues have played out on the peak over decades:
Riddle 24
In 2018, I was the number of hours rescuers took to retrieve the body of a fallen 61-year old Boulder dentist from North Maroon Peak’s base. What number am I?
Answer: Tragically, Dr. Carter died from a fall, and it took rescuers 98 hours working around the clock over four days to retrieve his body by foot, mule and helicopter.
Riddle 25
We were the huge search crew of hikers stranded on North Maroon in 2019 during nightfall, triggering an 11 hour overnight rescue mission. How many were we?
Answer: In August 2019, 12 missing hikers were finally all rescued overnight from the flanks of North Maroon Peak after getting stranded by dark.
Namesakes
Various wilderness features near the peak memorialize past climbers:
Riddle 26
I’m asomber place named for a 20-year Aspen ski patroller who died during a 1989 winter ascent of North Maroon Peak. What am I?
Answer: Tim Walker died in an avalanche, and a creek now bears his name in the area.
Riddle 27
I’m a North Maroon Creek tributary named for a beloved Aspen singer crushed by a boulder on the peak in 1993. What am I?
Answer: John Denver tragically died here. A waterfall now bears his name in memoriam off the North Maroon Creek drainage.
Guidebooks
These regional hiking guidebooks detail North Maroon Peak:
Riddle 28
I’m the classic guidebook detailing the Elk Range fourteeners, with info on climbing North Maroon’s challenging routes. What book am I?
Answer: Gerry Roach’s book “Colorado’s Fourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs” is considered the essential Elk Range fourteener guide.
Riddle 29
We’re the exhaustive, 700-page set of guidebooks covering hikes in the Aspen area, with North Maroon trails detailed. What are we?
Answer: “Hiking the Aspen Area” by Paul Andersen gives exhaustive detail on Maroon Bells trails.
Nicknames
The peak and area have some colorful nicknames:
Riddle 30
We’re the pair of rocky summits known by mountain climbers as the “Deadly Bells.” What are we?
Answer: North and South Maroon Peak are nicknamed “the Deadly Bells” for their treacherous climbing and prone to rock fall and accidents.
Riddle 31
I’m the famously gorgeous alpine basin and meadow beneath North Maroon Peak that Thomas Hornbecker called the “Garden of Eden.” What am I?
Answer: Maroon Lake was described by the early pioneer climber as being like the biblical Garden of Eden.
First Ascents
Do you know the stories of the peak’s earliest summitters?
Riddle 32
We were the first men to summit North Maroon Peak back in 1909. One of us had a famous uncle who was a polar explorer. Who were we?
Answer: Albert Elliott Jr. and Robert Ormes were the first confirmed summiters. Elliott’s uncle was the famed Arctic explorer Adolphus Greely.
Riddle 33
I’m the lengthy technical climb route successfully pioneered for the first time by Andy Harvard and Jon Nelson in 1973. What am I?
Answer: The Northeast Buttress route was the last face and ridge to be climbed on North Maroon.
Hollywood
This scenic peak has hosted its share of celebrities and filmmakers over the decades:
Riddle 34
I’m the 1994 film chronicling Joe Simpson’s near-death epic escape down North Maroon Peak after his climbing partner died. What movie am I?
Answer: “Touching the Void” depicted Joe Simpson’s alone and severely injured, eventually crawling back to safety.
Riddle 35
I’m the Hollywood star and noted outdoorsman who owns a large ranch at the base of North Maroon Peak. Who am I?
Answer: Kevin Costner owns the expansive Midnight Ranch along the Maroon Creek Road by the peak.
Peak Lists
For peak baggers, North Maroon is on some iconic summit checklists:
Riddle 36
We’re the famous list of 57 Colorado mountain summits over 14,000 feet that North Maroon Peak appears on. What are we?
Answer: The Colorado fourteeners list includes North Maroon Peak.
Riddle 37
I’m the shorter peak list of just Colorado’s most technically challenging summits, also including North Maroon Peak. What am I?
Answer: The Centennials list catalogs the 100 highest peaks in the state requiring genuine technical climbing, including North Maroon.
Trails
Many trails traverse the Maroon Bells wilderness near the peak:
Riddle 38
I’m the sister trail running parallel to North Maroon Creek Trail, with access to Crater Lake. What’s my name?
Answer: South Maroon Trail also leads hikers to views of North Maroon Peak.
Riddle 39
I’m the connecting trail that crosses between North Maroon Creek down to the south side of Maroon Lake. What do they call me?
Answer: The Crater Lake Trail connects the two areas, crossing the ridge.
Flora & Fauna
Colorado wildlife and flowers sightings happen frequently in the area:
Riddle 40
I’m the shaggy bovid mammal with sweeping antlers often glimpsed grazing near North Maroon Peak’s base. What am I?
Answer: Rocky Mountain elk, after which Elk Basin and mountain are named, often forage at the bottom of North Maroon Peak.
Riddle 41
I’m the omnipresent yellow-flowered alpine plant giving Splendor Peak its sunny name since I bloom all summer there too. What am I?
Answer: Glacier lilies burst forth cheery yellow blooms that last all summer near North Maroon Peak as well.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed these North Maroon Peak riddles! This iconic Colorado mountain certainly has stories to tell for avid climbers, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts who love a good trivia challenge. With its deadly reputation, stunning scenic views, and place in climbing history, North Maroon Peak never ceases to enthrall, mystify and inspire all who journey to its epic summit and valleys.
