Largest 'flat' summit?

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denvermikey
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Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by denvermikey »

Curious as to other people's experience with large and relatively flat summits.
I love the uniqueness of Colorado's summits ranging from a few square yards up to a giant football field sized surface.
The two that previously came to mind for me were Longs Peak and Phoenix Peak having some of the larger flat(ish) summits. But yesterday we did Herard/Modano and I tell ya, I think you could land a plane on Herard! That summit is massive. Throw in the amazing views of the dunes on the west end to boot!
Anyone else have thoughts on large flat summits?
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Re: Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by k_fergie »

Nice (and surprising to see anyone) to run into you, your wife, and your dog up there yesterday!

13,308 in the La Garita has another tundra-filled, flat summit like Herard. The summit cairn is off to the NE side, so there's tons of unobstructed room to land a small plane up there.
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Re: Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by NovaDevi25 »

It's not very tall but Flattop in RMNP. Good luck finding the geologic survey marker!
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Re: Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by Kiefer »

I thought Agua Fria down in Northern New Mexico was pretty flat. Pending you can actually find the true summit (heavy forest).
Last edited by Kiefer on Fri Oct 18, 2024 9:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by Jon Frohlich »

I raise everyone 11,998 (map elevation 12,008) in the Flat Tops.
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Re: Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by Wentzl »

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Re: Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by seannunn »

The high point in the state of Oklahoma is on Black Mesa.
The top of the mesa is huge. You would NEVER find the high point except for the fact that the good folks of Oklahoma commissioned, produced, and installed a 10 foot high granite obelisk there.
Even finding the obelisk on a summer day is no piece of cake.

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Re: Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by Scott P »

seannunn wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2024 1:42 pm The high point in the state of Oklahoma is on Black Mesa.
The top of the mesa is huge. You would NEVER find the high point except for the fact that the good folks of Oklahoma commissioned, produced, and installed a 10 foot high granite obelisk there.
It's flat enough that the monument is apparently in the wrong place and the true "summit" is northwest of there.
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Re: Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by Scott P »

Wentzl wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2024 12:26 pm Fun bit of trivia:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/trav ... a-colorado
I live by close to it, but it's just a local legend about it being the largest. Interestingly Utah also claims to have the largest, but that probably isn't true either, though Boulder Mountain/Aquarius Plateau (Utah) is still significantly bigger than Grand Mesa (Colorado).
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Re: Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by supranihilest »

seannunn wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2024 1:42 pm The high point in the state of Oklahoma is on Black Mesa.
The top of the mesa is huge. You would NEVER find the high point except for the fact that the good folks of Oklahoma commissioned, produced, and installed a 10 foot high granite obelisk there.
Even finding the obelisk on a summer day is no piece of cake.

Sean Nunn
Peculiar, MO
The Oklahoma state high point on Black Mesa has three feet of prominence (less than the obelisk, ironically) and the high point of Black Mesa, which is in Colorado, has 20. Hardly what I'd call a summit. That said, the trail to the obelisk is quite easy though long when I did it a few years ago.
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Re: Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by cougar »

Browns Peak next to Medicine Bow in Wyoming is a big flat summit. Hard to pick out a highpoint.
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Re: Largest 'flat' summit?

Post by nyker »

Horseshoe I recall has a pretty flat summit. So surprisingly does Half Dome in California.