Mount Mellenthin

Mount Mellenthin
Mount Mellenthin
	West aspect
Highest point
Elevation	12,645 ft (3,854 m)
Prominence	645 ft (197 m)
Parent peak	Mount Peale (12,721 ft)
Isolation	1.75 mi (2.82 km)
Coordinates	38°27′47″N 109°14′02″W / 38.4631295°N 109.2338845°W
Naming
Etymology	Rudolf E. Mellenthin
Geography
	Mount Mellenthin Location in Utah Mount Mellenthin Mount Mellenthin (the United States)
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	San Juan
Parent range	La Sal Mountains
Topo map	USGS Mount Peale
Geology
Rock age	Oligocene
Mountain type	Laccolith
Climbing
Easiest route	class 2

Mount Mellenthin is a 12,645-foot (3,854 meter) elevation summit located in San Juan County of Utah, United States.^[3] Mount Mellenthin is the second-highest peak of the La Sal Mountains, and second-highest in the county.^[2] It is situated in a dry, rugged, sparsely settled region, and set on land administered by Manti-La Sal National Forest. Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains into tributaries of the Colorado River. The nearest town is Moab, 20 mi (32 km) to the northwest, and the nearest higher neighbor is Mount Peale, 1.7 mi (2.7 km) to the south. The mountain's name honors Rudolf E. Mellenthin (1884–1918), forest ranger of La Sal National Forest, who was shot to death near this peak on August 23, 1918, while attempting to apprehend two draft evaders.^[3] This geographical feature's toponym was officially adopted in 1932 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.^[3]

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Mount Mellenthin. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below 32 °F (0 °C), and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer.^[4] This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.