Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,800 feet (853 m) above Wheeler Basin in one mile (1.6 km).

An ascent of the peak involves hiking 8.9 miles (14.3 km) (round trip) with 2,825 feet (861 m) of elevation gain, with a 35-foot scramble on the summit block.

[8] On January 21, 1948, an airplane en route from Denver to Grand Junction crashed at 12,900-foot-elevation on the peak, and the wreckage still remains scattered on the slopes.

[9] The plane belonged to the Civil Aeronautics Administration and the three men were all employees: Fred Snavely (pilot), Warren Lungstrum (co-pilot), and Ross Brown.

[11] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring.