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Flatirons
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Flatirons are rock formations near Boulder, Colorado. There are five large, numbered Flatirons ranging from north to south (First through Fifth, respectively) along the east slope of Green Mountain, and the term "The Flatirons" sometimes refers to these five alone. Numerous smaller named Flatirons are on the southern part of Green Mountain and among the surrounding foothills.
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The Flatirons were named by pioneer women who said they looked like the flat, metal irons used to iron their clothes.
Images of the numbered Flatirons on Green Mountain are a ubiquitous symbol of the city of Boulder. The area abounds with Flatirons photographs, drawings, paintings, and sculptures. The city government, the University of Colorado, and many businesses make use of this symbol. Many businesses also use the word Flatirons or Flatiron in their names.
Flatiron Crossing Mall is not in Boulder, nor is it near the Flatirons. The mall is located in Broomfield, Colorado, about 10 miles southeast of Boulder on US 36.
The Flatirons consist of conglomerate sandstone of the Fountain Formation. Geologists estimate the age of these rocks as 290-296 million years; they were lifted and tilted into their present orientation about 230 million years ago, during the Laramide Orogeny. The Flatirons were subsequently exposed by erosion. Other manifestations of the Fountain Formation can be found in many places along the Colorado Front Range, including Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Roxborough State Park in Douglas County, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Morrison.
The Flatirons on Green Mountain are within the City of Boulder Mountain Parks. They are popular destinations for hikers and rock climbers, with rock grades ranging from easy (5.0) to world-class (5.14).
On several occasions during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, students from the University of Colorado climbed the Third Flatiron on Green Mountain and wrote "CU" in giant white letters on it for all of Boulder to see. On at least two occasions timed to coincide with athletic contests, students from rival schools modified the white letters to advertise a different institution: "DU" (University of Denver) and "OU" (University of Oklahoma). Each time, the Colorado students changed the letters back to "CU".
Defacing the Third Flatiron in this way was technically illegal. In the 1970s, the City of Boulder painted over the illegal graffiti with a color very similar to the rock. If you look closely, you can still see the show of school spirit on the giant rock, because the color match is not perfect.
