Forsyth Peak (California)

Forsyth Peak is an 11,177-foot-elevation (3,407 meter) mountain summit located in Tuolumne County, California, United States.

Forsyth Peak
North aspect, reflected in Stella Lake
Highest point
Elevation11,177 ft (3,407 m)[1]
Prominence1,077 ft (328 m)[2]
Parent peakTower Peak (11,755 ft)[2]
Isolation2.0 mi (3.2 km)[2]
Coordinates38°09′27″N 119°34′51″W[3]
Naming
EtymologyWilliam W. Forsyth[4]
Geography
Forsyth Peak is located in California
Forsyth Peak
Forsyth Peak
Location in California
Forsyth Peak is located in the United States
Forsyth Peak
Forsyth Peak
Forsyth Peak (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyTuolumne
Protected areaYosemite National Park
Parent rangeSierra Nevada
Topo mapUSGS Tower Peak
Geology
Age of rockCretaceous
Mountain typeFault block
Type of rockGranitic
Climbing
First ascent1937
Easiest routeclass 2[2]

Description

Forsyth Peak is situated in the Sierra Nevada mountain range at the northern end of Yosemite National Park. The mountain rises 1.25 miles (2.01 km) south of Dorothy Lake and two miles (3.2 km) west-northwest of Tower Peak which is the nearest higher neighbor. Precipitation runoff from this landform drains into headwaters of Falls Creek which is a tributary of the Tuolumne River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,300 feet (700 meters) above Jack Main Canyon in 1.4 miles (2.3 km). Access to the mountain is via the nearby Pacific Crest Trail and the peak can be ascended from the class 2 south or west slopes.[5]

Forsyth Peak

History

This mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1932 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to honor Colonel William Woods Forsyth (1856–1933), United States Army, acting military superintendent of Yosemite Park (1909–1912).[6][7] The US Army had jurisdiction over Yosemite National Park from 1891 to 1914, and each summer 150 cavalrymen traveled from the Presidio of San Francisco to patrol the park.

The first ascent of the summit was made on July 10, 1937, by Leon Casou, Arthur Evans, Don Hersey, Paul Hersey, Rene Kast, A. I. Teakle, and Harry Tenney Jr.[5] The north ridge was first climbed August 23, 1953, by Ken Hondsinger, Le Roy Johnson, and Fred Schaub.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Forsyth Peak is located in an alpine climate zone.[8] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range.

See also

References
  1. "Forsyth Peak, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  2. "Forsyth Peak - 11,177' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  3. "Forsyth Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  4. Francis P. Farquhar, Place Names of the High Sierra (1926)
  5. Robert L. Swift and David A. Nelson, Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
  6. Decisions of the United States Geographic Board, June 30, 1932, p. 9.
  7. Erwin Gustav Gudde, California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names, 1960, University of California Press, page 112.
  8. "Climate of the Sierra Nevada". Encyclopædia Britannica.
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