Mount Starr

Mount Starr, elevation 12,835 feet (3,912 m), is a mountain summit located on the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in northern California, United States.[6] It is situated in the John Muir Wilderness on the common boundary shared by Sierra National Forest with Inyo National Forest, and along the common border of Fresno County with Inyo County. It is bound on the east by Little Lakes Valley, and is 0.8 mile northeast of Mono Pass. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,300 feet (700 meters) above Little Lakes Valley in approximately one-half mile (0.80 km). Neighbors include Mount Abbot, three miles to the south-southwest, Mount Morgan, 2.5 miles to the southeast, and Pointless Peak is 2.5 miles to the north.

Mount Starr
Southeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation12,835 ft (3,912 m)[1][2]
Prominence760 ft (232 m)[3]
Parent peakRuby Peak (13,188 ft)[4]
Isolation1.67 mi (2.69 km)[4]
ListingVagmarken Club Sierra Crest List[5]
Coordinates37°25′44″N 118°45′55″W[6]
Naming
EtymologyWalter A. Starr Jr.
Geography
Mount Starr is located in California
Mount Starr
Mount Starr
Location in California
Mount Starr is located in the United States
Mount Starr
Mount Starr
Mount Starr (the United States)
Location Fresno / Inyo counties, California U.S. 
Parent rangeSierra Nevada[3]
Topo mapUSGS Mount Abbot
Climbing
First ascent1896
Easiest routeclass 2[4] via Mono Pass

History

The first ascent of this mountain was made July 16, 1896, by Walter Starr Sr. and Allen Chickering.[7] They were caught in a thunderstorm when everything started buzzing with electricity. Frightened, they descended off the mountain quickly, and would name the mountain "Electric Peak."[8] However, the mountain would later be renamed after Walter Starr's son.

Named by the Sierra Club to honor one of their own, this mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1939 by the United States Board on Geographic Names to remember Walter A. Starr Jr. (1903–1933), a mountain climber of renown, and author of "Guide to the John Muir Trail and the High Sierra Region."[6][9] In the summer of 1933, "Pete", as he was nicknamed, failed to return from a month-long hike to the Minarets, and his body was eventually discovered by Norman Clyde following a search.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Mount Starr is located in an alpine climate zone.[10] 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. Precipitation runoff from the west side of this mountain drains into Golden Creek, and from the east side into Rock Creek.

  • East aspect
    East aspect
  • North aspect
    North aspect
  • View from summit looking south
    View from summit looking south
  • The north end of Mt. Starr seen from Bear Creek Lake area
    The north end of Mt. Starr seen from Bear Creek Lake area
  • The north end of Mt. Starr seen from Bear Creek Lake area
    The north end of Mt. Starr seen from Bear Creek Lake area

See also

References
  1. Matt Johanson (2019), Sierra Summits: A Guide to Fifty Peak Experiences in California's Range of Light, Falcon Guides, ISBN 9781493036455, p. 194
  2. USGS Topographic Map - Mount Abbot
  3. "Mount Starr, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  4. "Starr, Mount - 12,835' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  5. "Vagmarken Sierra Crest List". Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  6. "Mount Starr". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
  7. George Bloom and John D. Mendenhall, A Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
  8. Matt Johanson (2021), California Summits: A Guide to the 50 Best Accessible Peak Experiences in the Golden State, Falcon Guides, ISBN 9781493048175, p. 184
  9. "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. 1981. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  10. "Climate of the Sierra Nevada". Encyclopædia Britannica.
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