North Guard

North Guard is a remote 13,327-foot-elevation (4,062-meter) mountain summit located near the northern end of the Great Western Divide of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in Tulare County of northern California.[3] It is situated in Kings Canyon National Park, 0.9 miles (1.4 km) southeast of Mount Farquhar, and 0.6 miles (0.97 km) north-northwest of Mount Brewer, which is the nearest higher neighbor. Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises 3,858 feet (1,176 meters) above East Lake in three miles. North Guard ranks as the 87th highest summit in California,[2] and the second highest point of the northern Great Western Divide.[1] It's not as high as Mount Brewer, but offers better climbing and is considered one of the classic climbing routes in the Sierra Nevada.[4]

North Guard
Northeast aspect, from Glen Pass
Highest point
Elevation13,327 ft (4,062 m)[1]
Prominence532 ft (162 m)[1]
Parent peakMount Brewer (13,569 ft)[2]
Isolation0.62 mi (1.00 km)[2]
ListingSierra Peaks Section
Coordinates36°42′59″N 118°29′24″W[3]
Geography
North Guard is located in California
North Guard
North Guard
Location in California
North Guard is located in the United States
North Guard
North Guard
North Guard (the United States)
LocationKings Canyon National Park
Tulare County
California, U.S.
Parent rangeSierra Nevada
Great Western Divide[1]
Topo mapUSGS Mount Brewer
Geology
Type of rockgranitic
Climbing
First ascentJuly 12, 1925 Norman Clyde
Easiest routeclass 4[2] South slope

History

The names North Guard and South Guard first appeared on either side of Mt. Brewer on Lieutenant Milton F. Davis’ map of 1896.[5] The first ascent of the summit was made July 12, 1925, via the class 4 southwest face by Norman Clyde, who is credited with 130 first ascents, most of which were in the Sierra Nevada.[6] A class 4 route on the northeast aspect was first climbed in 1934 by David Brower and Hervey Voge.[7] The first ascent via the class 5.8 East Face was made in 1981 by Fred Beckey and Rick Nolting.[8]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, North Guard is located in an alpine climate zone.[9] 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, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range (orographic lift). Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains north to Bubbs Creek, and west to Roaring River, which are both tributaries of the South Fork Kings River.

See also
  • Left to right: South Guard, Mt. Brewer, North Guard, Mt. Farquhar
    Left to right: South Guard, Mt. Brewer, North Guard, Mt. Farquhar
  • Mt. Brewer and North Guard by Ansel Adams ca. 1936
    Mt. Brewer and North Guard by Ansel Adams ca. 1936
  • Mt. Farquhar (left), North Guard (center), Mt. Brewer (right), from southwest.
    Mt. Farquhar (left), North Guard (center), Mt. Brewer (right), from southwest.

References
  1. "North Guard, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  2. "North Guard - 13,327' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  3. "North Guard". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  4. John Moynier, Claude Fiddler, 1993, Sierra Classics 100 Best Climbs in the High Sierra, Chockstone Press, ISBN 9780934641609, page 78.
  5. Francis P. Farquhar, Place Names of the High Sierra (1926)
  6. R. J. Secor, The High Sierra Peaks, Passes, Trails, 2009, Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9780898869712, page 143.
  7. Hervey Voge, A Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
  8. American Alpine Journal, 1983, The Mountaineers Books, page 154.
  9. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.
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