Parker Peak (California)
Parker Peak is a 12,861-foot-elevation (3,920-meter) mountain summit located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in Mono County of northern California, United States.[3] It is situated in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest. It is approximately 7.0 miles (11.3 km) northwest of the community of June Lake, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) east of Yosemite National Park's eastern boundary, and 1.0 mile (1.6 km) east of Koip Peak, the nearest higher neighbor. The mountain is visible from the June Lake Loop, and from the nearby June Mountain ski area. Topographic relief is significant as it rises over 5,700 feet (1,700 meters) above Grant Lake in four miles. The peak's name is derived from Parker Creek, which in turn was named after an early settler of Mono County.[4] This geographical feature's name has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[3] The first ascent of the summit was made in 1914 by Norman Clyde.[5]
| Parker Peak | |
|---|---|
 Northeast aspect from June Lake Loop (summit to right of center) | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,861 ft (3,920 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 581 ft (177 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Kuna Peak (13,002 ft)[2] |
| Isolation | 1.31 mi (2.11 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 37°48′51″N 119°11′03″W[3] |
| Geography | |
  Parker Peak Location in California  Parker Peak Parker Peak (the United States) | |
| Location | Ansel Adams Wilderness Mono County, California, U.S. |
| Parent range | Sierra Nevada |
| Topo map | USGS Koip Peak |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Cretaceous |
| Mountain type | Fault block |
| Type of rock | Metamorphic rock |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1914 |
| Easiest route | class 2[2] |
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Parker Peak has an alpine climate.[6] 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 this mountain drains into headwaters of Parker and Alger Creeks, both of which are tributaries of Rush Creek.
Gallery
Parker Peak, with Koip Peak in upper right corner
Mount Wood and Parker Peak seen from Panum Crater
Parker Peak, Koip Peak, and Mount Lewis
Parker Peak seen from Rush Creek Trail near Spooky Meadow on Carson Peak. Parker is the reddish peak centered in the distance.
North aspects of Parker Peak (left), Koip Peak (right of center), and Kuna Peak (right) as seen from Mount Gibbs.
References
- "Parker Peak, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
- "Parker Peak - 12,850' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
- "Parker Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
- Francis P. Farquhar, Place Names of the High Sierra (1926)
- Edward S. Robbins and Alfred W. Baxter, Jr., A Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
- 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.
External links
- Weather forecast: Parker Peak