South Guard

South Guard is a remote 13,232-foot-elevation (4,033-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, 1.63 miles (2.62 km) south of North Guard, and one mile south of Mount Brewer, which is the nearest higher neighbor. Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 4,600 feet (1,400 meters) above Cloud Canyon in 3.5 miles, and the east aspect rises 3,200 feet (980 meters) above Lake Reflection in two miles. South Guard ranks as the 103rd highest summit in California,[2] and the third-highest point of the northern Great Western Divide.[1]

South Guard
Northeast aspect, from Glen Pass
Highest point
Elevation13,232 ft (4,033 m)[1]
Prominence502 ft (153 m)[1]
Parent peakMount Brewer (13,569 ft)[2]
Isolation1.03 mi (1.66 km)[2]
ListingSierra Peaks Section
Coordinates36°41′36″N 118°29′02″W[3]
Geography
South Guard is located in California
South Guard
South Guard
Location in California
South Guard is located in the United States
South Guard
South Guard
South 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 ascent1925
Easiest routeclass 3[2] South slope

History

The names South Guard and North Guard first appeared on either side of Mt. Brewer on Lieutenant Milton F. Davis’ map of 1896.[4] The first ascent of South Guard's lower 12,964-ft peak was made July 26, 1916, by Walter L. Huber, James Rennie, Florence C. Burrell, and Inezetta Holt. The main 13,232-ft summit was first climbed July 17, 1925, by Norman Clyde, who is credited with 130 first ascents, most of which were in the Sierra Nevada.[5] A possibility exists that this peak may have been climbed by Clarence King and Richard D. Cotter on July 4, 1864.[6]

Climate

South Guard is located in an alpine climate zone.[7] 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 east side of the mountain drains to Bubbs Creek, and west to Roaring River, which are both tributaries of the South Fork Kings River.

See also
South Guard, Mt. Brewer, and North Guard by Ansel Adams ca. 1936

References
  1. "South Guard, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  2. "South Guard - 13,232' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  3. "South Guard". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  4. Francis P. Farquhar, Place Names of the High Sierra (1926)
  5. Francis P. Farquhar, Place Names of the High Sierra (1926)
  6. Hervey Voge, A Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
  7. "Climate of the Sierra Nevada". Encyclopædia Britannica.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.