Vogelsang Pass

Vogelsang Pass is a mountain pass in the Cathedral Range of Yosemite National Park, at 10,680 ft (3,260 m).[1] It lies between the cirque containing Vogelsang Lake and the valley with Lewis Creek. The pass also lies on the ridge between Fletcher Peak (11,410 ft or 3,480 m) and Vogelsang Peak (11,498 ft or 3,505 m).[3]

Vogelsang Pass
View south from near pass
Elevation10,680 ft (3,255 m)[1]
Traversed byVogelsang Pass Trail[2]
LocationMariposa County, California, United States
RangeCathedral Range
Coordinates37°46′47″N 119°20′27″W[1]
Topo mapUSGS Vogelsang Peak[1]

The pass was named by Colonel Harry Coupland Benson, the Superintendent of Yosemite National Park in 1907.[4]: 15  It was named after either Alexander Vogelsang or his brother Charles Vogelsang, both of whom were on the California Fish and Game Commission.[4]: 228  Alexander Vogelsang was subsequently the First Assistant United States Secretary of the Interior.[5]

Vogelsang Pass, like the rest of the Cathedral Range, is formed out of Cathedral Peak Granodiorite,[6] which was formed approximately 87 million years ago.[7] Due to its elevation, Vogelsang Pass is in the alpine zone of the Sierra Nevada,[6] where the growing season is too short and cold to support trees.[8] There are many alpine flowers near the pass, including rock fringe (Epilobium obcordatum) and alpine willow (Salix arctica).[9] Numerous marmots (Marmota flaviventris) also live near the pass.[10]

Vogelsang High Sierra Camp is a common starting point for hiking to Vogelsang Pass.[2] The pass is 1 mi (1.6 km) and 300 ft (90 m) of elevation above Vogelsang Lake. Many mountains can be seen from the pass, including the Clark Range, Bernice Lake, Parsons Peak, Simmons Peak, Mount Maclure, and Mount Florence.[11][10] The view has been called "one of the most stunning views in Yosemite National Park" by the publisher of Sierra Rec magazine.[11] The route from the pass to Vogelsang Peak is a class 2 scramble.[12]

References
  1. "Vogelsang Pass". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. "Vogelsang Pass Trail". Hiking Project. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  3. Vogelsang Peak (PDF) (Topographic map). 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series. Reston, VA: United States Geological Survey. 2015.
  4. Browning, Peter (1986). Place Names of the Sierra Nevada. Berkeley: Wilderness Press. ISBN 0899971199.
  5. "Names Vogelsang For Interior Dept". Madera Tribune. Vol. XXV, no. 105. August 31, 1916.
  6. "Cathedral Range". Peakvisor.
  7. Burgess, S; Miller, J (2008). "Construction, solidification and internal differentiation of a large felsic arc pluton: Cathedral Peak granodiorite, Sierra Nevada Batholith". In Annen, C; Zellmer, GF (eds.). Dynamics of crustal magma transfer, storage and differentiation. London: Geological Society. pp. 203–234.
  8. "Plants". Yosemite National Park. National Park Service.
  9. Morgenson, Dana C (1975). "The Subalpine Belt and the High Sierra Loop Trail". Yosemite Wildflower Trails. ISBN 0-93966-627-8.
  10. Shields, Allan (1960). "Vogelsang Pass and High Sierra Camp". Guide to Tuolumne Meadows Trails. Yosemite Nature Notes. Vol. 39.
  11. "Vogelsang Lake and Views From Vogelsang Pass Yosemite National Park". Sierra Rec. August 12, 2020.
  12. Secor, RJ (1999). The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, and Trails (2nd ed.). The Mountaineers. p. 397. ISBN 0-89886-625-1.
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