Volcanic Ridge

Volcanic Ridge is an 11,486-foot-elevation (3,501 meter) ridge located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Madera County of northern California, United States.[4] It is situated in the Ansel Adams Wilderness on land managed by Inyo National Forest. It is set in the Ritter Range, 1.9 miles (3.1 km) southeast of Mount Ritter, and approximately 10 miles (16 km) west of the community of Mammoth Lakes. The Minarets are one mile to the west and Devils Postpile National Monument is five miles to the southeast. Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises over 1,700 feet (520 meters) above Iceberg Lake in approximately one-half mile.

Volcanic Ridge
Northwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation11,486 ft (3,501 m)[1][2]
Prominence1,232 ft (376 m)[3]
Parent peakClyde Minaret (12,263 ft)[1]
Isolation1.06 mi (1.71 km)
Coordinates37°40′16″N 119°09′37″W[4]
Geography
Volcanic Ridge is located in California
Volcanic Ridge
Volcanic Ridge
Location in California
Volcanic Ridge is located in the United States
Volcanic Ridge
Volcanic Ridge
Volcanic Ridge (the United States)
LocationMadera County, California, U.S.
Parent rangeSierra Nevada
Ritter Range[3]
Topo mapUSGS Mount Ritter
Geology
Age of rockMesozoic[5]
Type of rockMetavolcanic rock[6]
Climbing
First ascent1933
Easiest routeclass 2[1]

History

The descriptive toponym was likely applied during an 1898–99 survey by the USGS,[7] and has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[4]

The first ascent of the summit was recorded August 13, 1933, by Craig Barbash and Howard Gates.[8]

The Minaret Mine was located on the south aspect of the ridge. Lead was mined there, but the remote location made mining unprofitable, and the mine ceased operations in the early 1930s.[9]

Volcanic Ridge is the site of the fatal 2007 airplane crash of Steve Fossett.[10]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Volcanic Ridge is located in an alpine climate zone.[11] 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 this landform drains to the Middle Fork San Joaquin River.

See also
  • Northeast aspect, with the Minarets in upper right corner.
    Northeast aspect, with the Minarets in upper right corner.
  • Volcanic Ridge centered, with Ritter Range behind it.
    Volcanic Ridge centered, with Ritter Range behind it.
  • Volcanic Ridge seen with Mount Ritter and Banner Peak behind.
    Volcanic Ridge seen with Mount Ritter and Banner Peak behind.
  • View of the Minarets, Volcanic Ridge, Mount Ritter, and Banner Peak seen from Mammoth Mountain.
    View of the Minarets, Volcanic Ridge, Mount Ritter, and Banner Peak seen from Mammoth Mountain.
  • Northwest aspect from Mt. Ritter
    Northwest aspect from Mt. Ritter
  • Volcanic Ridge and Ediza Lake
    Volcanic Ridge and Ediza Lake
  • Steve Fossett crash site on Volcanic Ridge
    Steve Fossett crash site on Volcanic Ridge
  • Volcanic Ridge (left) and the Minarets reflected in Ediza Lake.
    Volcanic Ridge (left) and the Minarets reflected in Ediza Lake.
  • Volcanic Ridge rises above Ediza Lake
    Volcanic Ridge rises above Ediza Lake

References
  1. "Volcanic Ridge, West - 11,486' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  2. USGS Topographic map - Mount Ritter
  3. "Volcanic Ridge, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  4. "Volcanic Ridge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  5. N. King Huber (1983), The Geologic Story of Yosemite National Park, U. S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1595, U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 22.
  6. California Transect, Reno to San Francisco (1986), Association of Engineering Geologists, p. 57.
  7. Peter Browning, Place Names of the Sierra Nevada: From Abbot to Zumwalt, Wilderness Press, 1986, ISBN 9780899970479, page 229.
  8. Walter A. Starr and Louis A. Elliott, A Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
  9. Historic Places, Devils Postpile National Monument, NPS.gov
  10. Fagan, Kevin (October 3, 2008). "Plane wreckage Fossett's - bone fragment found". San Francisco Chronicle.
  11. "Climate of the Sierra Nevada". Encyclopædia Britannica.
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