Lion Rock (California) (original) (raw)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mountain in the American state of California

Lion Rock
West aspect, from Tamarack Lake
Highest point
Elevation 12,360 ft (3,767 m)[1]
Prominence 560 ft (170 m)[1]
Parent peak Triple Divide Peak (12,640 ft)[2]
Isolation 0.96 mi (1.54 km)[2]
Listing Sierra Peaks Section
Coordinates 36°34′57″N 118°32′28″W / 36.5824390°N 118.5412057°W / 36.5824390; -118.5412057[3]
Geography
Lion Rock is located in CaliforniaLion RockLion RockLocation in CaliforniaShow map of CaliforniaLion Rock is located in the United StatesLion RockLion RockLion Rock (the United States)Show map of the United States
Location Sequoia National ParkTulare CountyCalifornia, U.S.
Parent range Sierra NevadaGreat Western Divide[1]
Topo map USGS Triple Divide Peak
Geology
Rock age Cretaceous
Mountain type Fault block
Rock type granitic
Climbing
First ascent 1927
Easiest route class 3 West slope

Lion Rock is a 12,360-foot-elevation (3,770-meter) mountain summit located along the Great Western Divide of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in Tulare County of northern California.[3] It is situated in Sequoia National Park, one mile northeast of Mount Stewart, and one mile southwest of Triple Divide Peak. Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 3,145 feet (959 meters) above Tamarack Lake in 1.5 mile, and the north aspect rises 1,355 feet (413 meters) above Lion Lake in 0.38 mile. Lion Rock ranks as the 311th highest summit in California.[2]

This mountain's name was officially adopted in 1928 by the United States Board on Geographic Names to commemorate the killing of a mountain lion near this location by Mansell Brooks, a sheep rancher, in 1883.[3][4] The first ascent of the summit was made in 1927 by Dave Winkley, William Curlett, and Earl S. Wallace.[5]

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Lion Rock is located in an alpine climate zone.[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 the mountain drains west into Lone Pine Creek which is a tributary of Middle Fork Kaweah River, and southeast to headwaters of Big Arroyo, which is a tributary of the Kern River.

  1. ^ a b c "Lion Rock, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Lion Rock - 12,380' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Lion Rock". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  4. ^ Francis P. Farquhar, Place Names of the High Sierra (1926)
  5. ^ Mildred Jentsch and Arthur J. Reyman, A Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
  6. ^ 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.