Birch Mountain, or Paokrung (Northern Paiute for "Mountain of Stone"[4]), is one of the fifty highest peaks of California. Of the major peaks of the Palisades, it stands farthest from the Sierra Crest.

Birch Mountain
Birch Mountain's east side from route 395, May 2009.
Highest point
Elevation13,608 ft (4,148 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence938 ft (286 m)[1]
Listing
Coordinates37°03′46″N 118°25′07″W / 37.0627115°N 118.4187135°W / 37.0627115; -118.4187135[4]
Geography
Birch Mountain is located in California
Birch Mountain
Birch Mountain
Birch Mountain is located in the United States
Birch Mountain
Birch Mountain
LocationInyo County, California, U.S.
Parent rangeSierra Nevada
Topo mapUSGS Split Mountain
Climbing
First ascent1887 by J.W. Bledsoe[5]
Easiest routeScramble by southwest ridge or south slope, class 2[5]

Judging by its few summit register entries, it is climbed far less than its nearby fourteener neighbors on the crest.[6] But its placement on the Sierra Peaks Section list[2] adds to its appeal to peak baggers, and its low technical demand makes it a rewarding ski mountaineering destination.[7]

See also

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Birch Mountain centered, from the northeast across Owens Valley.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Birch Mountain, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
  2. ^ a b "Sierra Peaks Section List" (PDF). Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  3. ^ "Western States Climbers Qualifying Peak List". Climber.org. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  4. ^ a b "Birch Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2010-06-07.
  5. ^ a b Secor, R.J. (2009). The High Sierra Peaks, Passes, and Trails (3rd ed.). Seattle: The Mountaineers. p. 224. ISBN 978-0898869712.
  6. ^ "Birch Mountain". SummitPost.org. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
  7. ^ "Birch Mountain's Southeast Face". SierraDescent.com. Retrieved 2008-09-14.