The Crystal Range is a small chain of mountain peaks in the Desolation Wilderness in the U.S. state of California. It is a subrange of the Sierra Nevada. The highest and most southerly peak is Pyramid Peak at 9985 ft;[1] Mount Agassiz is next north at 9967 ft, with Mount Price (9975 ft) rounding out the southern group of peaks. Tells Peak is the northernmost named peak in the range.
| Crystal Range | |
|---|---|
 Crystal Range and Gilmore Lake from Mount Tallac | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Pyramid Peak |
| Elevation | 9,985 ft (3,043 m)[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 9 mi (14 km) |
| Geography | |
  Crystal Range location of Crystal Range in California | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | El Dorado County |
| Range coordinates | 38°54.8′N 120°13.0′W / 38.9133°N 120.2167°W[2] |
| Topo map | USGS Rockbound Valley |
It is southwest of Lake Tahoe and north of U.S. Route 50. Two main access roads run off of U.S. Route 50, Ice House Road, which is furthest west, and more easterly, Wright's Lake Road which is a steep road not conducive to trailers or large vehicles. Many access the tallest peak Pyramid Peak from Hwy 50 directly hiking in, to the Desolation Wilderness.
Climate
edit| Climate data for Crystal Range, California (38°54′48″N 120°13′00″W / 38.9133°N 120.2167°W, elevation 8,996 ft / 2,742 m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.9 (2.7) |
35.9 (2.2) |
38.4 (3.6) |
41.5 (5.3) |
49.4 (9.7) |
59.3 (15.2) |
67.9 (19.9) |
67.8 (19.9) |
62.2 (16.8) |
52.4 (11.3) |
42.5 (5.8) |
36.4 (2.4) |
49.2 (9.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20.1 (−6.6) |
18.2 (−7.7) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
38.1 (3.4) |
45.9 (7.7) |
45.7 (7.6) |
40.5 (4.7) |
32.3 (0.2) |
24.9 (−3.9) |
19.9 (−6.7) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 18.26 (464) |
15.83 (402) |
15.82 (402) |
8.29 (211) |
6.45 (164) |
1.51 (38) |
0.23 (5.8) |
0.45 (11) |
0.92 (23) |
5.32 (135) |
8.05 (204) |
19.86 (504) |
100.99 (2,563.8) |
| Source: PRISM [3] | |||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ a b "Pyramid". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
- ^ "Crystal Range". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
- ^ "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Oregon State. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
External links
edit- The Crystal Range seen from east within the Desolation Wilderness looking over Lake Aloha, Pyramid Peak on the left.
 | This El Dorado County, California–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |