Kearsarge Pinnacles

Kearsarge Pinnacles
Kearsarge Pinnacles
	Northeast aspect, from Kearsarge Lakes
Highest point
Elevation	12,008 ft (3,660 m)
Prominence	131 ft (40 m)
Parent peak	University Peak (13,589 ft)
Isolation	0.65 mi (1.05 km)
Coordinates	36°45′29″N 118°23′15″W / 36.7579905°N 118.3875970°W
Geography
	Kearsarge Pinnacles Location in California Kearsarge Pinnacles Kearsarge Pinnacles (the United States)
Location	Kings Canyon National Park; Fresno County; California, U.S.
Parent range	Sierra Nevada
Topo map	USGS Mount Clarence King
Geology
Rock type	granitic
Climbing
Easiest route	class 3 to 5

Kearsarge Pinnacles is a linear series of 12 pillars and crags on a northwest–southeast trending ridge located one mile west of the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in the southeast corner of Fresno County, in northern California.^[3] It is situated in Kings Canyon National Park, 11 miles (18 km) west-southwest of the community of Independence, immediately southwest of the Kearsarge Lakes and Kearsarge Pass, and northwest of parent University Peak. The highest, number 4, rises to 12,008 feet in elevation (3,660 meters), whereas number 8 is the most prominent.^[1] Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 2,500 feet (760 meters) above Vidette Meadow in one-half mile. The John Muir Trail traverses below the west aspect of this remote geographical feature. The Kearsarge pinnacles, lakes, peak, and pass were named after the Kearsarge mine to the east, which was named by its owners after the USS Kearsarge.^[4] In turn, the ship was named after Mount Kearsarge in New Hampshire.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, the Kearsarge Pinnacles are located in an alpine climate zone.^[5] 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 ridge drains into tributaries of Bubbs Creek, which in turn is a tributary of the South Fork Kings River.