Pyramid Peak is a 12,779-foot-elevation (3,895 meter) mountain summit located west of the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in Fresno County, California, United States.[4] It is situated in Kings Canyon National Park, 2.2 miles (3.5 km) southwest of line parent Mount Ickes and 2.2 miles (3.5 km) southeast of Arrow Peak, which is the nearest higher neighbor.[1] Other nearby peaks include Crater Mountain 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the northeast, and Window Peak one mile to the south. Pyramid Peak ranks as the 214th-highest summit in California,[3] and topographic relief is significant as the southwest aspect rises over 2,300 feet (700 meters) in approximately one mile.
| Pyramid Peak | |
|---|---|
 North aspect, centered in the distance | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,779 ft (3,895 m)[1][2] |
| Prominence | 608 ft (185 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Mount Ickes (12,959 ft) [3] |
| Isolation | 2.19 mi (3.52 km)[3] |
| Listing | Sierra Peaks Section |
| Coordinates | 36°54′23″N 118°27′44″W / 36.9064125°N 118.4621110°W[4] |
| Geography | |
  Pyramid Peak Location in California  Pyramid Peak Pyramid Peak (the United States) | |
| Location | Kings Canyon National Park Fresno County California, U.S. |
| Parent range | Sierra Nevada[1] |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Pinchot |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Cretaceous |
| Mountain type | Fault block |
| Rock type | Granodiorite |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1942 |
| Easiest route | class 2 [3] South ridge |
Etymology
editThis mountain was likely named by Joseph Nisbet LeConte when he and four companions climbed nearby Arrow Peak in June 1902 and noted an "unnamed, unknown peak", which he would later list as "Pyramid".[5] The toponym was labeled on the 1907 Mt. Whitney Quadrangle topographic map, and has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[4]
Climbing
editOne possible approach option to this remote peak is the John Muir Trail which passes to the east of the mountain. The first ascent of the summit was made July 21, 1942, by Art Reyman via a traverse from Window Peak to the south ridge.[6] Inclusion on the Sierra Peaks Section peakbagging list generates climbing interest.
Climate
editAccording to the Köppen climate classification system, Pyramid Peak is located in an alpine climate zone.[7] 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 the mountain drains into tributaries of the South Fork Kings River.
See also
edit
Gallery
edit-
Pyramid Peak centered in the distance, from WSW -
View south from near Cartridge Pass. Mt. Ickes to left, Pyramid Peak centered in the distance, Arrow Peak to right
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References
edit- ^ a b c d "Pyramid Peak, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
- ^ USGS Topographic map - Mount Pinchot
- ^ a b c d "Pyramid Peak - 12,778' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
- ^ a b c "Pyramid Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ Peter Browning (1986), Place Names of the Sierra Nevada: From Abbot to Zumwalt, Wilderness Press, ISBN 9780899970479, p. 176
- ^ Fred L. Jones, A Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
- ^ "Climate of the Sierra Nevada". Encyclopædia Britannica.