Pilot Peak (Nevada)

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Pilot Peak
2015-09-29 08 37 08 View of Pilot Peak, Nevada from milepost 18 on Interstate 80 in the Bonneville Salt Flats of Tooele County, Utah, with still waters over the salt flats reflecting the clouds and mountains.JPG
Pilot Peak, looking northwest from Interstate 80 in Utah
Highest point
Elevation 10,720 ft (3,267 m) [1]
Prominence 5,726 ft (1,745 m) [2]
Listing
Coordinates 41°01′16″N114°04′39″W / 41.021122631°N 114.0773917°W / 41.021122631; -114.0773917 Coordinates: 41°01′16″N114°04′39″W / 41.021122631°N 114.0773917°W / 41.021122631; -114.0773917 [1]
Geography
Relief map of U.S., Nevada.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Pilot Peak
Location in Nevada
Location Elko County, Nevada, U.S.
Parent range Pilot Range
Topo map USGS Pilot Peak
Climbing
Easiest route Class 2 scramble from Miners Canyon [3]
Reference no.46 [4]

Pilot Peak (Shoshoni: Waahkai) is the highest mountain in the Pilot Range in extreme eastern Elko County, Nevada, United States. It is the most topographically prominent peak in Elko County and the fourth-most prominent peak in Nevada. [5] [6] The peak is on public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and thus has no access restrictions.

Contents

History

View of Pilot Peak from Interstate 80 in Nevada 2015-05-09 09 27 37 View of Pilot Peak, Nevada from Interstate 80 just east of Silverzone Pass.jpg
View of Pilot Peak from Interstate 80 in Nevada

Pilot Peak was named in 1845 for its use as an easily recognized landmark. John C. Fremont saw the peak from the east during his third expedition, mapping the Great Basin. Wondering whether his entire party could cross the desert he sent Kit Carson ahead to scout for water sources. Finding a perennial spring just east of the peak, Carson lit a large bonfire, the smoke from which signaled Fremont that the crossing was possible.

View from an airplane 2015-10-27 14 49 20 View of Pilot Peak, Nevada from an airplane.jpg
View from an airplane

In 1846 the Donner Party also used the peak as a landmark for their crossing of the Great Salt Lake Desert, part of the Hastings Cutoff emigrant route. Running out of water, they had to temporarily abandon their wagons and oxen in order to reach the springs (now called Donner Springs) at the base of the peak. They eventually recovered most of their stock animals and wagons, and continued their journey to the California Trail and the Sierra Nevada mountains.

2014-07-01 04 56 39 Panorama from the summit of Pilot Peak, Nevada.jpg
360-degree panorama from the summit of Pilot Peak

See also

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Hole in the Mountain Peak

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Pilot Range

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Verdi Peak (Nevada) Mountain in United States of America

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Goose Creek Mountains

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Matterhorn (Nevada)

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Star Peak (Nevada)

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Highland Peak (California)

Highland Peak is a prominent 10,936-foot-elevation mountain summit located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in Alpine County of northern California, United States. It is situated 3.5 miles east of Ebbetts Pass in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, on land managed by Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest. Although it ranks as the 680th highest summit in California, it ranks 36th highest of those with at least 500 meters of topographic prominence. Highland Peak has a subsidiary South Peak, with one-half mile separation between summits. The Pacific Crest Trail traverses the western foot of this mountain, providing an approach option.

References

  1. 1 2 "Pilot Peak". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey . Retrieved 2008-04-04.
  2. "Pilot Peak, Nevada". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
  3. "Pilot Peak". SummitPost.org. Retrieved 2011-05-07.
  4. "Nevada Historical Marker 46". Nevada State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  5. "Nevada Peaks with 2000 feet of Prominence". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2014-10-23.
  6. "Pilot Peak". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.