Colosseum Mountain

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Colosseum Mountain
Colosseum Mountain from northeast.jpg
Northeast aspect, from near Pinchot Pass
Highest point
Elevation 12,456 ft (3,797 m)  NAVD 88 [1]
Prominence 805 ft (245 m) [2]
Parent peak Mount Perkins (12,566 ft) [2]
Listing
  • Sierra Peaks Section [3]
  • Vagmarken Club Sierra Crest List [4]
Coordinates 36°54′26″N118°22′01″W / 36.9071905°N 118.3670042°W / 36.9071905; -118.3670042 [5]
Geography
Relief map of California.png
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Colosseum Mountain
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Colosseum Mountain
Location
Parent range Sierra Nevada
Topo map USGS Aberdeen
Climbing
First ascent August 5, 1922 [6]
Easiest route Hike, class 1

Colosseum Mountain is a 12,473-foot-elevation (3,802 meter) double summit mountain located on the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in northern California. [5] It is situated on the common border of Fresno County with Inyo County, as well as the shared boundary of John Muir Wilderness and Kings Canyon National Park. It is 12 miles (19 km) northwest of the community of Independence, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) east of Mount Cedric Wright, 2.6 miles (4.2 km) west of Sawmill Point, and 1.6 miles (2.6 km) south-southeast of Mount Perkins, the nearest higher neighbor. The lower east summit is 12,451-feet in elevation and marked as Colosseum Mountain on maps, but the 12,473-foot west summit is higher. [2] Approximately 1,000 feet distance separate the two summits. The John Muir Trail passes to the west of this peak, providing an approach to the mountain. The first ascent of the summit was made August 5, 1922, by Chester Versteeg, a prominent Sierra Club member, via the southwest face. [7] [8]

Contents

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Colosseum Mountain has an alpine climate. [9] 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 this mountain drains west into Woods Creek, which is a tributary of the South Fork Kings River, and east to the Owens Valley via Division Creek.

Climbing

Established climbing routes on Colosseum Mountain: [7]

See also

Colosseum Mountain by Ansel Adams Ansel Adams - National Archives 79-AA-H19.jpg
Colosseum Mountain by Ansel Adams

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Sawmill Point is a 9,429-foot-elevation (2,874 meter) mountain summit located in Inyo County, California. It is situated 2.6 miles east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in the John Muir Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest. It is also 10.5 miles (16.9 km) northwest of the community of Independence, and 2.6 miles (4.2 km) east of proximate parent Colosseum Mountain. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 4,770 feet above Owens Valley in two miles. The Sawmill Pass Trail traverses the east and south slopes of the peak, providing an approach option, and access to the John Muir Trail.

References

  1. "Colosseum Mountain, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Colosseum Mountain, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  3. "Sierra Peaks Section List" (PDF). Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club . Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  4. "Vagmarken Sierra Crest List". Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club . Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Colosseum Mountain". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  6. Secor, R.J. (1992). The High Sierra Peaks, Passes, and Trails (1st ed.). Seattle: The Mountaineers. p. 132. ISBN   978-0898863130.
  7. 1 2 Jones, Fred L. (1954). "A Climber's Guide to the High Sierra".
  8. Sierra Club Bulletin, (1923) page 421.
  9. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN   1027-5606.