Mount Darwin (California)

Last updated
Mount Darwin
Mount Darwin.jpg
Mount Darwin above Midnight Lake.
Highest point
Elevation 13,837 ft (4,218 m)  NAVD 88 [1]
Prominence 1,871 ft (570 m) [1]
Listing
Coordinates 37°10′01″N118°40′21″W / 37.1670217°N 118.6723880°W / 37.1670217; -118.6723880 [4]
Naming
Etymology Charles Darwin
Geography
Relief map of California.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Mount Darwin
Location Fresno and Inyo counties, California
Country United States of America
State California
County Fresno
Parent range Sierra Nevada, Evolution region
Topo map USGS Mount Darwin
Climbing
First ascent 1908 by Ernest Clayton Andrews and Willard D. Johnson [5]
Easiest route West Face, exposed scramble, class 3 with summit block class 4 [2]

Mount Darwin is a flat-topped mountain in the Sierra Nevada, on the border of between Fresno and Inyo counties in Kings Canyon National Park and the John Muir Wilderness of California.

Contents

History

Two Australian geologists, Ernest Clayton Andrews and Willard D. Johnson, made the first recorded ascent on August 12, 1908.

The modern name of the mountain was given to it in 1895 by Theodore S. Solomons and E. C. Bonner of the United States Geological Survey as part of a series of mountains named for the six major exponents of the theory of evolution. Mount Darwin is named for the naturalist, Charles Darwin. Other nearby mountains in the Evolution Group include Mount Mendel, Mount Fiske, Mount Haeckel, Mount Huxley, Mount Spencer, Mount Wallace, and Mount Lamarck. The area around the peaks, known as the Evolution Region, includes Evolution Basin and Evolution Valley. [6]

Nearby landmarks include Darwin Glacier and Darwin Canyon.

A similar exercise in naming mountains after naturalists and other late nineteenth century proponents of evolution theory was carried out at the West Coast Range in Tasmania, Australia. In contrast, Mount Darwin in Tierra del Fuego was given its name during the voyage of the Beagle by captain Robert FitzRoy to celebrate Darwin's 25th birthday on 12 February 1834.

Climate

Climate data for Mount Darwin 37.1676 N, 118.6747 W, Elevation: 13,245 ft (4,037 m) (1991–2020 normals)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Average high °F (°C)26.9
(−2.8)
25.6
(−3.6)
28.4
(−2.0)
31.6
(−0.2)
38.9
(3.8)
48.5
(9.2)
55.1
(12.8)
54.4
(12.4)
49.4
(9.7)
41.3
(5.2)
33.4
(0.8)
27.0
(−2.8)
38.4
(3.5)
Daily mean °F (°C)16.3
(−8.7)
14.5
(−9.7)
16.8
(−8.4)
19.7
(−6.8)
26.9
(−2.8)
36.2
(2.3)
43.2
(6.2)
42.5
(5.8)
37.2
(2.9)
29.8
(−1.2)
22.5
(−5.3)
16.5
(−8.6)
26.8
(−2.9)
Average low °F (°C)5.7
(−14.6)
3.3
(−15.9)
5.3
(−14.8)
7.8
(−13.4)
14.8
(−9.6)
24.0
(−4.4)
31.3
(−0.4)
30.6
(−0.8)
25.0
(−3.9)
18.3
(−7.6)
11.6
(−11.3)
6.1
(−14.4)
15.3
(−9.3)
Average precipitation inches (mm)8.19
(208)
6.77
(172)
6.02
(153)
3.77
(96)
1.93
(49)
0.52
(13)
0.38
(9.7)
0.25
(6.4)
0.36
(9.1)
1.92
(49)
2.68
(68)
7.55
(192)
40.34
(1,025.2)
Source: PRISM Climate Group [7]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Mount Darwin, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  2. 1 2 "Sierra Peaks Section List" (PDF). Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club . Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  3. "Western States Climbers Qualifying Peak List". Climber.org. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  4. "Mount Darwin". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2021-11-25.
  5. Secor, R.J. (2009). The High Sierra Peaks, Passes, and Trails (3rd ed.). Seattle: The Mountaineers. pp. 300–305. ISBN   978-0898869712.
  6. Browning, Peter (1986). Place Names of the Sierra Nevada . Berkeley: Wilderness Press. p.  67. ISBN   0-89997-119-9.
  7. "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved October 6, 2023. To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.