Rafferty Peak

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Rafferty Peak
Rafferty Peak, Nelson Lake.jpg
Southwest aspect, reflected in Nelson Lake
Highest point
Elevation 11,110 ft (3,386 m) [1]
Prominence 190 ft (58 m) [2]
Isolation 1.0 mi (1.6 km) [3]
Coordinates 37°48′55″N119°21′20″W / 37.8151546°N 119.3554826°W / 37.8151546; -119.3554826 [4]
Naming
Etymology Ogden Rafferty
Geography
Relief map of California.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Rafferty Peak
Location in California
Usa edcp relief location map.png
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Rafferty Peak
Rafferty Peak (the United States)
Location Yosemite National Park
Mariposa / Tuolumne counties
California, U.S.
Parent range Cathedral Range, Sierra Nevada
Topo map USGS Vogelsang Peak
Geology
Rock age Cretaceous
Mountain type Fault block
Rock type Granodiorite
Climbing
First ascent Edward W. Hernden [5]
Easiest route class 2 [3]

Rafferty Peak is an 11,110-foot-elevation (3,390-meter) mountain summit located in Yosemite National Park, in California, United States. It is situated on the common border shared by Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties. It is set south of Tuolumne Meadows in the Cathedral Range which is a sub-range of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The mountain rises one mile (1.6 km) northwest of Tuolumne Pass, 1.4 mile south of Johnson Peak, and 2.5 miles east of Matthes Crest. Tuolumne Pass is the low point of the saddle between Rafferty Peak and Fletcher Peak. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,500 feet (460 meters) above Nelson Lake in one mile.

Contents

History

This geographical feature was named in 1895 by Lieutenant Nathaniel Fish McClure who prepared a map of Yosemite National Park for use by troops. The name honors Captain Ogden Rafferty (1860–1922), Medical Corps, United States Army, who accompanied McClure on a patrol of Yosemite Valley. [4] This geographical feature's toponym was submitted by the National Park Service and officially adopted in 1932 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. [4] The first ascent of the summit was made by Edward W. Hernden, date unknown. [6]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Rafferty 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 this landform drains north to the Tuolumne River via Rafferty Creek, and south to the Merced River.

See also

References

  1. ↑ R. J. Secor, The High Sierra Peaks, Passes, Trails, 2009, Third Edition, Mountaineers Books, ISBN   9781594857386
  2. ↑ "Rafferty Peak, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Rafferty Peak - 11,110' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Rafferty Peak". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  5. ↑ Edward S. Robbins and Alfred W. Baxter, Jr., A Climber's Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
  6. ↑ Steve Roper, (1976), The Climber's Guide to the High Sierra, Sierra Club Books, ISBN   9780871561473, p 335.
  7. ↑ "Climate of the Sierra Nevada". Encyclopædia Britannica .
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