Smithsonian Institution Shelter

Last updated

Smithsonian Institution Shelter
Smithsonian Hut Whitney.jpg
The Smithsonian Institution Shelter, against the backdrop of the Sierra.
USA California location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Nearest city Lone Pine, California
Coordinates 36°34′43″N118°17′32″W / 36.57861°N 118.29222°W / 36.57861; -118.29222
Built1909
ArchitectArch, Speiden & Speiden
Architectural styleRustic architecture
NRHP reference No. 77000119
Added to NRHPMarch 08, 1977 [1]

The Smithsonian Institution Shelter, also known as the Mount Whitney Summit Shelter and the Mount Whitney Hut, was built in 1909 on the summit plateau of Mount Whitney, in the Sierra Nevada within Sequoia National Park, in California. It is the highest permanent building in the Contiguous United States.

Contents

History

The shelter at the summit was proposed after Byrd Surby, a U.S. Fisheries employee, was killed by lightning on the summit in 1904. It was built to house scientists who utilized the 14,505-foot (4.421 km) summit to study high-altitude phenomena in the era before sustained high-altitude flight became feasible. Samuel Piepont recommended this location to the government as a prime spot for an observatory following an expedition in the area. Plans to establish a summit shelter were made in 1908.

In 1909, the site was utilized by Charles Greeley Abbot , the director of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, to conduct spectroscopic observations of Mars, aiming to investigate the presence of water on the planet. Other studies conducted at the site included observations of cosmic rays and nocturnal radiation. [2] [3]

Although the structure was built in part as a shelter from storms, hikers are now warned against seeking shelter there during lightning storms.

Landmark

Gustave F. Marsh, the builder of the summit trail, built the shelter with funding from the Smithsonian Institution, with assistance from the Lick Observatory. The mortared granite shelter comprises three rooms in a line with windows in each and doors in the north and south rooms. The roof is corrugated metal on a steel truss frame. [4] The materials to build the shelter were carried to the summit by donkeys. [5] The shelter has a log book hikers may sign. The site has been considered for National Historic Landmark status, but has not been recommended for submission yet. [6] However, in 1977 the Smithsonian Institution Shelter was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Washington</span> Highest mountain in Northeastern United States

Mount Washington, also known as Agiocochook, is an ultra-prominent mountain in the state of New Hampshire. It is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288.2 ft (1,916.6 m) and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Elbrus</span> Highest mountain of Russia and Europe

Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in Russia and Europe. It is situated in the western part of the North Caucasus and is the highest peak of the Caucasus Mountains. The dormant volcano rises 5,642 m (18,510 ft) above sea level; it is the highest stratovolcano in Eurasia and the 10th-most prominent peak in the world. The mountain stands in Southern Russia, in the Russian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Whitney</span> Highest mountain in the contiguous United States

Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). It is in East–Central California, on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties, and 84.6 miles (136.2 km) west-northwest of North America's lowest point, Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, at 282 ft (86 m) below sea level. The mountain's west slope is in Sequoia National Park and the summit is the southern terminus of the John Muir Trail, which runs 211.9 mi (341.0 km) from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. The eastern slopes are in Inyo National Forest in Inyo County. Mount Whitney is ranked 18th by topographic isolation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Greeley Abbot</span> American astrophysicist

Charles Greeley Abbot was an American astrophysicist and the fifth secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, serving from 1928 until 1944. Abbot went from being director of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, to becoming Assistant Secretary, and then Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution over the course of his career. As an astrophysicist, he researched the solar constant, research that led him to invent the solar cooker, solar boiler, solar still, and other patented solar energy inventions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stellafane</span> Observatory

The Stellafane Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Springfield, Vermont, founded in 1920 by Russell W. Porter. The Pink Clubhouse was built in 1923 at the site by the Springfield Telescope Makers Club. The name Stellafane, suggested by Porter at the club's December 1923 meeting, is derived from the Latin words stella and fanum meaning "Shrine to the Stars", and originally referred specifically to the clubhouse, but has since come to refer to all of the club's land and buildings on the summit of Breezy Hill, west of downtown Springfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain hut</span> Building in the mountains with food and shelter

A mountain hut is a building located high in the mountains, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineers, climbers and hikers. Mountain huts are usually operated by an Alpine Club or some organization dedicated to hiking or mountain recreation. They are known by many names, including alpine hut, mountain shelter, mountain refuge, mountain lodge, and mountain hostel. It may also be called a refuge hut, although these occur in lowland areas too.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCormick Observatory</span> Observatory

The Leander McCormick Observatory is one of the astronomical observatories operated by the Department of Astronomy of the University of Virginia, and is situated just outside Charlottesville, Virginia (US) in Albemarle County on the summit of Mount Jefferson. It is named for Leander J. McCormick (1819–1900), who provided the funds for the telescope and observatory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Ida (Crete)</span> Central mountain massif in Crete also called Psiloritis.

Mount Ida, known variously as Idha, Ídhi, Idi, and Ita, is the highest mountain on the island of Crete, with an elevation of 2,456 metres (8,058 ft). It has the highest topographic prominence of any mountain in Greece. A natural park which includes Mount Ida is a member of UNESCO's Global Geoparks Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Huts of the White Mountains</span> Mountain huts in New Hampshire

The High Huts of the White Mountains are eight mountain huts in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, owned and maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club. They are modeled after similar huts in the Alps and positioned at intervals along the Appalachian Trail, allowing "thru-hikers" who hike the entire Appalachian Trail to benefit from their services. They are generally separated by six to eight miles, about a day's hike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory</span> United States historic place

The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory in Milton, Massachusetts is the foremost structure associated with the history of weather observations in the United States. Located atop Great Blue Hill about 10 miles south of Boston, Massachusetts, it is home to the oldest continuous weather record in North America, and was the location of the earliest kite soundings of the atmosphere in North America in the 1890s, as well as the development of the radiosonde in the 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilderness hut</span> Simple shelter or hut for temporary accommodation

A wilderness hut, bothy, backcountry hut, or backcountry shelter is a free, primitive mountain hut for temporary accommodation, usually located in wilderness areas, national parks and along backpacking and hiking routes. They are found in many parts of the world, such as Finland, Sweden, Norway, northern Russia, the Alps, the Pyrenees, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. Huts are basic and unmanned, without running water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbot Pass hut</span> Historic building in Alberta, Canada

The Abbot Pass hut was an alpine hut located at an altitude of 2,925 metres (9,596 ft) in Abbot Pass in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. It was nestled between Mount Victoria and Mount Lefroy, straddling the Great Divide, which, in this region, defines the boundary between Banff National Park in Alberta and Yoho National Park in British Columbia. While close to the border, the hut lay entirely in Banff National Park, and was the second-highest permanently habitable structure in Canada. The hut was maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Whitney Trail</span> Hiking trail to the summit

The Mount Whitney Trail is a hiking trail that climbs Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous United States. It starts at Whitney Portal, 13 miles (21 km) west of the town of Lone Pine, California. The hike is about 22 mi (35 km) round trip, with an elevation gain of over 6,100 feet (1,860 m). It is a very popular trail during Summer and Fall when ice and snow are not present, and therefore its access is restricted by quotas from May to October. Access during non-peak months require permits from the United States National Forest, but quotas are not necessary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp Muir</span> United States historic place

Camp Muir, named for the naturalist John Muir, is a high-altitude refuge for climbers in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, accessed through the Paradise Entrance. The shelters comprising the camp are situated at a 10,188 ft (3,105 m) elevation between the Muir Snowfield and the Cowlitz Glacier on Mount Rainier. Camp Muir is the most-used high camp for those attempting to climb to the mountain's summit. Camp Muir is between the Nisqually and Paradise Glaciers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaman's Hut</span>

Seaman's Hut is an alpine hut and memorial located in New South Wales, Australia. It was built following the death of two skiers, W. Laurie Seaman and Evan Hayes in 1928. Seaman's family built the hut to provide shelter to future users of the park, in order to prevent recurrence of a similar tragedy, which has since done.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volcano House</span> Historic Place in Hawaii County, Hawaii

Volcano House is the name of a series of historic hotels built at the edge of Kīlauea, within the grounds of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the Island of Hawai'i. The original 1877 building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and now houses the Volcano Art Center. The hotel in use today was built in 1941 and expanded in 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mont-Mégantic National Park</span>

Mont-Mégantic National Park(Parc national du Mont-Mégantic) is a provincial park in Quebec, Canada. It is located near the municipality of Notre-Dame-des-Bois in the Estrie region. The park was created in 1994 and is adjacent to the Samuel-Brisson Ecological Reserve which is located northeast of it.

The Brukkaros Solar Observatory was a solar observatory installed on Brukkaros Mountain in the ǁKaras Region of Namibia. It was financed and operated by a cooperation of the American National Geographic Society and the Smithsonian Institution, and it was operational between 1926 and 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendelstein (mountain)</span>

Wendelstein is a 1,838-metre-high (6,030 ft) mountain in the Bavarian Alps in South Germany. It is part of the Mangfall Mountains, the eastern part of the Bavarian Pre-Alps, and is the highest peak in the Wendelstein massif. It lies between the valleys of the Leitzach and Inn and is accessible via the Wendelstein Cable Car and the Wendelstein Rack Railway. On its northern foothills rises the Jenbach, which becomes the Kalten on its way to the River Mangfall. Local valley settlements include Bayrischzell, Brannenburg and Osterhofen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underhill State Park</span> State park in Chittenden County, Vermont

Underhill State Park is a state park in Underhill, Vermont. It is situated on the west slope of 4,300 feet Mount Mansfield, in the 39,837-acre Mount Mansfield State Forest. Activities includes hiking, camping, mountain biking, stream fishing, wildlife watching, and picnicking. Facilities include group and individual camping areas, a picnic shelter, and hiking trails. The park is formally open between Memorial Day weekend and Columbus Day weekend, but is accessible for periods outside those times; fees are charged. Much of the park's infrastructure was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s; these facilities were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "SAO Mount Whitney Shelter Erected". Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. December 9, 2008.
  3. "Mt. Whitney's Early Days". Mount Whitney History. Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce. December 9, 2008. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012.
  4. "Smithsonian Institution Shelter". List of Classified Structures. National Park Service. December 9, 2008.
  5. Py-Lieberman, Beth (August 27, 2009). "The Mount Whitney Hut Turns 100". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  6. "National Register Sites considered but not recommended for designation as National Historic Landmarks". National Historic Landmarks: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other Sites. National Park Service. December 9, 2008.