North Palisade
Encyclopedia
North Palisade is the third highest mountain in the Sierra Nevada range of California
. It is the highest peak of the Palisades
group of peaks in the central part of the range. It sports a small glacier (the Palisade Glacier
) and several highly prized rock climbing
routes on its northeast side.
. In 1895, Bolton Brown advocated yet another name, after David Starr Jordan
. U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein, supported by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer
, has introduced legislation to rename the peak as "Brower Palisade", in honor of environmentalist David Brower. There is significant opposition to this proposal.
The first ascent was made on July 25, 1903 by James S. Hutchinson
, Joseph Nisbet LeConte
and James K. Moffitt. They approached the area overland from south of the Palisades, and scouted possible routes from the summits of Marion Peak and Mount Sill
. Armed with this intelligence, they planned to ascend the southwest chute of the U Notch, and find a way to bypass the rock face between the notch and the upper reaches of North Palisade. Around 13100 feet (3,992.9 m), they followed a northward branch of this chute, and slowly climbed a difficult system of cracks. From here they found a catwalk ledge that took them to a series of icy gullies, bound toward the summit. These gullies were blocked by a pair of chockstones, requiring class 4 moves to pass. Beyond these obstacles, they crested the southeast ridge, and climbed a series of granite blocks to the summit.
After making this climb, LeConte is quoted as writing in a letter, "I have called the peak merely the North Palisade. Put Dusy's name on some less imposing mass, and give us a name to be handed down through all time."
The peak has been called North Palisade since that day, and received official recognition by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
.jpg)
North Palisade has several named subsidiary peaks (nearby peaks which have less than 300 ft (91 m) of topographic prominence
). These all lie on the main ridge crest, and are as follows:
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is the highest peak of the Palisades
Palisades (California Sierra)
The Palisades are a group of peaks in the central part of the Sierra Nevada in the US state of California. They are located about southwest of the town of Big Pine, California...
group of peaks in the central part of the range. It sports a small glacier (the Palisade Glacier
Palisade Glaciers
The Palisade Glacier is a glacier located on the northeast side of the Palisades within the John Muir Wilderness in the central Sierra Nevada of California. The Palisade Glacier is the largest glacier in North America....
) and several highly prized rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
routes on its northeast side.
History
North Palisade has a collection of names from the 19th century. The Wheeler Survey referred to it as Northwest Palisade in 1878. The following year, Lil Winchell called it Dusy's Peak after local rancher Frank DusyFrank Dusy
Frank Dusy was an early business leader of Selma, California and a co-inventor of the Fresno Scraper, the basis of most modern earth-moving machinery. On June, 16, 1885, Dusy and his partner Abijah McCall were issued U.S. Patent 320,055, for their improvement on the Buck Scraper, invented by James...
. In 1895, Bolton Brown advocated yet another name, after David Starr Jordan
David Starr Jordan
David Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
. U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein, supported by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
, has introduced legislation to rename the peak as "Brower Palisade", in honor of environmentalist David Brower. There is significant opposition to this proposal.
The first ascent was made on July 25, 1903 by James S. Hutchinson
James S. Hutchinson
James Sather Hutchinson was a lawyer in San Francisco, California, a mountaineer and an environmentalist. He was most noted for being an explorer of the Sierra Nevada....
, Joseph Nisbet LeConte
Joseph Nisbet LeConte
Joseph Nisbet LeConte was a noted explorer of the Sierra Nevada. He was also a cartographer, a photographer and a professor of mechanical engineering. He often went by J. N. LeConte in photographs and articles...
and James K. Moffitt. They approached the area overland from south of the Palisades, and scouted possible routes from the summits of Marion Peak and Mount Sill
Mount Sill
Mount Sill is one of the fourteeners of the Sierra Nevada in California. It is located in the Palisades, a group of striking rock peaks with a few small glaciers on their flanks. Mount Sill is located 0.6 miles east of North Palisade, the high point of the group. The two peaks are connected by a...
. Armed with this intelligence, they planned to ascend the southwest chute of the U Notch, and find a way to bypass the rock face between the notch and the upper reaches of North Palisade. Around 13100 feet (3,992.9 m), they followed a northward branch of this chute, and slowly climbed a difficult system of cracks. From here they found a catwalk ledge that took them to a series of icy gullies, bound toward the summit. These gullies were blocked by a pair of chockstones, requiring class 4 moves to pass. Beyond these obstacles, they crested the southeast ridge, and climbed a series of granite blocks to the summit.
After making this climb, LeConte is quoted as writing in a letter, "I have called the peak merely the North Palisade. Put Dusy's name on some less imposing mass, and give us a name to be handed down through all time."
The peak has been called North Palisade since that day, and received official recognition by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Subsidiary peaks
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
). These all lie on the main ridge crest, and are as follows:
- Polemonium Peak, 14,080+ ft (4,292+ m). Prominence of 160 feet (49 m). This lies between the "U-Notch" and "V-Notch" couloirCouloirA couloir is a narrow gully with a steep gradient in a mountainous terrain. A couloir may be a seam, scar, or fissure, or vertical crevasse in an otherwise solid mountain mass...
s (popular snow/ice climbs), 0.15 mi (0.25 km) east-southeast of North Palisade. Named on the USGS topographic map. The peak is named for the Polemonium eximiumPolemonium eximiumPolemonium eximium is a species of flowering plant in the genus which includes the Jacob's Ladders. Its common name is skypilot. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada in California where it grows in the talus of the high mountain slopes...
skypilot (plant) found in the area. - Starlight Peak, 14200 feet (4,328 m). Prominence of 80 feet (24 m). This is the northwest summit of North Palisade, less than 0.1 mi (0.15 km) from the main summit. Some climbing routes end atop this peak known for its famous "Milk Bottle", a 20 ft (6.1 m) pillar of rock with huge exposure .
- Thunderbolt Peak, 14003 feet (4,268 m). Prominence of 223 feet (68 m). About 0.25 mi (0.4 km) northwest of North Palisade. Named on the USGS topographic map. The Sierra Club guidebook notes: "This was the last 14,000 foot (4,267 m) peak to be climbed in the Sierra. During a wild storm on the first ascent, a bolt of lightning left Jules EichornJules EichornJules Eichorn was a California mountaineer, environmentalist and music teacher.- Early years :Jules Marquard Eichorn was born in San Francisco on February 7, 1912 to Hilmar and Frieda Eichorn, who were immigrants from Germany...
severely shaken; hence the name".
See also
- California 4000 meter peaks
- List of California fourteeners
- List of highest points in California by county
- Mountain peaks of CaliforniaMountain peaks of CaliforniaThis article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of the U.S. State of California.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Mountain peaks of North AmericaMountain peaks of North AmericaThis article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of greater North America.This article defines greater North America as the portion of the continental landmass of the Americas extending northward from Panama plus the islands surrounding that landmass...
- Mountain peaks of the United StatesMountain peaks of the United StatesThis article comprises three sortable tables of the major mountain peaks of the United States of America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Palisades of the Sierra Nevada