Ritter Range
Encyclopedia
The Ritter Range is a small mountain range within California
's Sierra Nevada. Most of the mountain range lies within the Ansel Adams Wilderness
. The Range is easily viewed from Minaret Summit
, which is accessible by auto. The Ritter Range is most easily accessible from Mammoth Lakes, where hiking trails lead to lakes throughout the range. The John Muir Trail
passes by many lakes within the Ritter Range. The most prominent peaks of the Ritter Range are Mount Ritter
, at 13,143 feet, Banner Peak
, at 12,936 feet, and the Minarets
, a group of sharp peaks south of Mt. Ritter. Thousand Island Lake
, Ediza Lake, Garnet Lake, Lake Catherine, Minaret Lake
, Cecile Lake, and Shadow Lake all lie within the Ritter Range, and are accessible by trail.
The range is named for Carl Ritter
, who had been a teacher of Josiah Whitney
when he was a student in Berlin in the 1840s."
The Ritter Range, near the Minarets
and Minaret Lake
, was the site of the plane crash of Steve Fossett
in 2007.
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...
's Sierra Nevada. Most of the mountain range lies within the Ansel Adams Wilderness
Ansel Adams Wilderness
The Ansel Adams Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada of California, USA. The wilderness is part of the Sierra and Inyo National Forests. The wilderness spans...
. The Range is easily viewed from Minaret Summit
Minaret Summit
Minaret Summit is a mountain pass on Highway 203 in the central Sierra Nevada. The pass, lying on the Madera-Mono County border, is within the Mammoth Ranger District of the Inyo National Forest and located near Devils Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Lakes, and Mammoth Mountain. The elevation...
, which is accessible by auto. The Ritter Range is most easily accessible from Mammoth Lakes, where hiking trails lead to lakes throughout the range. The John Muir Trail
John Muir Trail
The John Muir Trail is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, running between the northern terminus at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley and the southern terminus located on the summit of Mount Whitney . For almost all of its length, the trail is in the High Sierra...
passes by many lakes within the Ritter Range. The most prominent peaks of the Ritter Range are Mount Ritter
Mount Ritter
Mount Ritter is located in the Sierra Nevada, in Madera County of California, in the Western United States. It is in the Ansel Adams Wilderness of the Inyo and Sierra National Forests. Mount Ritter is the 16th highest mountain peak of California.-Geography:...
, at 13,143 feet, Banner Peak
Banner Peak
Banner Peak is the second tallest peak in the Ritter Range of California's Sierra Nevada. The mountain is 12,936 feet tall and there are a few glaciers on its slopes. It lies within the boundaries of the Ansel Adams Wilderness; at the foot of the peak lie Garnet Lake, Lake Ediza, and the famous...
, at 12,936 feet, and the Minarets
Minarets (California)
The Minarets are a series of jagged peaks located in the Ritter Range, a sub-range of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the state of California. They are easily viewed from Minaret Summit, which is accessible by auto. The peaks bear a certain resemblance to the minarets of Islamic mosques...
, a group of sharp peaks south of Mt. Ritter. Thousand Island Lake
Thousand Island Lake
Thousand Island Lake is a large alpine lake in the Sierra Nevada, within the Ansel Adams Wilderness in eastern Madera County, California.The lake is named for the many small rocky islands that dot its surface. Theodore Solomons probably established the 'Thousand Island' name, as this appears on his...
, Ediza Lake, Garnet Lake, Lake Catherine, Minaret Lake
Minaret Lake
Minaret Lake is a lake in the Ritter Range, a subrange of the Sierra Nevada, in California. It is located in extreme northeastern Madera County, within the Ansel Adams Wilderness of the Inyo National Forest....
, Cecile Lake, and Shadow Lake all lie within the Ritter Range, and are accessible by trail.
The range is named for Carl Ritter
Carl Ritter
Carl Ritter was a German geographer. Along with Alexander von Humboldt, he is considered one of the founders of modern geography. From 1825 until his death, he occupied the first chair in geography at the University of Berlin.-Biography:Ritter was born in Quedlinburg, one of the six children of a...
, who had been a teacher of Josiah Whitney
Josiah Whitney
Josiah Dwight Whitney was an American geologist, professor of geology at Harvard University , and chief of the California Geological Survey...
when he was a student in Berlin in the 1840s."
The Ritter Range, near the Minarets
Minarets (California)
The Minarets are a series of jagged peaks located in the Ritter Range, a sub-range of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the state of California. They are easily viewed from Minaret Summit, which is accessible by auto. The peaks bear a certain resemblance to the minarets of Islamic mosques...
and Minaret Lake
Minaret Lake
Minaret Lake is a lake in the Ritter Range, a subrange of the Sierra Nevada, in California. It is located in extreme northeastern Madera County, within the Ansel Adams Wilderness of the Inyo National Forest....
, was the site of the plane crash of Steve Fossett
Steve Fossett
James Stephen Fossett was an American commodities trader, businessman, and adventurer. Fossett is the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon...
in 2007.