Palisades (California Sierra)

P1P5

Northern flank of the Palisades

The Palisades (also Palisade Range) are an unofficial, but used in climbers circles collective name for a group of mountains on the eastern flank of the southern Sierra Nevada in California. The group includes four peaks over 14,000 feet ( 4267 m), more than a third of all Fourteeners in California.

Geographical location

The mountain range is located west of the city of Big Pine above the Owens Valley, and draws on some 18 km in length from northwest to southeast. In the north closes, separated by the Bishop Pass, the Inconsolable Range at. The southern boundary is formed by the Taboose pass.

On the northeast side are the two largest glaciers of the Sierra Nevada, at the same time the southernmost of North America. The melt water of glaciers flowing east into the Big Pine Creek, which flows into the Owens River. To the west of the mountains lie the Palisade Lakes that drain through the Palisade Creek to Kings River. The crest of the mountains forming the border between the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park in the west and the John Muir Wilderness in the East, a strict nature reserve by the type of Wilderness Areas. On the west side of the long-distance hiking Pacific Crest Trail runs along below the group and provides access.

Glacier

Along the mountain range located on the northeast flank of several glaciers. The Palisade Glacier and the Middle Palisade Glacier are considered the longest glacier in the Sierra Nevada. The Palisade Glacier is the southernmost glacier in the United States and the larger of the two.

The Palisade Glacier formed about 700 years ago during the Little Ice Age. It is 0.8 km ², 1.2 km long and 0.8 km wide and lies at an altitude of about 3658 m to 4084 m. The glacier is - like many other world - hard hit by the global warming. It runs in a year by about 7 meters back. The Palisade Glacier is one of the few whose melt water is dammed by the moraine of the glacier limits in a lake. The thus created the lake appears turquoise by floating in the water glacier snow. The Big Pine Lake below the glacier has the same coloring. Other special features of the glacier are some minor crevasse and glacier mill, which was formed in a period of drought in 1977.

The Norman Clyde Glacier is one of the smaller glaciers in the Sierra Nevada. It lies directly on Norman Clyde Peak. A ridge separates the glacier from the larger, neighboring Middle Palisade Glacier.

Summit of the Palisades

North Palisade

The North Palisade ( German: " North Palisade " ) is the highest peak in the Palisades, and also the third highest in the Sierra Nevada. Characteristic of the mountain is the fact that it consists of several peaks. He has besides the main peak for another three peaks:

• Polemonium Peak, 4292 m; Prominence: 44-73 m
• Starlight Peak ( "Star Light Peak" ), 4292 m; Prominence: 24-49 m
• Thunderbolt Peak ( " flash -to-peak " ), 4268 m; VIPs: 68 m

These three tips are subordinate part of the massif of the North Palisade and the main peak. They are not considered as independent mountains, as their prominence is low.

Mount Sill

Mount Sill is 600 meters from the North Palisade, which is connected by a ridge with the mountain, and lies just south of the Palisade Glacier. The mountain was climbed in 1903 by James S. Hutchinson, Joseph N. LeConte, James Moffitt and Robert Pike for the first time. Joseph LeConte has named him after the poet Edward Rowland Sill. It lead from all directions routes to the summit, climbing experience is necessary.

Split Mountain

The Split Mountain ( German: " Split Mountain" ) or "South Palisade " ( German: " Südpalisade " ) is located near the southeast end of the Palisades The mountain forms the eight highest peak in California The name comes from its striking double peak forth. .. the mountain is regarded as one of the lighter four-thousand in California and in 1807 climbed for the first time by a group of climbers to Frank Saulque the mountain consists mainly of granite,. , the two-tone appearance of the eastern flank is due to the dark-colored granodiorite and the bright Leucogranit.

Middle Palisade

The Middle Palisade ( German: " Central Palisade " ) is approximately in the center of the Palisades. The Middle Palisade is the zwölfthöchsten peak in California. There are different sides of the mountain from different heavy routes to the summit. The easiest route passes over the east.

Mount Agassiz

Mount Agassiz was named by Lilbourne Winchell according to the Harvard professor Louis Agassiz. Later, the United States Geological Survey recognized this name as official. Mount Agassiz forms the northeastern part of the Palisades. From the west and south, there are routes to the summit, which is not clearly visible, however. You can quickly stray from the route and get into areas where you should not continue climbing without a rope.

Norman Clyde Peak

The Norman Clyde Peak was named probably from the first ascent (1930 ) Norman Clyde. To the north of the mountain is the Norman Clyde Glacier and east of the Middle Palisade Glacier. The mountain is located ( German: " palisades comb" ) between the Middle Palisade and Palisade Crest.

Mount Winchell

Mount Winchell was named after the geologist Alexander Winchell, he is one of the highest peaks in California. The mountain is located south of Mount Agassiz and is located in the northern part of the Palisades.