Tehachapi Mountains

Panoramic view

The Tehachapi Mountains [ tɘ'hæʃə ˌ pi] are part of the Transverse Ranges in the U.S. state of California. The mountain range located in Southern California proceeds from southwest to northeast and connects the southern California coastal mountains to the west with the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in the east. The mountain range extends over 64 km in southern Kern County, southeast of Bakersfield and vary in height from approximately 1220 m to 2400 m. The highest mountain is the Double Mountain with an altitude of 2433 m.

The name Tehachapi possibly comes from the language of the Indians Kawaiisu where tihachipia means something as difficult to climb. It is unclear, however, what the Kawaiisu have used this term. The name in its present meaning of the botanist William Henry Brewer was first used in 1863.

Description

The mountain range forms the watershed between the San Joaquin Valley in the northwest and the Antelope Valley in the southeast part of the Mojave Desert and the Great Basin. The mountain is crossed at its southwestern end of Interstate 5 at the Tejon Pass. Located at the northeastern end of the Tehachapi Mountains Pass is less steep. It is crossed by the Southern Pacific Railroad with the Tehachapi Loop, California State Route 58 and the California Aqueduct, which supplies Southern California with water from the Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta. The Los Angeles Aqueduct flows south past the mountains.

Although the Tehachapi Mountains are no long and no high mountains, they are held by many Californians for the border between Northern and Southern California (although some believe that Southern California EXTEND further north up in the area around Fresno ). Cleavage of California was twice in 1860 and 1965, discussed both designs hit the ridge of the Tehachapi Mountains as the new frontier before. Both proposals failed. The Ridge Route was the first road that was built in the early 20th century about this mountain and northern and southern California combined. Today, Interstate 5 follows in many places of the original route. The construction of the Ridge Route is said to have helped to prevent a split into two separate states.

The cement plant The Monolith, which supplied the cement for the construction of the Hoover Dam and other public buildings, is located in the Tehachapi Mountains east of Tehachapi Pass.

Geology

The Tehachapi Mountains are a result of movements of the south-east, lying parallel to the mountains Garlock Fault, a major transform fault that runs from the San Andreas Fault in the west to the Sierra Nevada fault to the east and beyond. The fault is a left - sided rejection and unusual for California, their movement is in contrast to most of the turmoil in the state that are right - side distortions.

Flora and Fauna

The forests consist mainly of oaks and in the mountain regions of the characteristic conifers. Some of the rare species include incense cedar, fir and Colorado in a few remote places there are small deposits of American aspens. Other plants occurring here are coffers flowers and Cercocarpus.

68 bird species were detected in the Tehachapi Mountains ( among them the Steller ), that feed on acorns also many of the California black oak. In mammals can be found mule deer, cougars, coyotes, foxes, black bears, bobcats, and raccoons.

Climate

The mountain range shows a cross section through several climate zones, it forms the border between the arid climate of the Mojave Desert in the south and Mediterranean climate in most of the mountains to the northern San Joaquin Valley. The higher areas are sub-alpine climate.

The Great Basin in the east and southeast typically receives only a few inches of rainfall per year, usually in winter. However, the summer can bring localized torrential rain. The prevailing wind direction is north-east, the wind whistles then regularly over the passes and in the east-west canyons and valleys of the Tehachapi Mountains. In the northwest, the San Joaquin Valley, with its extensive connections and their oak savanna. The Tehachapi Mountains collect the marine and Talfeuchtigkeit, the windward settles many weeks in the year in dense fog on the slopes of the mountain. The higher northbound ( subalpine ) slopes are covered with conifers, California black oaks and California shrub oaks, while evergreen oaks, shrubs and gray pine occur on the southern ( continental climate ) slopes, typical of the relationship between the moisture -storing northern slopes and the exposed southern slopes. The summit area is semi-arid. Canyons, even those on the south side, may lead throughout the year flowing water, especially where the slope for additional precipitation from passing storms, makes, and during the spring thaw.

Seen from the Sierra Crest Cummings Mountain from

Alpine Forest Tehachapi above

Tejon Ranch with Frazier Mountain

Summit

  • Double Mountain ( 2433 m)
  • Tehachapi Mountain (2426 m)
  • Cummings Mountain ( 2365 m)
  • Bear Mountain ( 2109 m)
  • Black Mountain (1733 m)
  • Grapevine Peak ( 1468 m)
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