Muriel Peak is a 12,937-foot-elevation (3,943 meter) double summit mountain located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Fresno County, California, United States.[6] The true summit is set within the John Muir Wilderness on land managed by Sierra National Forest, whereas the slightly lower south summit is on the boundary shared with Kings Canyon National Park. It is situated one mile northeast of Mount Goethe and one mile south of Muriel Lake. Muriel Peak is the 167th-highest peak in California,[4] and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,600 feet (490 meters) above Muriel Lake.
| Muriel Peak | |
|---|---|
 North aspect | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,937 ft (3,943 m)[1][2] |
| Prominence | 377 ft (115 m)[3] |
| Parent peak | Mount Goethe (13,270 ft)[4] |
| Isolation | 0.96 mi (1.54 km)[4] |
| Coordinates | 37°13′02″N 118°41′35″W / 37.2172059°N 118.6930998°W[5] |
| Geography | |
  Muriel Peak Location in California  Muriel Peak Muriel Peak (the United States) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Fresno |
| Protected area | John Muir Wilderness |
| Parent range | Sierra Nevada[3] |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Darwin |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Cretaceous |
| Mountain type | Fault block |
| Rock type | Granodiorite |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1933 |
| Easiest route | class 2[4] Southwest ridge[6] |
History
editThe first ascent of the summit was made July 8, 1933, by Hervey Voge, who also named this mountain.[7][8] The landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, and was named in association with Muriel Lake which had previously been adopted in 1911.[5] The origin of the lake's etymology is a mystery, but was likely applied during a 1907–09 USGS topographic survey.[2]
Climate
editAccording to the Köppen climate classification system, Muriel Peak is located in an alpine climate zone.[9] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range. Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains north into headwaters of Piute Creek which is a tributary of the South Fork San Joaquin River.
Gallery
edit-
Muriel Peak (left), Mount Goethe (right) -
Muriel Peak at sunset
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ USGS Topographic Map - Mount Darwin
- ^ a b Peter Browning (1986), Place Names of the Sierra Nevada: From Abbot to Zumwalt, Wilderness Press, ISBN 9780899970479, p. 156
- ^ a b "Muriel Peak, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
- ^ a b c d "Muriel Peak - 12,937' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
- ^ a b "Muriel Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
- ^ a b R. J. Secor, The High Sierra Peaks, Passes, Trails, 2009, Third Edition, Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9781594857386, p. 311
- ^ Alan M. Hedden and David R. Brower, A Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
- ^ A Climber’s Guide to the High Sierra (1954), edited by Hervey H. Voge
- ^ "Climate of the Sierra Nevada". Encyclopædia Britannica.
External links
edit- Weather forecast: Muriel Peak
- Muriel Peak (photo): Flickr