Mount Dana

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Mount Dana
Mount Dana as seen from the west. The hike to the top goes up this face.
Elevation	13,061 feet (3,981 m)
Location	California, USA
Range	Sierra Nevada
Coordinates	37°53′59.64″N, 119°13′15.93″W
Topo map	USGS Mount Dana
Type	Metamorphic rock
Age of rock	Cretaceous
First ascent	1863 by Josiah Whitney, William H. Brewer, and Charles F. Hoffmann
Easiest route	hike

Mount Dana is a mountain on the eastern edge of Yosemite National Park in the U.S. state of California. At an elevation of 13,061 feet, it is the 420th highest mountain in the world, the 112th highest mountain in North America, the 88th highest mountain in the U.S., the 18th highest mountain in California, and the 2nd highest mountain in Yosemite (after Mount Lyell).^[1] Mount Dana is the highest peak in Yosemite that does not require the aid of ropes in rock climbing. Mount Dana is named after James Dwight Dana, who was a professor of geology at Yale College^[2]

Mount Dana is composed of prebatholithic rock that is mostly reddish metamorphic rock, which was composed by metavolcanics of surfacing magma from the Mesozoic Era.^[3][4]

Mount Dana's northern face includes a small, receding glacier known as the Dana Glacier.

[edit] The Hike

Mount Dana is typically hiked from its western face beginning at the Tioga Pass Yosemite Park entrance and is a class 1-2 hike, rising 3108 feet in elevation in 2.9 miles from the park entrance at Tioga Pass (a 20.3% average grade). There is a clearly marked path leading just above treeline. After topping a ridge, a set of use-paths and ducked routes are present, with the main path running along the easterly ridgeline. Additionally, numerous alternate trail segments begin and end at various points on the southwestern face, making parts of this hike a difficult class 2. The path segments turn into scree toward the summit, where a shallow stone-walled shelter and register are found. Total round trip hiking time can be anywhere between 3 and 12 hours depending many factors, such on acclimatization to elevation.

After reaching a plateau above the treeline, almost all vegetation disappears with the exception of lichen and a few high alpine Sky Pilot (Polemonium eximium). Fauna are largely limited to spiders and insects, such as black/brown grasshoppers. The only mammals other than humans are marmots, often fed by hikers against Park warnings.

Thunderstorms are known to arise suddenly, making the rocks slippery, and the hiking dangerous year round. Temperatures can drop very quickly, with hot 100 F weather dropping to freezing levels during a hailstorm. Even experienced hikers can face altitude sickness, due to the high elevation.

[edit] Surrounding Area

The Dana Meadows lie at the foot of the mountain. From the top, lakes throughout Dana Meadows, Mono Lake, and many other mountains are in view.

View of Mount Dana and the Dana Plateau from Mono Lake, with tufa in foreground

View from summit of Mount Dana

View of Dana Meadows from Mount Dana

View of Mono Lake from Mount Dana summit

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Directions
• Maps and aerial photos
  • WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
  • Surrounding area map from Google Maps
  • Location in the United States from the Census Bureau