Mount Gibbs

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

Mount Gibbs
Mount Gibbs, June 2004
Elevation	3,893 metres (12,773 feet)
Location	California, USA
Range	Sierra Nevada
Coordinates	37°52′38″N, 119°12′39″W
Topo map	USGS Mount Dana
Type	Metamorphic rock
Age of rock	Cretaceous
First ascent	1864 by Frederick Law Olmsted and William Henry Brewer, on horseback
Easiest route	hike

Mount Gibbs is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of the U.S. state of California, 2 miles (3 km) south of Mount Dana. The mountain was named after Oliver Gibbs, a professor at Harvard University and friend of Josiah Whitney. Its peak lies on the boundary between Yosemite National Park and Inyo National Forest.

The peak is accessible either from the west, starting at Tioga Pass Road, or from the east, via Bloody Canyon from the trailhead at Walker Lake. (Overnight camping is not permitted on the western side of the mountain, which is part of the protected watershed of Dana Meadows and Tioga Pass.) In the summer the mountain has only patchy snow, on the northern slope. The easiest ascent is via the ridge extending west from the peak; there is a steep section of loose, unstable rocks, leading to the gentle ridge that forms the top of the mountain. Although the top is above the tree line, there is some sparse plant life, including wildflowers. The view of Mono Lake from the summit is partially obstructed by an outcropping to the northeast.

A partial panorama from the summit of Mt. Gibbs. The western ridge of Mount Gibbs is in the foreground at the ridge edge of the photo.

[edit] External links

• 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