Herlihy Peak is an 11,758-foot-elevation (3,584 meter) mountain

summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...

located in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

mountain range in Mono County of northern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, United States. It is situated approximately four miles south of the community of

Mammoth Lakes Mammoth Lakes is a town in Mono County, California, and is the county's only incorporated community. It is located immediately to the east of Mammoth Mountain, at an elevation of . As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 7,191, r ...

, in the John Muir Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest. Herlihy Peak is positioned midway between landmarks

Crystal Crag Crystal Crag is a 10,377-foot-elevation (3,163 meter) summit located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Mono County of northern California, United States. This photogenic landmark, popular with rock climbers, is situated approximately three ...

and Bloody Mountain. Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises above Valentine Lake in approximately one mile, and the west aspect rises above Skelton Lake in 0.8 mile. Precipitation

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock market ...

from the peak drains to Mammoth Creek.

History

The

first ascent In mountaineering, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in guide books) is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain or the first to follow a particular climbing route. First mountain ascents are notable because they en ...

of Herlihy Peak was made September 3, 1966, by Bob Herlihy, Andy Smatko, Bill Schuler, and Ellen Siegal. R. J. Secor named the peak in memory of Bob Herlihy, a

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who be ...

member, who six years after making the first ascent, was killed by lightning on Mount Goode in July 1972. A memorial plaque and Bob's ashes are placed on the summit of Herlihy Peak. This mountain's toponym has not been officially adopted by the

United States Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal governm ...

, so it is not labelled on USGS maps, and will remain unofficial as long as the

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...

policy of not adopting new

toponyms Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

in designated wilderness areas remains in effect. Pyramid and Herlihy peaks

Climate

Herlihy Peak is located in an

alpine climate Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate. Definition There are multiple definitions of ...

zone. Most weather fronts originate in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

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.

References

, Northeast = Sherwin Creek , East = Laurel Mountain , Southeast = Bloody Mountain , South = Duck Lake , Southwest = Mammoth Crest , West = Skelton Lake , Northwest =

Inyo National Forest Mountains of Mono County, California Mountains of the John Muir Wilderness North American 3000 m summits Mountains of Northern California Sierra Nevada (United States)

History

Climate

See also

References

External links