Mount Johnson is a 12,871-foot-elevation (3,923 meter) mountain summit located on the crest of 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
California, United States.
It is situated on the boundary between
Kings Canyon National Park and
John Muir Wilderness, and along the county line between
Fresno County and
Inyo County.
It is also west of the community of
Big Pine, southeast of Mount Gilbert, and west-northwest of
Mount Goode. Mount Johnson ranks as the 187th-highest summit in California.
is significant as the southwest aspect rises above LeConte Canyon in 1.5 mile, and the north aspect rises 3,100 feet above South Lake in 2.5 miles.
History
This mountain's name and location was proposed by the
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 ...
to honor
Willard Drake Johnson
Willard Drake Johnson (1860-1917) was an American glaciologist, topographer, cartographer, hydrographer, geologist, geographer, and ethnologist.http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/11/02/in-the-field-with-plane-table-and-horse/ His caree ...
(1859–1917), a geologist and topographer with the
U. S. Geological Survey
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, and ...
. The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1926 by the
U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
It is in the vicinity of other mountains named for distinguished members of the early U. S. Geological Survey, i.e.
Mount Powell,
Mount Gilbert,
Mount Thompson, and
Mount Goode.
Sierra Club member Jack Sturgeon climbed the peak August 14, 1939, by way of the western arête, and reported that the peak had previously been climbed twice by
Norman Clyde, who is credited with 130 first ascents, most of which were in the Sierra Nevada. Clyde made the first ascent of nearby Mt. Gilbert in 1928, possibly climbing Johnson around the same time.
Climbing
Established climbing routes:
* Southeast slope – class 2
* West ridge – 1939 by Jack Sturgeon
* North ridge – – July 16, 1960, by Barbara Lilley, Rich Gnagy, Sy Ossofsky
Climate
Mount Johnson is located in an
alpine climate zone.
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, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or
snowfall
Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...
onto the range (
orographic lift). Precipitation
runoff from this mountain drains south into the
Middle Fork Kings River, and north into
Bishop Creek.
See also
*
*
List of mountain peaks of California
References
External links
* Weather forecast
Mount Johnson* Mt. Johnson rock climbing
Mountainproject.com* Johnson, Willard Drake
Encyclopedia.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Mount
Inyo National Forest
Mountains of Inyo County, California
Mountains of Fresno County, California
Mountains of Kings Canyon National Park
Mountains of the John Muir Wilderness
North American 3000 m summits
Mountains of Northern California
Sierra Nevada (United States)