Merced Peak, with an elevation of , is the highest point in the
Clark Range,
just surpassing three other peaks;
Red Peak (11,704 feet),
Gray Peak (11,578 feet), and
Mount Clark (11,527 feet).
Merced Peak is located close to southern border of
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park ( ) is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The p ...
, near the
Ottoway Lakes. The summit can be approached from the Quartz Mountain Trailhead over Chiquito pass or from one of two trailheads on the road to
Glacier Point.
In 1871, influential Scottish-American naturalist
John Muir
John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the national park, National Parks", was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologi ...
discovered an active alpine glacier below Merced Peak, which helped his theory that Yosemite Valley was formed by glacial action gain acceptance.
Climate
According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Merced Peak is located in an
alpine climate
Alpine climate is the typical 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 alpine cli ...
zone.
Most
weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating air masses for which several characteristics differ, such as air density, wind, temperature, and humidity. Disturbed and unstable weather due to these differences often arises along the boundary. For ins ...
s originate in the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
, and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (
orographic lift), causing moisture in the form of rain or snowfall to drop onto the range.
See also
*
Intrusive Suite of Merced Peak
Gallery
File:Merced Peak, west.jpg, Merced Peak, west aspect
File:Merced Peak, Ottoway Lake.jpg, Merced Peak seen from Ottoway Lake
References
External links
*
"Merced Peak" Climber.org.
Mountains of Merced County, California
Mountains of Yosemite National Park
Mountains of Northern California
Sierra Nevada (United States)
{{MercedCountyCA-geo-stub