Hurd Peak

Hurd Peak
North aspect, from South Lake
Highest point
Elevation12,237 ft (3,730 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence477 ft (145 m)[1]
Parent peakMount Goode (13,085 ft)[2]
Isolation1.23 mi (1.98 km)[2]
Coordinates37°08′27″N 118°33′58″W / 37.1408984°N 118.5660725°W / 37.1408984; -118.5660725[3]
Naming
EtymologyH.C. Hurd[4]
Geography
Hurd Peak is located in California
Hurd Peak
Hurd Peak
Location in California
Hurd Peak is located in the United States
Hurd Peak
Hurd Peak
Hurd Peak (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyInyo
Protected areaJohn Muir Wilderness
Parent rangeSierra Nevada
Topo mapUSGS Mount Thompson
Climbing
First ascent1906 by H.C. Hurd[4]
Easiest routeExposed scramble, class 3[4]

Hurd Peak is a 12,237-foot-elevation (3,730-meter) mountain summit located one mile east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Inyo County of northern California, United States.[3] Surrounded by lakes, it is situated in the John Muir Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest. It is approximately 16 miles (26 km) west of the community of Big Pine, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Picture Puzzle, and 1.23 miles (1.98 km) north of parent Mount Goode. Topographic relief is significant as the north aspect rises nearly 2,500 feet (760 meters) above South Lake in approximately one mile.

Etymology

This mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1920 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names based on a recommendation by the Sierra Club.[3] It honors the memory of Hurd Clarence Hurd (April 16, 1870 – July 8, 1914), who made the first ascent in 1906 while connected with development work in the vicinity.[5] H. C. Hurd was a civil engineer who received his degree from Princeton University in 1893. He was elected as a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1913, but the following year met an untimely death by accidental drowning in Chesapeake Bay.[6]

Climbing

Established climbing routes on Hurd Peak:[7]

  • West Face via Treasure Lakes – class 3
  • East Face – class 3
  • South Ridge – class 4
  • Northeast Arete – class 5.5
  • North Ridge – class 5.7

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Hurd Peak is located in an alpine climate zone.[8] 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 onto the range (orographic lift). Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains into the South Fork of Bishop Creek.

  • Southeast aspect
    Southeast aspect
  • Southeast aspect, with Spearhead Lake and Long Lake
    Southeast aspect, with Spearhead Lake and Long Lake
  • Hurd Peak (left) from South Lake
    Hurd Peak (left) from South Lake
  • North aspect, with Mt. Goode to left
    North aspect, with Mt. Goode to left
  • Northwest aspect, from Lake 10668 of Treasure Lakes
    Northwest aspect, from Lake 10668 of Treasure Lakes
  • Southeast aspect, with Saddlerock Lake
    Southeast aspect, with Saddlerock Lake

References

  1. ^ a b "Hurd Peak, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  2. ^ a b "Hurd Peak". ListsOfJohn.com. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  3. ^ a b c "Hurd Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  4. ^ a b c Secor, R.J. (1992). The High Sierra Peaks, Passes, and Trails (1st ed.). Seattle: The Mountaineers. p. 223. ISBN 978-0898863130.
  5. ^ Alan M. Hedden and David R. Brower, A Climber's Guide to the High Sierra (1954)
  6. ^ Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, 1915, page 1433.
  7. ^ Hurd Peak, Mountainproject.com
  8. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.