Kuna Crest

Kuna Crest
Tioga Pass meadow, lake, Kuna Crest
Highest point
Elevation12,170 ft (3,710 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence919 ft (280 m)[1]
Coordinates37°50′38″N 119°15′25″W / 37.844°N 119.257°W / 37.844; -119.257[1]
Geography
Map
LocationYosemite National Park, California, U.S.
Parent rangeRitter Range, Sierra Nevada
Geology
Rock ageCretaceous
Mountain typeKuna Crest Granodiorite
Climbing
Easiest routeHike
Kuna Crest, and Mammoth Peak

Kuna Crest is a mountain range near Tuolumne Meadows, in Yosemite National Park, California.

Name

The word Kuna probably derives from a Shoshonean word meaning "fire," which appears in the Mono dialect of the area, with a meaning of firewood.[2][3] On the summit of near-by Kuna Peak, there are many jagged pieces of rock which resemble fire themselves; see Kuna Crest Granodiorite.

Geography and geology

The Crest lies between two U-shaped glacial valleys: Lyell Canyon and the canyon of the Parker Pass Creek. Mammoth Peak lies at the northern end of the Kuna Crest. A number of lakes lie in cirques cut into the eastern edge of the Crest, including Kuna Lake, Bingaman Lake, Spillway Lake, and Helen Lake.

The Crest consists of Kuna Crest Granodiorite, which is the oldest granitic rock of the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite. It is rich in biotite and hornblende.[4]

Rock climbing

Climbing on Kuna Crest consists of mostly of walking and scrambling; there isn't much rock climbing, on Kuna Crest proper.[5] There is a traverse, between Mammoth Peak and Kuna Peak.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Kuna Crest North, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  2. ^ Farquhar, Francis P. (1926). "Place Names of the High Sierra". yosemite.ca.us. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  3. ^ Kroeber, A.L. (2007). "California place names of Indian origin". Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  4. ^ Konigsmark, Ted. "Geologic Trips, Sierra Nevada" (PDF). geologictrips.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  5. ^ Overhang, Osprey (May 9, 2010). "Kuna Crest". mountainproject.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  6. ^ Overhang, Osprey (May 9, 2010). "Mammoth Peak to Kuna Peak". mountainproject.com. Retrieved 6 February 2019.