Mount Langley

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Mount Langley

| photo = MountLangley.jpg

| photo_caption =

| elevation_ft = 14032

| elevation_ref = {{NAVD88}}{{cite peakbagger |pid=2845 |name=Mount Langley, California |accessdate=2009-01-20}}

| prominence_ft = 1165

| prominence_ref =

| parent_peak = Mount Whitney{{cite peakbagger |kid=2845 |name=Key Col for Mount Langley |accessdate=2016-03-23}}

| listing = {{unbulleted list

| California fourteeners 9th{{cite peakbagger |lid=21319 |name=California 14,000-foot Peaks |accessdate=2016-03-23}}

| Sierra Peaks Section{{cite sps |accessdate=2009-08-12}}

| Western States Climbers Star peak{{cite wsc |accessdate=2016-03-24}}

| Vagmarken Sierra Crest List{{cite vagmarken |access-date=2021-11-10}} }}

| map = California

| map_caption = none

| map_size = 200

| location = Inyo / Tulare counties, California, U.S.

| range = Sierra Nevada

| coordinates = {{coord|36.5232685|N|118.2389774|W|type:mountain_region:US-CA_scale:100000_source:GNIS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| coordinates_ref = {{cite gnis |id=1654923 |name=Mount Langley |accessdate=2009-01-20}}

| topo = USGS Mount Langley

| first_ascent = Unknown, but prior to 1871{{cite Secor |edition=3 |pages=43–44}}

| easiest_route = Hike from New Army Pass on the south, {{YDS|1}}

}}

Mount Langley is a mountain located on the crest of the Sierra Nevada, on the boundary between Inyo and Tulare counties in eastern California, in the United States. To the east is the Owens Valley, and to the west is the Kern River Valley. It is the ninth-highest peak in the state and the seventh-highest in the Sierra. Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States, lies {{convert|4.8|mi}} to the northwest. Mount Langley also has the distinction of being the southernmost fourteener in the United States.

History

Today, the mountain is named after Samuel Pierpont Langley. In the early 1870s, it was confused with Mount Whitney by early climbers, and called by this name. When the mistake was realized, the peak was alternately called Mount Corcoran, Cirque Peak, or Sheep Mountain;{{cite Farquhar |index=L |accessdate=2009-01-20}} the former two names being later attached to other mountains. But its current name became established in local usage, and was made official by the Board on Geographic Names in 1943.

Climbing

File:Epic (3955143048).jpg

Mount Langley is one of the easiest of California's fourteeners to climb.{{cite web |title=California 14ers - Guided Summit Climbs with AAI |website=American Alpine Institute |url=http://www.alpineinstitute.com/catalog/california-fourteeners-climbs/ |access-date=2021-11-10 |archive-date=2021-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923050903/https://www.alpineinstitute.com/catalog/california-fourteeners-climbs/ |url-status=live }} A hiking trail starts at nearby Horseshoe Meadow, at an elevation of about {{convert|10000|ft|m|0}}, passes scenic Cottonwood Lakes, and climbs through New Army Pass. From there hikers travel cross-country to Old Army Pass, where they may pick up the recently constructed Class 1 Mount Langley Trail, which follows a series of large rock cairns for the two mile push to the summit.{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/upload/SEKI_MtLangleyUseTrails_20150611_Final.pdf |title=Climbing Mount Langley? |publisher=National Park Service |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170304010249/https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/upload/SEKI_MtLangleyUseTrails_20150611_Final.pdf |archivedate=2017-03-04 |accessdate=2020-11-10}} New Army Pass is {{convert|7|mi|km|0}} from the trailhead at Horseshoe Meadow and is an easier but longer approach to Langley than Old Army Pass via Cottonwood Lakes Trail.{{cite web|title=Mount Langley in Sequoia National Park|url=https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/mount-langley-hike-sequoia/|website=hikespeak.com|publisher=Hikespeak - Sierra Nevada Mountains|accessdate=May 11, 2017|archive-date=July 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702035523/https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/mount-langley-hike-sequoia/|url-status=live}}

Due to the elevation, both passes are covered with snow most of the year. New Army Pass sits on a south-facing slope and it tends to clear of snow somewhat earlier in the season. Old Army Pass is only clear of snow for less than two months per year, from mid-August to early October. During the winter months, even the paved road to Horseshoe Meadow is closed, making the summit significantly harder to reach.

The first recorded climb of the mountain was in 1871 by Clarence King and the French mountaineer Paul Pinson.{{cite book |last=Hill |first=Mary |title=Geology of the Sierra Nevada |publisher=University of California Press |page=99 |year=2006 |edition=revised |isbn=0-520-23696-3}}

Climate

{{Weather box

|location = Mount Langley 36.5192 N, 118.2388 W, Elevation: {{cvt|13159|ft}} (1991–2020 normals)

|single line = y

|Jan high F = 26.3

|Feb high F = 25.1

|Mar high F = 28.0

|Apr high F = 32.8

|May high F = 40.3

|Jun high F = 50.5

|Jul high F = 56.8

|Aug high F = 55.9

|Sep high F = 50.8

|Oct high F = 43.0

|Nov high F = 33.1

|Dec high F = 26.3

|Jan mean F = 17.1

|Feb mean F = 15.3

|Mar mean F = 17.8

|Apr mean F = 21.8

|May mean F = 27.7

|Jun mean F = 36.9

|Jul mean F = 42.9

|Aug mean F = 42.1

|Sep mean F = 38.2

|Oct mean F = 31.4

|Nov mean F = 23.5

|Dec mean F = 17.3

|Jan low F = 7.8

|Feb low F = 5.5

|Mar low F = 7.7

|Apr low F = 10.8

|May low F = 15.1

|Jun low F = 23.3

|Jul low F = 28.9

|Aug low F = 28.2

|Sep low F = 25.5

|Oct low F = 19.8

|Nov low F = 13.9

|Dec low F = 8.3

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 8.48

|Feb precipitation inch = 7.04

|Mar precipitation inch = 6.08

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.08

|May precipitation inch = 1.49

|Jun precipitation inch = 0.45

|Jul precipitation inch = 0.43

|Aug precipitation inch = 0.25

|Sep precipitation inch = 0.35

|Oct precipitation inch = 1.92

|Nov precipitation inch = 2.55

|Dec precipitation inch = 8.00

|source=PRISM Climate Group{{cite web

|url= http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/

|title= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University

|publisher= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University

|access-date= October 8, 2023

|quote= To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.

|archive-date= July 25, 2019

|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190725164937/http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/

|url-status= live

}}