Mount Morrison (California)

{{Short description|Mountain in the American state of California}}

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Mount Morrison

| photo = Mount Morrison.jpg

| photo_caption = Mount Morrison from Long Valley

| elevation = 12,241 ft (3,731 m)

| elevation_ref = {{NAVD88}}{{cite peakbagger |pid=2649 |name=Mount Morrison, California}}

| prominence_ft = 164

| prominence_ref =

| listing = {{unbulleted list

| Sierra Peaks Section Mountaineers peak{{cite sps |accessdate=2009-01-21}}

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

| location = Mono County, California. U.S.

| map = California#USA

| map_caption = Location in California

| map_size = 240

| label_position = below

| range = Sierra Nevada

| coordinates = {{coord|37.5613238|N|118.8584611|W|type:mountain_region:US-CA_scale:100000_source:GNIS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| range_coordinates =

| coordinates_ref = {{cite gnis |id=263848 |name=Mount Morrison |accessdate=2009-08-13}}

| topo = USGS Convict Lake

| type = Metamorphic rock

| age = Paleozoic

| first_ascent = 1928 by Norman Clyde or John Mendendhall{{cite Roper |pages=128, 339}}

| easiest_route = Scramble, {{YDS|2}}

}}

Mount Morrison is located in the Sierra Nevada, in the Sherwin Range. It rises south of Convict Lake near the town of Mammoth Lakes.

History

The mountain was named for Robert Morrison, a merchant in the town of Benton, who was killed near Convict Lake on September 23, 1871, while he was acting as member of a posse pursuing escaped convicts from the Nevada State Penitentiary.{{cite Farquhar |index=M |accessdate=2009-08-13}} Nearby is Mono Jim Peak which is named for Mono Jim, a Paiute guide, who died in the same gun fight.{{cite gnis |id=274657 |name=Mono Jim Peak |accessdate=2009-08-13}}

Climbing

Sources state that Norman Clyde climbed to the peak on June 22, 1928, and that John Mendendhall also reached the summit in 1928 but the month of his ascent is not documented. There are several routes to the summit, the easiest consisting of a Class 2 scramble and bushwack.

Due to its imposing north face, Mount Morrison is also nicknamed the "Eiger of the Sierra."{{cite book|last1=Secor|first=RJ|year=2009|title=The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, Trails|location=United States|publisher=Mountaineers Books|page=364|isbn=9780898869712|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u0sc6cgA1IUC&q=Eiger}} The east face consists of extremely loose rock and one should exercise extreme caution when attempting the face.

On April 14–15, 2023, climbers Jack Cramer, Tad McCrea, and Vitaliy Musiyenko made the first ascent of Troll Toll (600m, 16 pitches, WI3 M5/6) on Mount Morrison's northeast face.{{Cite web |title=AAC Publications - Mt. Morrison, Northeast Face, Troll Toll |url=https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201216777 |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=publications.americanalpineclub.org}}{{Cite web |title=Big new mixed climb on Mount Morrison, the Eiger of the Sierra, by Jack Cramer, Tad McCrea, Vitaliy Musienko |url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/alpinism/big-new-mixed-climb-mount-morrison-eiger-of-the-sierra-jack-cramer-tad-mccrea-vitaliy-musienko.html |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=PlanetMountain.com}} In 2024, members of the Piolets d'Or technical committee named the climb one of the most notable climbs of 2023.{{Cite web |title=Piolets d'Or - 2024 Significant ascents |url=https://www.pioletsdor.net/index.php/en/home/2024-significant-ascents |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=www.pioletsdor.net}}

Geology

File:Sierra Mountain Range by Ines Roberts (49494592728).jpg behind, left]]

Highly tilted and faulted metasedimentary rocks are exposed on Mount Morrison. Formations include the Ordovician Convict Lake Formation (argillite and siliceous hornfels and slate), the Lower Devonian to Silurian Aspen Meadow Formation (siliceous and calc-silicate hornfels), the Middle Devonian Mount Morrison Sandstone (calcareous quartz sandstone), and the Upper Devonian Squares Tunnel Formation (black chert and argillite). The Mount Morrison Fault passes near the summit.Greene, DC, and CH Stevens (2002) [http://personal.denison.edu/~greened/geol-map-mt-morrison.pdf Geologic Map of Paleozoic Rocks in the Mount Morrison Pendant, Eastern Sierra Nevada.] California Map Sheet no 53. California Division of Mines and Geology, Sacramento, California.

Fulgurites, natural hollow glass tubes, are found at the top of the mountain.{{Cite book |last=Libby |first=Christopher A. |url=http://www.usfcam.usf.edu/cam/exhibitions/1998_12_McCollum/supplemental_didactics/29.SierraUp.pdf |title=Fulgurite in the Sierra Nevada An Update |collaboration=Outward Bound, Mammoth Lakes California |date=June 1988 |edition=California Geology}} These oddities are formed by lightning acting on certain types of sand or soil.

References

External links

{{cite summitpost |id=150531 |name=Mount Morrison}}

Category:Mountains of the John Muir Wilderness

Category:Mountains of Mono County, California

Category:Mountains of Northern California