Split Mountain (Sierra Nevada)

Infobox Mountain
Name = Split Mountain
Photo = Split_Mountain.jpg
Caption = Sunrise on Split Mountain's east face, September 2004.
Elevation = Convert|14064|ft|m|0cite web
url=http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=HR2616
title = Datasheet for Split Mountain (PID HR2616)
work=U.S. National Geodetic Survey
accessdate=2007-09-08 ]
Location = California, United States
Range = Sierra Nevada
Coordinates = coord|37|01|15.38938|N|118|25|20.67655|W|type:mountain_region:US|display=inline,title
Prominence = Convert|1394|ft|m|0|abbr=oncite web
url=http://www.peaklist.org/CAmtnatlas/P1000/tables/Whitney4.html
title = Whitney IV. P1000s, California Mountain Atlas
work = Peaklist.org
accessdate=2008-09-08]
Parent peak = North Palisade
Type = granite
Topographic
USGS Split Mountaincite web
url=Gnis3|235207
title=Split Mountain
work=Geographic Names Information System
publisher=United States Geological Survey
accessdate=2008-09-08 ]
First ascent = 1887
Frank Saulque and partycite book
last=Secor
first=R.J.
title= The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes and Trails
origyear=1999
edition=2nd
publisher=The Mountaineers Books
location=Seattle
isbn=0-89886-625-1 ]
Easiest route = North slope scramble
Listing = SPS Emblem peakcite web
url=http://angeles.sierraclub.org/sps/spslist.htm
title = Peaks List
work = Sierra Club Sierra Peaks Section
accessdate=2008-09-08 ]
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position = left
pushpin_map_caption = Location in California
pushpin_mapsize = 150
latd=37|latm=1|lats=15|latNS=N
longd=118|longm=25|longs=21|longEW=W

Split Mountain is a peak in the Sierra Nevada in the US state of California, near the southeast end of the Palisades group of peaks. Its north summit rises to Convert|14064|ft|m|0, and is the eighth highest peak in the state.

The name Split Mountain, inspired by the shape of its double summit, was first coined by mountaineer Bolton Brown in 1895. Alternately, it has been called Southeast Palisade or South Palisade. cite book |last=Farquhar |first=Francis P. |authorlink=Francis P. Farquhar |title= Place Names of the High Sierra |origyear=1926 |url=http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/place_names_of_the_high_sierra/s.html |accessdate=2007-08-09 |publisher=Sierra Club |location=San Francisco ]

The two toned appearance of the mountain's eastern face is created by a roof pendant of darker colored granodiorite atop a lighter colored body of leucogranite.cite web
url=http://www.geosociety.org/fieldForums/05rpt01.htm
title = GSA Field Forum - Rethinking the Assembly and Evolution of Plutons
work = Geological Society of America website
accessdate=2008-09-08 ]

Split Mountain is one of the easier California fourteeners to climb. The least technical route is the class 2 north slope, which can be approached from the west or east. Joseph LeConte, Helen LeConte and Curtis Lindley took the simple western approach from Upper Basin when they climbed Split Mountain on July 23, 1902. A more common route to the north face is from the east, by way of Red Lake. Starting at the Red Lake trailhead, this trail covers Convert|6|mi|km|0 with Convert|4000|ft|m|-1 of elevation gain one way to the lake. From here, another Convert|3500|ft|m|-1|abbr=on of cross-country climbing, including a short class 3 ridge traverse, leads to the summit.

There are many more technical routes up both the north and south peaks of Split Mountain.

ee also

*List of California fourteeners

References

External links

* cite web
url=http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150493/summitpost.html
title=SummitPost - Split Mountain -- Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering
work=Summitpost.org
accessdate=2007-09-08