Mount Darwin (California)

Mount Darwin is a flat-topped mountain in the Sierra Nevada, on the border of between Fresno and Inyo counties in Kings Canyon National Park and the John Muir Wilderness of California.

Mount Darwin
Mount Darwin above Midnight Lake.
Highest point
Elevation13,837 ft (4,218 m)  NAVD 88[1]
Prominence1,871 ft (570 m) [1]
Listing
Coordinates37°10′01″N 118°40′17″W [4]
Geography
Mount Darwin
LocationFresno and Inyo counties, California
Parent rangeSierra Nevada, Evolution region
Topo mapUSGS Mount Darwin
Climbing
First ascent1908 by Ernest Clayton Andrews and Willard D. Johnson[5]
Easiest routeWest Face, exposed scramble, class 3 with summit block class 4[2]

History

Two Australian geologists, Ernest Clayton Andrews and Willard D. Johnson, made the first recorded ascent on August 12, 1908.

The modern name of the mountain was given to it in 1895 by Theodore S. Solomons and E. C. Bonner of the United States Geological Survey as part of a series of mountains named for the six major exponents of the theory of evolution. Mount Darwin is named for the naturalist, Charles Darwin. Other nearby mountains in the Evolution Group include Mount Mendel, Mount Fiske, Mount Haeckel, Mount Huxley, Mount Spencer, Mount Wallace, and Mount Lamarck. The area around the peaks, known as the Evolution Region, includes Evolution Basin and Evolution Valley.[6]

Nearby landmarks include Darwin Glacier and Darwin Canyon.

A similar exercise in naming mountains after naturalists and other late nineteenth century proponents of evolution theory was carried out at the West Coast Range in Tasmania, Australia. In contrast, Mount Darwin in Tierra del Fuego was given its name during the voyage of the Beagle by captain Robert FitzRoy to celebrate Darwin's 25th birthday on 12 February 1834.

See also

References
  1. "Mount Darwin, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  2. "Sierra Peaks Section List" (PDF). Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  3. "Western States Climbers List". Climber.org. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  4. "Mount Darwin". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  5. Secor, R.J. (2009). The High Sierra Peaks, Passes, and Trails (3rd ed.). Seattle: The Mountaineers. pp. 300–305. ISBN 9780898869712.
  6. Browning, Peter (1986). Place Names of the Sierra Nevada. Berkeley: Wilderness Press. p. 67. ISBN 0-89997-119-9.
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