Cirque Peak (California)
Cirque Peak is a 12,900-foot-elevation (3,900-meter) mountain summit located on the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. It is situated on the common border of Tulare County with Inyo County, as well as the shared boundary of Golden Trout Wilderness and John Muir Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest. It is 14 miles (23 km) southwest of the community of Lone Pine, 7.7 miles (12.4 km) south-southeast of Mount Whitney, and 3.2 miles (5.1 km) south of Mount Langley, the nearest higher neighbor. Cirque Peak is the highest point of the Golden Trout Wilderness, and ranks as the 175th highest peak in California. Topographic relief is significant as it rises 1,800 feet (550 meters) above Cirque Lake in approximately one mile. The Pacific Crest Trail traverses the southwest slope of this mountain, providing an approach option. The mountain was apparently named in 1890 by Joseph Nisbet LeConte and companions who noted the remarkable cirque on the north aspect.
| Cirque Peak | |
|---|---|
Northeast aspect | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,906 ft (3,934 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 900 ft (274 m) |
| Parent peak | Mount Langley |
| Isolation | 2.59 mi (4.17 km) |
| Listing |
|
| Coordinates | 36°28′37″N 118°14′13″W |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | cirque |
| Geography | |
Cirque Peak Cirque Peak | |
| Location |
|
| Parent range | Sierra Nevada |
| Topo map | USGS Cirque Peak |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Cretaceous |
| Mountain type | Fault block |
| Type of rock | granitic |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Exposed scramble, class 2 |