Goodale Mountain

Goodale Mountain is a mountain summit located one mile east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in Inyo County of northern California. It is situated less than two miles southeast of Taboose Pass in the John Muir Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest. It is also northwest of the community of Independence, and one mile northeast of Striped Mountain, the nearest higher neighbor. Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises above Owens Valley in 3.5 miles. It ranks as the 218th highest peak in California.

History

The mountain's name was officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names to commemorate Thomas Jackson Goodale, an Owens Valley pioneer who had an adobe house at nearby Fish Springs. The first ascent of the summit was made July 23, 1939, by Allan A. MacRae, Albion J. Whitney, and Norman Clyde who is credited with 130 first ascents, most of which were in the Sierra Nevada.

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Goodale Mountain has an alpine climate. Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range. Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains into Goodale and Taboose Creeks, thence Owens Valley.