Observation Peak (California)
Observation Peak is a summit located in Fresno County, California, United States.
Description
The mountain is set five miles west of the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in the Palisades area of Kings Canyon National Park. It is situated southwest of Middle Palisade, and one mile south-southeast of Mount Shakspere. Observation Peak ranks as the 323rd-highest summit in California, and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above Cataract Creek in approximately one mile. Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains into tributaries of the Middle Fork Kings River.
History
The first ascent of the summit was made July 25, 1902, by Joseph Nisbet LeConte and Curtis W. Lindley via Dumbbell Lakes. LeConte so named the peak because he used the summit as a triangulation base for mapping the area. This mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.
Climate
Observation Peak is located in an alpine climate zone. 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.