| Aperture Peak | |
|---|---|
 West aspect | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 13,265 ft (4,043 m)[1][2] |
| Prominence | 305 ft (93 m)[3] |
| Parent peak | Mount Agassiz (13,899 ft)[4] |
| Isolation | 0.44 mi (0.71 km)[4] |
| Coordinates | 37°07′05″N118°31′50″W / 37.1180306°N 118.5304725°W /37.1180306; -118.5304725[5] |
| Geography | |
  Aperture Peak Location in California Show map of California Aperture Peak Aperture Peak (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Inyo |
| Protected area | John Muir Wilderness |
| Parent range | Sierra Nevada Inconsolable Range[3] |
| Topo map | USGSNorth Palisade |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Cretaceous |
| Mountain type | Fault block |
| Rock type | Inconsolable Quartz Monzodiorite[6] |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1934 |
| Easiest route | class 3 via Jigsaw Pass[2] |
Aperture Peak is a 13,265-foot-elevation (4,043-meter) mountainsummit located inInyo County,California, United States.[5]
Aperture Peak is set within theJohn Muir Wilderness, on land managed byInyo National Forest. It is situated one-half mile east of the crest of theSierra Nevada mountain range in thePalisades area, just outside the boundary of Kings Canyon National Park. It is approximately 14 miles (23 km) west of the community ofBig Pine, one mile (1.6 km) east-northeast ofBishop Pass, one-half mile (0.80 km) north ofline parentMount Agassiz, and 0.8 miles (1.3 km) southeast ofPicture Puzzle. Aperture Peak ranks as the 95th-highest summit in California,[4] and the fourth-highest peak of the Inconsolable Range.[3]Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises 2,500 feet (760 meters) above the Big Pine Lakes in 1.5 mile. The west face of the peak features a large, white, diagonaldike, and arock glacier lies below the east face.
Thefirst ascent of the summit was made June 14, 1934, byDavid Brower and Hervey Voge.[2] This landform's toponym was officially adopted in 1969 by theU.S. Board on Geographic Names,[5] but the name was used informally by mountaineers for years prior.[7] The geological term "aperture" is the measure of the distance separating adjacent rock walls relating to joints and open discontinuities.
According to theKöppen climate classification system, Aperture Peak is located in analpine climate zone.[8] Mostweather fronts originate in thePacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range. Precipitationrunoff from this mountain drains east into headwaters of North ForkBig Pine Creek, and west into headwaters of South ForkBishop Creek.
Places adjacent to Aperture Peak | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
