Stevens Peak (California)

Stevens Peak is a 10,059-foot-elevation (3,066 meter) mountain summit located in Alpine County, California, United States.

Stevens Peak
Northeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation10,051 ft (3,064 m)[1][2]
Prominence499 ft (152 m)[3]
Parent peakRed Lake Peak (10,072 ft)[4]
Isolation1.34 mi (2.16 km)[4]
Coordinates38°44′01″N 119°58′58″W[5]
Naming
EtymologyJ. M. Stevens
Geography
Stevens Peak is located in California
Stevens Peak
Stevens Peak
Location in California
Stevens Peak is located in the United States
Stevens Peak
Stevens Peak
Stevens Peak (the United States)
LocationAlpine County, California, U.S.
Parent rangeSierra Nevada[3]
Topo mapUSGS Carson Pass
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 2[4]

Description

This landmark of Hope Valley is set 13 miles (21 km) south of South Lake Tahoe, on land managed by Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest. Stevens Peak is situated in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, with precipitation runoff from the peak's east slope draining to the West Fork Carson River, whereas the west slope drains into the Upper Truckee River. The summit is situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of line parent Red Lake Peak, and three miles (4.8 km) north of Carson Pass. Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises 2,700 feet (820 meters) above California State Route 88 in 1.5 mile.

History

John C. Frémont was the first European-American to see Lake Tahoe, during his second exploratory expedition.[6] He and Charles Preuss saw the lake from the summit of what was likely Stevens Peak (or possibly Red Lake Peak) on February 14, 1844.[7][8]

This landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names,[5] and has been in use since at least 1896 when published by the Sierra Club.[9] The name honors Alpine County supervisor J. M. Stevens who operated a stage station in Hope Valley from 1864 through 1866.[2] The USGS surveyed this area in 1889 and labelled the geographic feature on their map.[10]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Stevens Peak is located in an alpine climate zone.[11] 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 (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range.

  • North aspect in winter, from Waterhouse Peak
    North aspect in winter, from Waterhouse Peak
  • Northeast aspect of Stevens Peak from Hope Valley
    Northeast aspect of Stevens Peak from Hope Valley
  • Southeast aspect
    Southeast aspect
  • East aspect of Stevens Peak in Hope Valley
    East aspect of Stevens Peak in Hope Valley
  • Southeast aspect
    Southeast aspect
  • Northeast aspect of Stevens Peak (right of center) from Hope Valley
    Northeast aspect of Stevens Peak (right of center) from Hope Valley
  • Northeast aspect of Stevens Peak (right) from Hope Valley. Red Lake Peak to left.
    Northeast aspect of Stevens Peak (right) from Hope Valley. Red Lake Peak to left.
  • Northeast aspect of Stevens Peak from Hope Valley
    Northeast aspect of Stevens Peak from Hope Valley

See also

Notes
  • Lidar measurements show the summit elevation to be 10,051 feet and prominence as 549 feet.[4]
  • Stevens Peak blocks some of the view of Lake Tahoe from Red Lake Peak. (Google Earth)

References
  1. United States Geological Survey topographical map - Carson Pass
  2. Peter Browning, Place Names of the Sierra Nevada: From Abbot to Zumwalt, 1986, Wilderness Press, ISBN 9780899970479, p. 209.
  3. "Stevens Peak, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  4. "Stevens Peak - 10,051' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  5. "Stevens Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  6. "Lake Tahoe Facts and Figures". Tahoe Regional Planning Association. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
  7. Fred Nathaniel Fletcher (1980), Early Nevada: The Period of Exploration, 1776-1848, University of Nevada Press, ISBN 9780874170610, p. 127
  8. Douglas E. Kyle, Hero Eugene Rensch, Ethel Grace Rensch, Mildred Brooke Hoover, William Abeloe (2002), Historic Spots in California, Fifth Edition, Stanford University Press, ISBN 9780804778176
  9. Sierra Club Bulletin, Volume 1, 1896, p. 13
  10. Erwin Gustav Gudde (1960), California Place Names, University of California Press, p. 321
  11. "Climate of the Sierra Nevada". Encyclopædia Britannica.
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