Biographical Notice 



in the same year, after the party had 

 been withdrawn, King made an un- 

 successful attempt to reach this top- 

 most summit ; that in 1871 (when no 

 longer connected with the California 

 Survey) he returned, with character- 

 istic pertinacity, to this endeavor, and 

 climbed to what he supposed to be the 

 top of Mount Whitney, but was pre- 

 vented from identifying his position 

 by " dense, impenetrable clouds " * ; 

 that in July, 1873, Mr. W. A. Good- 

 year, formerly of the California Sur- 

 vey, with a companion, ascended the 

 summit last named, and clearly saw 

 another and higher one, which was the 

 true Mount Whitney, already located 

 by observations from other mountain 

 stations, and located upon official 

 maps. This truly highest summit 

 has since been reached by many 

 parties. 



* This ascent is described in King's book, 

 Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada. 

 326 



