Identification of the Great Peaks of the Southern Sierra 253 



ward abandoned it, due to lack of time and the difficulties of the 

 trip. The height of Mount Tyndall as given by the Geological Sur- 

 vey is 14,024 feet. 



Mount Williamson is the real monarch of the Kern River Sierra. 

 It stands just to the east of the Main Crest, and rises in one magnifi- 

 cent sweep ten thousand feet above the Owens Valley. It was named 

 by Clarence King from the summit of Mount Tyndall in honor of 

 Colonel Robert S. Williamson, U. S. Engineers.* Its position as 

 given by Captain Wheeler is Lat. 34° 00' 48".4, Lon. 118° 01' 14". 5, 

 and its height 14,360 feet. More accurate work by the U. S. Geo- 

 logical Survey puts its height at 14,384 feet. The first ascent was 

 made in 1884 by W. L. Hunter and C. Mulholland, of Indepen- 

 dence. They ascended it by following up Georges Creek to its head, 

 and climbing the southeast slope, which is largely talus. The ascent 

 from the west is shorter, but more difficult, being cliff-work similar 

 to the Palisades. 



Mount Whitney was named by Clarence King from the summit of 

 Mount Tyndall for J. D. Whitney, chief of the California Geologi- 

 cal Survey in 1864.! At that time he could not extend his trip south- 

 ward so as to include this the culminating point of the Sierra, but 

 later in the same year he worked his way into the Kern River basin 

 with the intent of capturing it, and failed to arrive within striking 

 distance. In 187 1 he again attempted the ascent, this time from the 

 Owens Valley side, but climbed the wrong mountain. Storm-clouds 

 prevented his seeing the true peak, and he left his record on what is 

 now known as Mount Langley, claiming first ascent of Whitney, and 

 ignorant of his error. | In 1873 Mr. W. A. Goodyear climbed the 

 same peak and found King's record. It being a clear day, he at once 

 recognized King's error, and on his return published the facts. § 

 King returned at once and climbed the true peak on September 19, 

 1873,11 but he was too late, for on August i8th of the same year John 

 Lucas, C. D. Bengole, and A. H. Johnson had made the first ascent, 

 and finding the mountain unnamed bestowed upon it the highly in- 

 appropriate name of Fisherman's Peak.^ For a time this unfortu- 



*California Geological Survey. Geology, vol. I, page 386. 

 tSame. Page 386. 



XMountaineering in the Sierra Nevada. By Clarence King. Page 341. 



§"0n the Situation and Altitude of Mt. Whitney." By W. A. Goodyear, C.E, Pro- 

 ceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Aug. 4, 1873. 



WMountaineering in the Sierra Nevada. By Clarence King. Page 360. 



HU. S. Geographical Surveys West of the looth Meridian, vol. 1. Geographical Report, 

 page 100. 



