Mount Muir is a peak in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, south of Mount Whitney. This peak is named in honor of

John Muir John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the national park, National Parks", was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologi ...

, a

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

, conservationist and founder of the

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization with chapters in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded in 1892, in San Francisco, by preservationist John Muir. A product of the Pro ...

. The southernmost section of the

John Muir Trail The John Muir Trail (JMT) is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, passing through Yosemite National Park, Yosemite, Kings Canyon National Park, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, Se ...

contours along the west side of Mount Muir near its summit and ends on the summit of Mount Whitney.

Climbing

Among mountain climbers, a peak needs to meet certain criteria in order to be included in some lists. To be listed as an independent peak a summit must have of clean prominence. A reliable source gives Mount Muir's ''clean'' prominence as 298feet, and so the peak does not qualify for lists of fourteeners based on elevation and prominence. It is included in other lists which do not depend on prominence. Some lists are based on more subjective criteria, and Mount Muir is included in the Sierra Peaks Section list, the Western States Climbers list, and the Vulgarian Ramblers 13,800-Footers of the Contiguous USA list. The easiest approach is from the

just north of its junction with the Mount Whitney Trail in

Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in the southern Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California. The park was established on September 25, 1890, and toda ...

. The trail passes very near the summit and the climb involves a short stretch of difficult scrambling and/or easy rock climbing up the steep western slope to the summit block, (). A dayhike permit or a backcountry permit with a Whitney Zone stamp is required to hike the Mount Whitney Trail. The east side of Mount Muir, which is in the

John Muir Wilderness The John Muir Wilderness is a wilderness area that extends along the crest of the Sierra Nevada of California for , in the Inyo National Forest, Inyo and Sierra National Forests. Established in 1964 by the Wilderness Act and named for naturalist ...

, is a near-vertical cliff about high. The route on this side (the north side of the east buttress) was first climbed on July 11, 1935, by Nelson P. Nies and John D. Mendenhall. It is a roped climb, (class 4). The south side of the east buttress, also class 4, was first climbed on September 1, 1935, by Arthur B. Johnson and William Rice.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muir, Mount Mountains of Sequoia National Park Mountains of the John Muir Wilderness Mountains of Inyo County, California Mountains of Tulare County, California Mountains of Northern California Four-thousanders of the United States

Climbing

See also

References