Midway Mountain is a remote 13,665-foot-elevation (4,165 meter) mountain summit located on the Great Western Divide of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in Tulare County of northern California.[3] It is set on the common boundary that Kings Canyon National Park shares with Sequoia National Park, and is situated 0.6 mile (0.97 km) southwest of Table Mountain, and 0.6 mile north of Milestone Mountain. Midway Mountain ranks as the 39th-highest summit in California,[2] and the highest point on the central Great Western Divide.[1] It would be the highest of the entire Great Western Divide if the Kaweah Peaks were excluded. Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises over 4,800 feet (1,463 meters) above Cloud Canyon in three miles, and the east aspect rises over 3,800 feet (1,160 meters) above the Kern River in three miles.

Midway Mountain
Midway Mountain centered, east aspect (Milestone Mtn to left, Table Mtn to right)
Highest point
Elevation	13,665 ft (4,165 m)[1]
Prominence	1,329 ft (405 m)[1]
Parent peak	Mount Stanford (13,979 ft)[2]
Isolation	6.04 mi (9.72 km)[2]
Listing	Sierra Peaks Section
Coordinates	36°38′36″N 118°29′01″W[3]
Geography
Midway Mountain Location in California Show map of California Midway Mountain Midway Mountain (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Sequoia National Park Tulare County California, U.S.
Parent range	Sierra Nevada Great Western Divide[1]
Topo map	USGS Mount Brewer
Geology
Age of rock	Cretaceous
Mountain type	Fault block
Type of rock	granitic
Climbing
First ascent	1912
Easiest route	class 2[2] East face

History

This mountain was originally named "Mount Michaelis" in 1881 to honor Captain Otho Ernest Michaelis (1843–1890), US Army.[3][4] Michaelis was the first white man to discover the body of General Custer following the Battle of the Little Bighorn.[5] The Mt. Whitney USGS 30' maps published in 1905 and 1937 show this geographical feature without any name, although Milestone and Table Mountains were marked as such.

The first ascent of the summit was made in 1912 by Francis P. Farquhar, William Edward Colby, and Robert M. Price.[6] This same trio of Sierra Club pioneers also made the first ascent of nearby Milestone Mountain on July 14, 1912. Midway's south face was first climbed in 1987 by Mark Hoffman and Robin Ingraham, Jr.[7]

Climate

Midway Mountain is located in an alpine climate zone.[8] 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, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range (orographic lift). Precipitation runoff from the east side of the mountain drains to Kern River via Milestone Creek, and west to the Roaring River.

See also

• List of mountain peaks of California

References

External links

• Weather forecast: Midway Mountain
• Flickr photo