Rafferty Peak

Rafferty Peak is an 11,110-foot-elevation (3,390-meter) mountain summit located in Yosemite National Park, in California, United States. It is situated on the common border shared by Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties. It is set south of Tuolumne Meadows in the Cathedral Range which is a sub-range of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The mountain rises one mile (1.6 km) northwest of Tuolumne Pass, 1.4 mile south of Johnson Peak, and 2.5 miles east of Matthes Crest. Tuolumne Pass is the low point of the saddle between Rafferty Peak and Fletcher Peak. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,500 feet (460 meters) above Nelson Lake in one mile.

Rafferty Peak
Southwest aspect, reflected in Nelson Lake
Highest point
Elevation	11,110 ft (3,386 m)[1]
Prominence	190 ft (58 m)[2]
Isolation	1.0 mi (1.6 km)[3]
Coordinates	37°48′55″N 119°21′20″W[4]
Naming
Etymology	Ogden Rafferty
Geography
Rafferty Peak Location in California Show map of California Rafferty Peak Rafferty Peak (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Yosemite National Park Mariposa / Tuolumne counties California, U.S.
Parent range	Cathedral Range, Sierra Nevada
Topo map	USGS Vogelsang Peak
Geology
Rock age	Cretaceous
Mountain type	Fault block
Rock type	Granodiorite
Climbing
First ascent	Edward W. Hernden[5]
Easiest route	class 2[3]

History

This geographical feature was named in 1895 by Lieutenant Nathaniel Fish McClure who prepared a map of Yosemite National Park for use by troops. The name honors Captain Ogden Rafferty (1860–1922), Medical Corps, United States Army, who accompanied McClure on a patrol of Yosemite Valley.^[4] This geographical feature's toponym was submitted by the National Park Service and officially adopted in 1932 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.^[4] The first ascent of the summit was made by Edward W. Hernden, date unknown.^[6]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Rafferty Peak is located in an alpine climate zone.^[7] 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. Precipitation runoff from this landform drains north to the Tuolumne River via Rafferty Creek, and south to the Merced River.

See also

• Mountains portal
• Geology of the Yosemite area