95-638: Lyell Glacier is in the Sierra Nevada of California . The glacier was discovered by John Muir in 1871, and was the largest glacier in Yosemite National Park . It lies on the northern slopes of Mount Lyell . The glacier has retreated since the end of the Little Ice Age in the mid-19th century. During the mid-20th Century, the glacier split into two smaller glaciers occupying the high cirques of Mount Lyell. Since 1883,
190-687: A glacier in the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( / s i ˌ ɛr ə n ɪ ˈ v æ d ə , - ˈ v ɑː d -/ see- ERR -ə nih- VA(H)D -ə ) 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
285-561: A 1532 lawsuit, named Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, testified under oath that he was "natural" [ sic ] of Palma de Micergilio, which many misunderstood as if being born or native of now Palma del Río , a town in the province of Córdoba in Spain. As an example of the difference between being born/native and natural/naturalized F. Pizarro himself used to say he was "natural y nacido" (natural and born) in Trujillo, Spain. Other details of
380-575: A Rodrigues family living in São Lourenço de Cabril around 1520. Alvar Nunes, a Portuguese pilot, was the co-owner of the ship Santa María de Buena Esperança, which was very likely rebaptized as Santa María de La Victoria, Cabrilho's fleet's second largest ship. As a result, it is likely that the two largest ships in the fleet that discovered California were property of Portuguese seamen. António Fernandes, another Portuguese also living in Nicaragua,
475-532: A foreman working for Sacramento pioneer John Sutter , found shiny metal in the tailrace of a lumber mill Marshall was building for Sutter on the American River . Rumors soon started to spread and were confirmed in March 1848 by San Francisco newspaper publisher and merchant Samuel Brannan . Brannan strode through the streets of San Francisco, holding aloft a vial of gold, shouting "Gold! Gold! Gold from
570-425: A full-sized, fully functional, and historically accurate replica of Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo's flagship, San Salvador . The construction of the replica was based on historical and archeological research into early Spanish and Portuguese shipbuilding techniques. The construction was carried out in full public view on the shores of San Diego Bay by professional boat builders, assisted by scores of volunteers. Her keel
665-613: A lapse that mariners would repeat for the next two centuries and more, most likely because its entrance is frequently shrouded by fog. The expedition may have reached as far north as the Russian River or even the Columbia before autumn storms forced them to turn back. Because of the vagueness of his description, it is uncertain which northern river the expedition sighted. Coming back down the coast, Cabrillo entered Monterey Bay , naming it "Bahia de Los Pinos". On November 23, 1542,
760-665: A larger-than-life statue of Cabrillo, donated by the government of Portugal, as well as a plaque honoring him donated in 1935 by the Portuguese ambassador to the United States. A museum in the park focuses on Cabrillo and his voyages of discovery. Every September Cabrillo Festival Inc. hosts the Cabrillo Festival, an annual three-day celebration of his discovery of San Diego Bay , including a re-enactment of his landing at Ballast Point. Another Cabrillo Monument
855-571: A portion of the area, a triangle whose vertices are Reno, Nevada ; Fresno, California ; and Las Vegas, Nevada , has been dubbed the " Nevada Triangle ", in reference to the Bermuda Triangle . Some counts put the number of crashes in the triangle at 2,000, including millionaire and record-breaking flyer Steve Fossett . Hypotheses that the crashes are related in some way to the United States Air Force 's Area 51 , or to
950-448: A powerful stream or jet of water at gold-bearing gravel beds. It is estimated that by the mid-1880s, 11 million troy ounces (340 metric tons) of gold (worth approximately US$ 16 billion in 2020 prices) had been recovered by "hydraulicking". A consequence of these extraction methods was that large amounts of gravel, silt , heavy metals , and other pollutants were washed into streams and rivers. As of 1999 , many areas still bear
1045-706: A publication of his photographs under the title Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras , commented, "The name Sierra is already a plural. To add an s is a linguistic, Californian, and mountaineering sin." The Sierra Nevada lies primarily in Central and Eastern California , with the Carson Range , a small but historically important spur, extending into Nevada. West-to-east, the Sierra Nevada's elevation increases gradually from 500 feet (150 m) in
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#17327726433201140-501: A short period, and the lightning can start fires. Summer high temperatures average 42–90 °F (6–32 °C). Winters are comparatively mild, and the temperature is usually only just low enough to sustain a heavy snowpack. For example, Tuolumne Meadows , at 8,600 feet (2,600 m) elevation, has winter daily highs about 40 °F (4 °C) with daily lows about 10 °F (−12 °C). The growing season lasts 20 to 230 days, strongly dependent on elevation. The highest elevations of
1235-447: Is Mount Lyell (13,120 ft or 3,999 m). The Sierra rises to almost 14,000 feet (4,300 m) with Mount Humphreys near Bishop, California . Finally, near Lone Pine , Mount Whitney is at 14,505 feet (4,421 m), the highest point in the contiguous United States . South of Mount Whitney, the elevation of the range quickly dwindles. The crest elevation is almost 10,000 feet (3,000 m) near Lake Isabella , but south of
1330-627: Is an ancient house where local tradition claims he was born. Local people, and alleged local descendants of branches of his ancient family with the same surname ("Rodrigues Cabrilho"), call the house Casa do Galego ( House of the Galician ) and Casa do Americano ( House of the American ). In January 2023, a new preprint (now peer reviewed and published in the Bulletin for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies) announced new documents about
1425-595: Is called the Cabrillo Highway. The Cabrillo Bridge and Cabrillo Freeway ( California State Route 163 ) running through San Diego's Balboa Park are also named for him. There are streets named for him in many cities in California. The SS Cabrillo was a wooden steamer launched in 1914 to serve as a ferry across the San Pedro Channel to Santa Catalina Island. It was later requisitioned by
1520-456: Is either protected from development or strictly managed. The mountain range is home to three National Parks – Yosemite , Kings Canyon , and Sequoia – and two national monuments – Devils Postpile and Giant Sequoia . Ten national forests span much of the mountain range's remaining area. Within these national parks, monuments, and forests lie 26 wilderness areas , which together protect 15.4% of
1615-542: Is higher in the east. A list of biotic zones, and corresponding elevations, is presented below: Archaeological excavations placed Martis people of Paleo-Indians in northcentral Sierra Nevada during the period of 3,000 BCE to 500 CE. The earliest identified sustaining indigenous people in the Sierra Nevada were the Northern Paiute tribes on the east side, with the Mono tribe and Sierra Miwok tribe on
1710-1061: Is located on San Miguel Island . In the state of California, September 28th is officially "Cabrillo Day". A civic organization of Portuguese-Americans primarily in California is called the Cabrillo Club. In northern California, the Point Cabrillo Light is named after him. San Pedro , part of the city of Los Angeles , has Cabrillo Beach and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium . Schools named for him include Cabrillo College in Aptos, California , high schools in Lompoc and Long Beach , and several middle and elementary schools. The portion of California State Route 1 that runs from Las Cruces in Santa Barbara County north to San Francisco
1805-455: Is now San Diego Bay and named it "San Miguel". A little over a week later he reached Santa Catalina Island (October 7), which he named "San Salvador", after his flagship. On sending a boat to the island "a great crowd of armed Indians appeared" – whom, however, they later "befriended". Nearby San Clemente Island was named "Victoria", in honor of the third ship of the fleet. The next morning, October 8, Cabrillo came to San Pedro Bay , which
1900-608: Is now remembered as the first European to travel the California coast, and many parks, schools, buildings and streets in California bear his name. Most notably, the National Park Service operates Cabrillo National Monument , overlooking the bay and ocean from Point Loma in San Diego , commemorating his first landing in California and offering views of San Diego and the Pacific Ocean. The monument features
1995-650: Is the source of much of the sedimentary rock in California. In the Cretaceous , a subduction zone formed at the edge of the continent. This means that an oceanic plate started to dive beneath the North American Plate . Magma, formed through the subduction of the ancient Farallon Plate , rose in plumes ( plutons ) deep underground, their combined mass forming what is called the Sierra Nevada batholith . These plutons formed at various times, from 115 Ma to 87 Ma. The earlier plutons formed in
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#17327726433202090-462: The Basin and Range Province . As this andesitic volcanism began waning about five million years ago, the rivers were able to begin eroding away the 100s of meters of volcanic deposits and resume the incision that had been halted by the first period of volcanism. Some studies have argued that this recent incision is a sign of recent tectonic uplift. Other geologists claim that the elevations of many of
2185-580: The Carson Range spur lies primarily in Nevada . The Sierra Nevada is part of the American Cordillera , an almost continuous chain of mountain ranges that forms the western "backbone" of the Americas. The Sierra runs 400 mi (640 km) north-south, and its width ranges from 50 mi (80 km) to 80 mi (130 km) across east–west. Notable features include General Sherman ,
2280-661: The Carson River runs into Carson Sink , the Walker River into Walker Lake ; Rush , Lee Vining and Mill Creeks flow into Mono Lake ; and the Owens River into dry Owens Lake . Although none of the eastern rivers reach the sea, many of the streams from Mono Lake southwards are diverted into the Los Angeles Aqueduct which provides water to Southern California . The height of the mountains in
2375-487: The Central Valley to more than 14,000 feet (4,300 m) atop the highest peaks of its crest 50 to 75 miles (80 to 121 km) to the east. The east slope forms the steep Sierra Escarpment . Unlike its surroundings, the range receives a substantial amount of snowfall and precipitation due to orographic lift . The Sierra Nevada's irregular northern boundary stretches from the Susan River and Fredonyer Pass to
2470-595: The Nevadan orogeny , granite formed deep underground. The range started to uplift less than five million years ago, and erosion by glaciers exposed the granite and formed the light-colored mountains and cliffs that make up the range. The uplift caused a wide range of elevations and climates in the Sierra Nevada, which are reflected by the presence of five life zones (areas with similar plant and animal communities). Uplift continues due to faulting caused by tectonic forces, creating spectacular fault block escarpments along
2565-611: The North Fork Feather River . It represents where the granitic bedrock of the Sierra Nevada dives below the southern extent of Cenozoic igneous surface rock from the Cascade Range . It is bounded on the west by California 's Central Valley , on the east by the Basin and Range Province , and on the southeast by the Mojave Desert . The southern boundary is at Tehachapi Pass . Physiographically,
2660-633: The Pacific coast in search of trade opportunities, perhaps to find a way to China (for the full extent of the northern Pacific was unknown) or to find the mythical Strait of Anián (or Northwest Passage ) connecting the Pacific Ocean with Hudson Bay . Cabrillo built and owned the flagship of his venture (three ships), and stood to profit from any trade or treasure. In 1540, the fleet sailed from Acajutla , El Salvador , and reached Navidad, Mexico on Christmas Day. While in Mexico, Pedro de Alvarado went to
2755-529: The San Joaquin Valley to the rest of the state in the 1870s. This facilitated the nationwide distribution of lumber. In addition, technological advancements, such as the shay locomotive and the v-shaped log flume , made it easier to transport lumber across mountainous terrain. The tourism potential of the Sierra Nevada was recognized early in the European history of the range. Yosemite Valley
2850-475: The United States started to move to California via Sonora and Walker Passes . In the winter of 1844, Lt. John C. Frémont , accompanied by Kit Carson , was the first European American to see Lake Tahoe . The Frémont party camped at 8,050 ft (2,450 m). The California Gold Rush began at Sutter's Mill , near Coloma , in the western foothills of the Sierra. On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall,
2945-524: The endorheic basin of Tulare Lake , which rarely overflows into the San Joaquin during wet years. The eastern slope watershed of the Sierra is much narrower; its rivers flow out into the endorheic Great Basin of eastern California and western Nevada . From north to south, the Susan River flows into intermittent Honey Lake , the Truckee River flows from Lake Tahoe into Pyramid Lake ,
Lyell Glacier - Misplaced Pages Continue
3040-601: The 17th century. According to his biographer Harry Kelsey, he took an indigenous woman as his common-law wife and sired several children, including at least three daughters. Later he married Beatriz Sanchez de Ortega in Seville during a hiatus in Spain. She returned to Guatemala with him and bore him two sons. Those two sons were named Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo de Medrano, his heir, and the younger Diego Sanchez de Ortega (the latter, named after his maternal uncle). His namesake son and heir, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo de Medrano ,
3135-448: The 200-ton galleon and flagship San Salvador , the smaller La Victoria (c. 100 tons), and the lateen -rigged, twenty-six oared "fragata" or "bergantin" San Miguel . On August 1, Cabrillo anchored within sight of Cedros Island . Before the end of the month they had passed Baja Point (named "Cabo del Engaño" by de Ulloa in 1539) and entered "uncharted waters, where no Spanish ships had been before". On September 28, he landed in what
3230-742: The American River!" On August 19, 1848, the New York Herald was the first major newspaper on the East Coast to report the discovery of gold. On December 5, 1848, President James Polk confirmed the discovery of gold in an address to Congress . Soon, waves of immigrants from around the world, later called the "forty-niners", invaded the Gold Country of California or "Mother Lode". Miners lived in tents, wood shanties, or deck cabins removed from abandoned ships. Wherever gold
3325-743: The Pacific Ocean at San Francisco . The northern third of the western Sierra is part of the Sacramento River watershed (including the Feather , Yuba , and American River tributaries), and the middle third is drained by the San Joaquin River (including the Mokelumne , Stanislaus , Tuolumne , and Merced River tributaries). The southern third of the range is drained by the Kings , Kaweah , Tule , and Kern rivers, which flow into
3420-722: The Park in 1906. In the same year, Sequoia National Park was formed to protect the Giant Sequoia: all logging of the Sequoia ceased at that time. In 1903, the city of San Francisco proposed building a hydroelectric dam to flood Hetch Hetchy Valley . The city and the Sierra Club argued over the dam for 10 years, until the U.S. Congress passed the Raker Act in 1913 and allowed dam building to proceed. O'Shaughnessy Dam
3515-478: The Sierra Nevada increases gradually from north to south. Between Fredonyer Pass and Lake Tahoe, the peaks range from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to more than 9,000 feet (2,700 m). The crest near Lake Tahoe is roughly 9,000 feet (2,700 m) high, with several peaks approaching the height of Freel Peak (10,881 ft or 3,317 m). Farther south, the highest peak in Yosemite National Park
3610-559: The Sierra Nevada is influenced by the Mediterranean climate of California. During the fall, winter and spring, precipitation in the Sierra ranges from 20 to 80 in (510 to 2,030 mm) where it occurs mostly as snow above 6,000 ft (1,800 m). Precipitation is highest on the central and northern portions of the western slope between 5,000 and 8,000 feet (1,500 and 2,400 m) elevation, due to orographic lift . Above 8,000 feet (2,400 m), precipitation diminishes on
3705-508: The Sierra Nevada started in the early 1800s, when settlers relied on hand tools and ox-teams. Before the California Gold Rush, the industry was relatively small, and most of the lumber used in the state was imported. However, as the demand for lumber to support the mining industry increased, logging became a major industry in the region. Initially, most of the lumber produced in California was used in mining. The Comstock Lode
3800-431: The Sierra have an alpine climate . The Sierra Nevada snowpack is the major source of water and a significant source of electric power generation in California. Many reservoirs were constructed in the canyons of the Sierra throughout the 20th century, Several major aqueducts serving both agriculture and urban areas distribute Sierra water throughout the state. However, the Sierra casts a rain shadow , which greatly affects
3895-662: The Sierra is a section of the Cascade–Sierra Mountains province, which in turn is part of the larger Pacific Mountain System physiographic division. The California Geological Survey states that "the northern Sierra boundary is marked where bedrock disappears under the Cenozoic volcanic cover of the Cascade Range." The range is drained on its western slope by the Central Valley watershed, which discharges into
Lyell Glacier - Misplaced Pages Continue
3990-497: The Sierra's 63,118 km (24,370 sq mi) from logging and grazing. The United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management currently control 52% of the land in the Sierra Nevada. Logging and grazing are generally allowed on land controlled by these agencies, under federal regulations that balance recreation and development on the land. The California Bighorn Sheep Zoological Area near Mount Williamson in
4085-532: The Sierra. The combination of river and glacier erosion exposed the uppermost portions of the plutons emplaced millions of years before, leaving only a remnant of metamorphic rock on top of some Sierra peaks. Extension of the Basin and Range continues today, leading to downdropping of crustal blocks just east of the Sierra Nevada during large earthquakes, such as the Lone Pine earthquake of 1872. The climate of
4180-650: The Tuolumne and Merced River drainage. The group may have been the first non-indigenous people to see Yosemite Valley . The Walker Party probably visited either the Tuolumne or Merced Groves of giant sequoia , becoming the first non-indigenous people to see the giant trees, but journals relating to the Walker party were destroyed in 1839, in a print shop fire in Philadelphia. Starting in 1841, emigrants from
4275-618: The United States Army and served as a troop transport in northern California during World War II. In 1992, the United States Postal Service issued a 29¢ stamp in honor of Cabrillo. The Flag of San Diego features the number 1542 to represent Cabrillo's "discovery" of San Diego Bay in that year. Rodriguez Seamount in the Pacific Ocean is named for him. The Maritime Museum of San Diego , in partnership with Cabrillo National Monument , has built
4370-444: The activities of extra-terrestrial aliens , have no evidence to support them. The Sierra Nevada is divided into a number of biotic zones , each of which is defined by its climate and supports a number of interdependent species. Life in the higher elevation zones adapted to colder weather, and to most of the precipitation falling as snow. The rain shadow of the Sierra causes the eastern slope to be warmer and drier: each life zone
4465-505: The area around Yosemite National Park and what would become Kings Canyon National Park . James S. Hutchinson , a noted mountaineer, climbed the Palisades (1904) and Mount Humphreys (1905). By 1912, the USGS published a set of maps of the Sierra Nevada, and the era of exploration was over. Logging in the Sierra Nevada has significantly impacted the landscape. The logging industry in
4560-525: The assistance of the town of Nochistlán , which was under siege by hostile natives, and was killed when his horse fell on him, crushing his chest. Following Alvarado's death, the viceroy took possession of Alvarado's fleet. Part of the fleet was sent off to the Spanish East Indies under Ruy López de Villalobos and three of the ships were sent north under the command of Cabrillo. On June 27, 1542, Cabrillo set out from Navidad with three ships:
4655-473: The climate and ecology of the central Great Basin . This rain shadow is largely responsible for Nevada being the driest state in the United States. Precipitation varies substantially from year to year. It is not uncommon for some years to receive precipitation totals far above or below normal. The height of the range and the steepness of the Sierra Escarpment, particularly at the southern end of
4750-656: The crest and north of 37.2°N. In the Triassic and into the Jurassic , an island arc collided with the west coast of North America and raised a chain of volcanoes, in an event called the Nevadan orogeny . Nearly all subaerial Sierran Arc volcanoes have since disappeared; their remains were redeposited during the Great Valley Sequence and the subsequent Cenozoic filling of the Great Valley, which
4845-407: The eastern edge of the southern Sierra. The Sierra Nevada has played an important role in the history of California and the United States. The California gold rush occurred in the western foothills from 1848 through 1855. Due to its inaccessibility, the range was not fully explored until 1912. Used in 1542 by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo to describe a Pacific Coast Range ( Santa Cruz Mountains ),
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#17327726433204940-424: The glacier area has retreated up to 70 percent. Another glacier, the Maclure Glacier on nearby Mount Maclure , has also retreated significantly. According to a study in 2013, today the Lyell is no longer a glacier, having lost any movement and thus it should be considered an ice field. This Tuolumne County, California -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about
5035-406: The highest peak in the range. In 1873, Mount Whitney was climbed for the first time by 3 men from Lone Pine, California, on a fishing trip. From 1892 to 1897 Theodore Solomons made the first attempt to map a route along the crest of the Sierra. Other people finished exploring and mapping the Sierra. Bolton Coit Brown explored the Kings River watershed in 1895–1899. Joseph N. LeConte mapped
5130-438: The indigenous Mixtec people at what would eventually become the city of Oaxaca , in Mexico. Little is known of what Cabrillo did there. In 1539, Francisco de Ulloa , who had been commissioned by Cortés, explored and named the Sea of Cortés ( Gulf of California ) and reached nearly as far north as the 30th parallel. Cabrillo was then commissioned by the new Viceroy of New Spain , Antonio de Mendoza , to lead an expedition up
5225-442: The lake, the peaks reach only a modest 8,000 feet (2,400 m). There are several notable geographical features in the Sierra Nevada: Communities in the Sierra Nevada include Paradise , South Lake Tahoe , Truckee , Grass Valley , Lee Vining , Mammoth Lakes , Sonora , Nevada City , Placerville , Pollock Pines , Portola , Auburn , Colfax and Kennedy Meadows . Much of the Sierra Nevada consists of federal lands and
5320-620: The largest tree in the world by volume; Lake Tahoe , the largest alpine lake in North America; Mount Whitney at 14,505 ft (4,421 m), the highest point in the contiguous United States ; and Yosemite Valley sculpted by glaciers from one-hundred-million-year-old granite , containing high waterfalls . The Sierra is home to three national parks , twenty-six wilderness areas, ten national forests, and two national monuments. These areas include Yosemite , Sequoia , and Kings Canyon National Parks , as well as Devils Postpile National Monument . More than one hundred million years ago during
5415-429: The late 1800s due to several factors. The Timber and Stone Act of 1878 allowed individuals to claim ownership of old-growth timber tracts, which were later consolidated under joint-stock companies , such as those founded by Midwestern lumber magnates. These companies had the financial resources to transport timber from remote locations and build sawmills near the tracks of the Southern Pacific railroad which connected
5510-455: The late 1800s, the logging industry moved westward due to the depletion of white pine forests in the upper Midwest. This shift was encouraged by the positive portrayal of the Sierra Nevada as a promising timber region. In 1859, Horace Greely marveled, "I never saw anything so much like good timber in the course of any seventy-five miles' travel as I saw in crossing the Sierra Nevada." The logging industry experienced significant growth in
5605-420: The legitimate son of Geronimo Cabrillo de Aldana; the grandson of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo de Medrano; and great-grandson of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. On 24 May 1670, Esteban de Medrano y Solórzano was recorded as the chancellor and regidor of the Audiencia of Santiago de Guatemala . His discoveries went largely unnoticed at the time, so none of his place names were permanently adopted. Despite this, Cabrillo
5700-420: The little fleet arrived back in "San Salvador" (Santa Catalina Island) to overwinter and make repairs. There, around Christmas Eve, Cabrillo stepped out of his boat and splintered his shin when he stumbled onto a jagged rock while trying to rescue some of his men from attacking Tongva warriors. The injury became infected and developed gangrene , and he died on January 3, 1543, and was buried. A possible headstone
5795-417: The miners, provoking counter-attacks on native villages. The Native Americans, out-gunned, were often slaughtered. The Gold Rush populated the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, but even by 1860, most of the Sierra was unexplored. The state legislature authorized the California Geological Survey to officially explore the Sierra (and survey the rest of the state). Josiah Whitney was appointed to head
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#17327726433205890-440: The modern rivers flowing down the range are only 100–300 meters (300–1,000 ft) lower than their ancient counterparts from 30–40 million years ago and the overall elevation and bedrock topography of the northern Sierra Nevada has changed little since at least 30–40 million years ago. About 2.5 Ma, the Earth's climate cooled, and ice ages started. Glaciers carved out characteristic U-shaped canyons throughout
5985-472: The mountains were amongst a group led by fur trapper Jedediah Smith , crossing north of the Yosemite area in May 1827, at Ebbetts Pass . In 1833, a subgroup of the Bonneville Expedition led by Joseph Reddeford Walker was sent westward to find an overland route to California . Eventually the party discovered a route along the Humboldt River across present-day Nevada , ascending the Sierra Nevada, starting near present-day Bridgeport and descending between
6080-409: The mountains. Washo and Maidu were also in this area prior to the era of European exploration and displacement. American exploration of the mountain range started in 1827. Although prior to the 1820s there were Spanish missions , pueblos (towns), presidios (forts), and ranchos along the coast of California, no Spanish explorers visited the Sierra Nevada. The first Americans to visit
6175-423: The names of numerous Chumash villages on the California coast and adjacent islands in October 1542 – then located in the two warring provinces of Xexo (ruled by an "old woman", now Santa Barbara County, California ) and Xucu (now Ventura County, California ). On November 13 they sighted and named "Cabo de Pinos" (possibly either Point Pinos or Point Reyes ), but missed the entrance to San Francisco Bay ,
6270-399: The northern Sierran valleys with volcanic deposits. These pyroclastic flows, which continued for about 10 million years, were followed by andesitic lahars which nearly completely buried the northern Sierran landscape such that only the tallest peaks emerged above a volcanic plain. This second period of volcanism appears to have been triggered by crustal extension associated with extension of
6365-432: The older son and heir named Alonso Rodríguez Cabrillo de Medrano, who inherited his father's encomiendas, and the younger Geronimo Cabrillo de Aldana, father of Esteban de Medrano y Solórzano. The younger Geronimo Cabrillo de Aldana inherited the family encomiendas after the death of his older brother Alonso Rodríguez Cabrillo de Medrano. Geronimo's son and heir Esteban de Medrano y Solórzano wrote his will in 1688 as
6460-399: The oldest being metasedimentary rocks from the Cambrian in the Mount Morrison region. These dark-colored hornfels , slates , marbles , and schists are found in the western foothills (notably around Coarsegold , west of the Tehachapi Pass ) and east of the Sierra Crest. The earliest granite of the Sierra started to form in the Triassic period. This granite is mostly found east of
6555-413: The plural ( Smokies , Rockies , Cascades , etc.), since Sierra is already pluralized in its native language, some locals who live in "the Sierra" are not hesitant to admonish those who refer to the area as "the Sierras". However, there are historical and literary references that use the plural, such as the 1871 collection of Joaquin Miller poems, Songs of the Sierras . Ansel Adams , in response to
6650-458: The preprint also presents a 1758 document showing that Mount Cabrilho was located nearby Lapela de Cabril, thus proving that Cabrilho indeed existed as a name in Portugal. Cabrillo shipped for Havana as a young man and joined forces with Hernán Cortés in Mexico (then called New Spain ). Later, his success in mining gold in Guatemala made him one of the richest of the conquistadores in Mexico. He accompanied Francisco de Orozco to subdue
6745-420: The range, produces a wind phenomenon known as the "Sierra Rotor". This is a horizontal rotation of the atmosphere just east of the crest of the Sierra, set in motion as an effect of strong westerly winds. Because of the large number of airplanes that have crashed in the Sierra Nevada, primarily due to the complex weather and atmospheric conditions such as downdrafts and microbursts caused by geography there,
6840-559: The scars of hydraulic mining, since the resulting exposed earth and downstream gravel deposits do not support plant life. It is estimated that by 1855, at least 300,000 gold-seekers, merchants, and other immigrants had arrived in California from around the world. The huge numbers of newcomers brought by the Gold Rush drove Native Americans out of their traditional hunting, fishing and food-gathering areas. To protect their homes and livelihood, some Native Americans responded by attacking
6935-474: The source for Herrera's description is unknown. Certain historians, such as Edward Kritzler , claim that Cabrillo was possibly descended from Jewish conversos . Others point to the many flaws in Kritzler's work, including lack of evidence for such claims. Some historians have long believed that Cabrillo was from Spain, and a set of documents discovered in 2015 gave strength to that opinion. A witness from
7030-458: The southern Sierra was established to protect the endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep . Starting in 1981, hikers were unable to enter the Area from May 15 through December 15, in order to protect the sheep. As of 2010, the restriction has been lifted and access to the Area is open for the whole year. The earliest rocks in the Sierra Nevada are metamorphic roof pendants of Paleozoic age,
7125-592: The surname Cabrilho and was pronounced at the time Cabrilhe in Galician and Cabrillo in Spanish, according to the historian João Soares Tavares, biographer of João Rodrigues Cabrilho. The name still exists in Portugal as a surname, and several localities named Cabril in Beira Alta and neighboring regions such as Castro Daire, Viseu or Pampilhosa da Serra have been claimed as Cabrillo's birthplace. In Lapela there
7220-425: The survey. Men of the survey, including William H. Brewer , Charles F. Hoffmann and Clarence King , explored the backcountry of what would become Yosemite National Park in 1863. In 1864, they explored the area around Kings Canyon . In 1869, John Muir started his wanderings in the Sierra Nevada range, and in 1871, King was the first to climb Mount Langley , mistakenly believing he had summited Mount Whitney ,
7315-490: The term "Sierra Nevada" was a general identification of less familiar ranges toward the interior. In 1776, Pedro Font 's map applied the name to the range currently known as the Sierra Nevada. The literal translation is "snowy mountains", from sierra "a range of mountains", 1610s, from Spanish sierra "jagged mountain range", lit. "saw", from Latin serra "a saw"; and from fem. of Spanish nevado "snowy". While many mountain ranges are unanimously referred to in
7410-463: The toponym Cabrilho's Bay (B. de Cabrilho) shows at nearly 40 degrees north. The navigator's name is written in the Portuguese form (with lh) for the first time in any known map of that period. Since the 1604 map dates from around the same time as Herrera's statement (around 1615) about Cabrilho being Portuguese, the appearance of Cabrilho's name in this old map provides support to Cabrilho's Portuguese nationality. Other than Cabrilho's Bay in California,
7505-424: The water from an entire river into a sluice alongside the river, and then dig for gold in the newly exposed river bottom. By 1853, most of the easily accessible gold had been collected, and attention turned to extracting gold from more difficult locations. Hydraulic mining was used on ancient gold-bearing gravel beds on hillsides and bluffs in the gold fields. In hydraulic mining, a high-pressure hose directed
7600-529: The western half of the Sierra, while the later plutons formed in the eastern half of the Sierra. At this time, the Sierra Nevada formed the western ramp of a high plateau to the east, the Nevadaplano . During this period, rivers cut deep canyons into the range, generating topographic relief similar to the modern Sierra Nevada. This period of incision was halted approximately 30 million years ago by vast outpourings of pyroclastic flows from Nevada which filled
7695-509: The western side, and the Kawaiisu and Tübatulabal tribes in the southern Sierra. Today, some historic intertribal trade route trails over mountain passes are known artifact locations, such as Duck Pass with its obsidian arrowheads . The California and Sierra Native American tribes were predominantly peaceful, with occasional territorial disputes between the Paiute and Sierra Miwok tribes in
7790-511: The western slope up to the crest, since most of the precipitation has been wrung out at lower elevations. Most parts of the range east of the crest are in a rain shadow , and receive less than 25 inches of precipitation per year. While most summer days are dry, afternoon thunderstorms are common, particularly during the North American Monsoon in mid and late summer. Some of these summer thunderstorms drop over an inch of rain in
7885-424: The witness's biography match known facts about the explorer. A leader of San Diego's Portuguese community cautioned that the new evidence must be carefully evaluated, and requested that copies of the documents be turned over to the Portuguese government for study. Lapela, in the parish of Cabril and a municipality of Montalegre (Portugal), is the region where allegedly the nickname "Cabrilha" originated. It became
7980-566: Was Portuguese. Bartolome Ferrer, Cabrilho's pilot major, was not Spanish-born but from Albissola, Savona, near Genoa. Carbon-14 data validates the early 1530s as the time when Cabrilho offered a crucifix to his Rodrigues family in Lapela de Cabril, in agreement with their ancestral family tradition. The 2023 preprint also presents a 1604 California Spanish-based map, made by the Florentine cartographer Matteo di Jacopo Neroni da Peccioli, where
8075-470: Was a major center for logging, with operations supplying lumber for the construction of mine structures, such as tunnels, shafts, and buildings, as well as fuel for the mines. Dan DeQuille observed in 1876, "the Comstock Lode may truthfully be said to be the tomb of the forests of the Sierra. Millions upon millions of feet of lumber are annually buried in the mines, nevermore to be resurrected.” In
8170-611: Was born in Guatemala in the year 1536 and died in 1592, Lima, Peru. According to Kelsey, the "de Medrano" part of his name was only added later by himself, not by baptism, however his research and biography of Cabrillo has been extensively criticized by Martin Torodash from Duke University in the Hispanic American Historical Review (1987). Cabrillo's heir Don Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo de Medrano
8265-723: Was completed in 1923. Juan Rodr%C3%ADguez Cabrillo Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo ( Portuguese : João Rodrigues Cabrilho ; c. 1497 – January 3, 1543) was a Portuguese maritime explorer best known for investigations of the West Coast of North America , undertaken on behalf of the Spanish Empire . He was the first European to explore present-day California, navigating along the coast of California in 1542–1543 on his voyage from New Spain (modern Mexico). Cabrillo's nationality – Portuguese or Spanish – has been debated more recently. He
8360-433: Was described as Portuguese by Spanish chronicler Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas ; in his Historia General de los hechos de los Castellanos en las Islas y tierra firme del Mar Oceano , written 60 years after Cabrillo's death, Herrera referred to Cabrillo as Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo . Of the few locations in Portugal who used to claim to be his birthplace, only Lapela de Cabril keeps having some legitimacy to do so. However,
8455-479: Was discovered, hundreds of miners would collaborate to put up a camp and stake their claims. Because the gold in the California gravel beds was so richly concentrated, the early forty-niners simply panned for gold in California's rivers and streams. However, panning cannot take place on a large scale, and miners and groups of miners graduated to more complex placer mining. Groups of prospectors would divert
8550-440: Was first protected by the federal government in 1864. The Valley and Mariposa Grove were ceded to California in 1866 and turned into a state park. John Muir perceived overgrazing by sheep and logging of giant sequoia to be a problem in the Sierra. Muir successfully lobbied for the protection of the rest of Yosemite National Park: Congress created an Act to protect the park in 1890. The Valley and Mariposa Grove were added to
8645-699: Was laid in April 2011; her first official public unveiling was in September 2015 when she led a parade of tall ships. The replica ship now sails on regular tours in the waters of the Southern California coast as an educational historical resource. Proponents to change the name for Cabrillo College say Cabrillo left a legacy of indigenous exploitation. A faculty-led resolution delivered to Cabrillo College President Matt Wetstein accused Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo of enslaving indigenous people and profiting from
8740-452: Was later found on San Miguel Island. His second-in-command brought the remainder of the party back to Navidad, where they arrived April 14, 1543. A notary's official report of Cabrillo's expedition was lost; all that survives is a summary of it made by another investigator, Andrés de Urdaneta , who also had access to ships' logs and charts. No printed account of Cabrillo's voyage appeared before historian Antonio de Herrera's account early in
8835-685: Was named "Baya de los Fumos" (English: Smoke Bay). The following day they anchored overnight in Santa Monica Bay . Going up the coast Cabrillo saw Anacapa Island , which they learned from the Indigenous People was uninhabited. The fleet spent the next week in the islands, mostly anchored in Cuyler Harbor, a bay on the northeastern coast of San Miguel Island . On October 18 the expedition saw Point Conception , which they named "Cabo de Galera". Cabrillo's expedition recorded
8930-547: Was the encomendero of Xicalpa, Jocopila and Comitlán, and twice town magistrate of Santiago de Guatemala and owner of a cattle ranch along the road connecting Xicalapa to Miahuatlán. In February 1579 he helped Francisco Díaz Del Castillo as a witness to his testimony . He served as an active alcalde of the Cabildo in 1577. He was also involved in a dispute over the encomienda of Cobán . Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo de Medrano married with Isabel de Aldana and had two sons,
9025-518: Was the possible owner of the ship Anton Hernandez , indicated alternatively as the second largest ship in Cabrilho's fleet. According to Cabrilho's elder son, his father was one of the first settlers of Nicaragua. In November 1529, Juan Rodríguez portugués and Alvar Nuñez portugués were in Léon de Nicaragua, paying for the gold mines of Santa María de Buena Esperança defence garrison, suggesting Cabrilho
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