Thompson Peak (Trinity County, California)

Thompson Peak
View of Wedding Cake Peak (left) and Thompson Peak (right), viewed from Canyon Creek Lakes.
Highest point
Elevation9,001 ft (2,744 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence3,914 ft (1,193 m)[2]
Parent peakMount Eddy[3]
Coordinates41°00′02″N 123°02′54″W / 41.000502714°N 123.048377281°W / 41.000502714; -123.048377281[1]
Geography
LocationTrinity County, California, U.S.
Parent rangeKlamath Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Thompson Peak

Thompson Peak is a mountain (a high point on a tall granite ridge) in Trinity County, California. At 9,001 feet, it is the highest peak in the Trinity Alps Wilderness,[4] and the second highest in Northern California west of the Cascades.

It is the highest point in a ridge that also features Wedding Cake, another well-known Trinity Alps peak. Thompson Peak is the highest Peak in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, a vast assemblage of craggy granite mountains in northwestern California (Trinity Alps Wilderness is the seventh largest designated wilderness area in California[5]).

(Quote from Per SP member Ed Cooper) "It is incorrect to say that there is no longer glacial activity in the area. The Thompson Glacier lies below the North Face of Thompson Peak. Late in the season, when most of the winter snow has melted, the crevasses and ice of this glacier are exposed. There is another smaller body of snow/ice to the right of the Thompson Glacier, below the north face that might also be considered a small glacier. Further, there is definitely one small glacier on a nearby peak that has crevasses and clearly displays glacier ice."

Thompson Peak has steep north and east faces and a gentle southwest slope. Permanent snow fields fill its wide north cirque and also below its east face. It is usually climbed from Canyon Creek Trail, ascending the class 2-3 South Ridge from the east. This route has an 8000 feet elevation gain. About 10 miles.

Climate[edit]

Climate data for Thompson Peak (CA) 41.0021 N, 123.0493 W, Elevation: 8,366 ft (2,550 m) (1991–2020 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 35.7
(2.1)
34.9
(1.6)
36.1
(2.3)
40.5
(4.7)
48.7
(9.3)
57.1
(13.9)
67.2
(19.6)
67.0
(19.4)
61.7
(16.5)
51.4
(10.8)
40.0
(4.4)
34.7
(1.5)
47.9
(8.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 28.5
(−1.9)
26.8
(−2.9)
27.6
(−2.4)
30.6
(−0.8)
37.9
(3.3)
45.6
(7.6)
54.9
(12.7)
54.4
(12.4)
49.5
(9.7)
41.1
(5.1)
32.5
(0.3)
27.8
(−2.3)
38.1
(3.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 21.3
(−5.9)
18.8
(−7.3)
19.1
(−7.2)
20.7
(−6.3)
27.1
(−2.7)
34.2
(1.2)
42.6
(5.9)
41.8
(5.4)
37.2
(2.9)
30.8
(−0.7)
25.0
(−3.9)
20.9
(−6.2)
28.3
(−2.1)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 20.10
(511)
21.45
(545)
16.26
(413)
9.72
(247)
4.64
(118)
3.13
(80)
0.74
(19)
0.50
(13)
1.13
(29)
5.62
(143)
9.86
(250)
22.48
(571)
115.63
(2,939)
Source: PRISM Climate Group[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Thompson". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  2. ^ "Thompson Peak, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  3. ^ "Thompson Peak". ListsOfJohn.com. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  4. ^ "California Wilderness High Points". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  5. ^ "California Wilderness Areas : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost".
  6. ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved October 8, 2023. To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.

External links[edit]