Ansel Adams Wilderness: Difference between revisions

Ansel Adams Wilderness
Ansel Adams Wilderness
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
	Banner Peak above Thousand Island Lake
Location	Madera / Fresno / Mono counties, California, United States
Nearest city	Fresno, CA
Coordinates	37°41′N 119°11′W / 37.683°N 119.183°W
Area	231,533 acres (936.98 km2)
Created	1964
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service

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The Ansel Adams Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada of California, United States. The wilderness spans 231,533 acres (93,698 ha); 33.9% of the territory lies in the Inyo National Forest, 65.8% is in the Sierra National Forest, and the remaining 0.3% covers nearly all of Devils Postpile National Monument.^[1] Yosemite National Park lies to the north and northwest, while the John Muir Wilderness lies to the south.

History

The wilderness was established as part of the original Wilderness Act in 1964 as the Minarets Wilderness. The 109,500-acre (44,300 ha) Minarets Wilderness was created by enlarging and renaming the Mount Dana-Minarets Primitive Area.^[2]

In 1984, after his death, the area was expanded and renamed in memory of Ansel Adams, well-known environmentalist and nature photographer who is famous for his black-and-white landscape photographs of the Sierra Nevada.

Geography and Geology

The Ansel Adams wilderness spans in elevation from 3,500 to 13,157 feet (1,067 to 4,010 m), forming the northern end of the High Sierra.^[3]

The centerpiece of the Ansel Adams wilderness is the Ritter Range, which includes dark metavolcanic glaciated mountains such as Mount Ritter, Banner Peak, and The Minarets.

Immediately to the east of the Ritter Range is the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River,^[3] which contains Devils Postpile, a series of basaltic columns that were revealed and smoothed by glacier action. The Middle Fork originates from Thousand Island Lake, at the foot of Banner Peak, one of the largest backcountry lakes in the Sierra.^[3]

To the east of the Middle Fork canyon is the true Sierra Crest, which, at roughly 10,000 feet (3,000 m) of elevation is lower than the Ritter Range.^[3] This relatively low region of the Crest allows winter storms through and cause large amounts of snowfall on Mammoth Mountain, which sits in the gap. The gap also allows migration of plants and animals across the Sierra Crest.^[3]

To the west of the Ritter Range lies the canyon of the North Fork of the San Joaquin, a relatively remote and unvisited high-country area. The southern part of the wilderness contains the 3,000 feet (900 m) deep canyon of the main San Joaquin River, which flows out of the Sierra Nevada to California's Central Valley.^[3]

Climate

Climate data for Gem Lake, California
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	37.1 (2.8)	38.5 (3.6)	44.5 (6.9)	50.2 (10.1)	57.6 (14.2)	64.8 (18.2)	73.2 (22.9)	71.3 (21.8)	64.5 (18.1)	54.9 (12.7)	45.8 (7.7)	38.4 (3.6)	53.4 (11.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	14.8 (−9.6)	14.7 (−9.6)	18.3 (−7.6)	24.3 (−4.3)	31.9 (−0.1)	39.6 (4.2)	47.7 (8.7)	47.2 (8.4)	40.3 (4.6)	32.9 (0.5)	25.1 (−3.8)	16.1 (−8.8)	29.4 (−1.5)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.63 (92)	3.66 (93)	2.92 (74)	1.62 (41)	0.86 (22)	0.49 (12)	0.55 (14)	0.59 (15)	0.70 (18)	1.14 (29)	2.11 (54)	3.18 (81)	21.45 (545)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	33.2 (84)	40.6 (103)	26.3 (67)	15.7 (40)	4.3 (11)	1.1 (2.8)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1.1 (2.8)	6.9 (18)	16.8 (43)	34.1 (87)	180.1 (458.6)
Source: WRCC,^[4] Period of Record: 1924-2010

Ecology

The Ansel Adams wilderness contains substantial area above treeline, at approximately 9,600 to 10,400 feet (2,900 to 3,200 m). The area above treeline contains alpine meadows and fellfields, with a large number of glacial lakes. Below treeline, the wilderness is dominated by lodgepole pine, red fir, and Jeffrey pine, depending on elevation.^[5]

Recreation

The wilderness contains 349 miles (562 km) of hiking trails, including portions of the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails.^[3] The Sierra High Route, an off-trail route described by Steve Roper, runs along the base of the Ritter Range, through the wilderness.^[6]

The Middle Fork of the San Joaquin receives the most visitors: a mandatory bus is required for visitors to reach Devils Postpile from the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area during the summer.

The Minarets are a well-known area for technical rock climbing.^[3]

Winter brings various cross-country ski possibilities, accessible from both Mammoth Mountain and the June Mountain ski area.

References

^ "Ansel Adams Wilderness acreage breakdown". Wilderness.net. Archived from the original on 2012-07-01.
^ Godfrey, Anthony (2005). The Ever-Changing View-A History of the National Forests in California. USDA Forest Service Publishers. p. 411. ISBN 1-59351-428-X.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Adkinson, Ron (2001). Wild Northern California. The Globe Pequot Press. pp. 86–93. ISBN 1-56044-781-8.
^ "Gem Lake, California". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
^ Schoenherr, Allan A. (1992). A Natural History of California. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-06922-6.
^ Roper, Steve (1997). Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country. ISBN 0-89886-506-9.

External links

[1] "Ansel Adams Wilderness acreage breakdown". Wilderness.net. Archived from the original on 2012-07-01.

[2] Godfrey, Anthony (2005). The Ever-Changing View-A History of the National Forests in California. USDA Forest Service Publishers. p. 411. ISBN 1-59351-428-X.

[Adkinson-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Adkinson, Ron (2001). Wild Northern California. The Globe Pequot Press. pp. 86–93. ISBN 1-56044-781-8.

[4] "Gem Lake, California". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved 2024-10-20.

[schoenherr-5] Schoenherr, Allan A. (1992). A Natural History of California. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-06922-6.

[highroute-6] Roper, Steve (1997). Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country. ISBN 0-89886-506-9.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Protected wilderness area in California, United States}}
-{{Infobox_protected_area | name = Ansel Adams Wilderness
+{{Infobox protected area
+| name = Ansel Adams Wilderness
 | iucn_category = Ib
+| map = USA California#USA
-| image = US_Locator_Blank.svg
-| caption =
+| relief = 1
-| locator_x = 22
+| map_caption =
+| location = [[Madera County, California|Madera]] / [[Fresno County, California|Fresno]] / [[Mono County, California|Mono]] counties, [[California]], [[United States]]
-| locator_y = 88
-| location = [[California]], [[United States|USA]]
 | nearest_city = [[Fresno, California|Fresno, CA]]
+| coordinates = {{coords|37|41|N|119|11|W|display=inline, title}}
-| lat_degrees = 37
+| photo = Mt Banner and Thousand Island Lake.jpg
-| lat_minutes = 41
+| photo_caption=[[Banner Peak]] above [[Thousand Island Lake]]
-| lat_seconds = 0
+| area_acre = 231,533
-| lat_direction = N
-| long_degrees = 119
+| created = 1964
-| long_minutes = 11
+| visitation_num =
-| long_seconds = 0
+| visitation_year =
+| governing_body = [[United States Forest Service|U.S. Forest Service]]
-| long_direction = W
-| area = 231,000 acres (934 km²)
-| established = [[1964]]
-| visitation_num =
-| visitation_year =
-| governing_body = [[U.S. Forest Service]]
 }}
+The '''Ansel Adams Wilderness''' is a wilderness area in the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] of [[California]], [[United States]]. The wilderness spans {{convert|231533|acre}}; 33.9% of the territory lies in the [[Inyo National Forest]], 65.8% is in the [[Sierra National Forest]], and the remaining 0.3% covers nearly all of [[Devils Postpile National Monument]].<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701014624/http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=acreage&WID=12|archive-date=2012-07-01|url=http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=acreage&WID=12|title=Ansel Adams Wilderness acreage breakdown|publisher=Wilderness.net}}</ref> [[Yosemite National Park]] lies to the north and northwest, while the [[John Muir Wilderness]] lies to the south.
-[[Image:1000 Island Lake Ansel Adams Wilderness.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Banner Peak]] and [[Mount Davis (California)|Mount Davis]] above [[Thousand Island Lake]] ]]
-The '''Ansel Adams Wilderness''' is a wilderness area in the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] of [[California]],[[United States|USA]]. The wilderness is part of the [[Inyo National Forest|Inyo]] and [[Sierra National Forest|Sierra]] National Forests. The wilderness was established as part of the original [[Wilderness Act]] in 1964 (originally named the [[Minarets (California)|Minarets Wilderness]]). In 1984, after his death, the area was expanded and renamed in honor of [[Ansel Adams]], well-known nature photographer who is famous for his [[Landscape art|landscape]] [[photograph]]s of the Sierra Nevada.
+==History==
-The wilderness spans 230,258 acres (932 km²). [[Yosemite National Park]] lies to the north and northwest, while the [[John Muir Wilderness]] lies to the south.
+The wilderness was established as part of the original [[Wilderness Act]] in 1964 as the '''Minarets Wilderness'''. The {{convert|109500|acre|adj=on}} Minarets Wilderness was created by enlarging and renaming the Mount Dana-Minarets Primitive Area.<ref>{{cite book|last=Godfrey|first=Anthony|title=The Ever-Changing View-A History of the National Forests in California|publisher=USDA Forest Service Publishers|year=2005|pages=411|isbn=1-59351-428-X}}</ref>
+In 1984, after his death, the area was expanded and renamed in memory of [[Ansel Adams]], well-known environmentalist and nature photographer who is famous for his black-and-white [[landscape photography|landscape photographs]] of the Sierra Nevada.
-Points of interest in the Ansel Adams Wilderness include:
-* The Sierra Crest
+==Geography and Geology==
-* The Ritter Range:
+The Ansel Adams wilderness spans in elevation from {{convert|3500|to|13157|ft|m}}, forming the northern end of the High Sierra.<ref name=Adkinson>{{cite book|title=Wild Northern California|first=Ron|last=Adkinson|publisher=The Globe Pequot Press|year=2001|isbn=1-56044-781-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/wildnortherncali0000adki/page/86 86–93]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/wildnortherncali0000adki/page/86}}</ref>
-** [[Mount Ritter]]http:/upwiki/wikipedia/en/1/13/Button_enter.png
-** [[Banner Peak]]
+The centerpiece of the Ansel Adams wilderness is the [[Ritter Range]], which includes dark [[metavolcanic]] [[glacier|glaciated]] mountains such as [[Mount Ritter]], [[Banner Peak]], and [[Minarets (California)|The Minarets]].
-** The [[Minarets (California)|Minarets]]
-* The [[San Joaquin River]] Valley
+Immediately to the east of the Ritter Range is the Middle Fork of the [[San Joaquin River]],<ref name=Adkinson/> which contains [[Devils Postpile National Monument|Devils Postpile]], a series of [[columnar basalt|basaltic columns]] that were revealed and smoothed by glacier action. The Middle Fork originates from [[Thousand Island Lake]], at the foot of Banner Peak, one of the largest backcountry lakes in the Sierra.<ref name=Adkinson/>
-* [[Devil's Postpile National Monument]]
-* 350 miles (560 km) of [[hiking]] trails, including portions of:
+To the east of the Middle Fork canyon is the true Sierra Crest, which, at roughly {{convert|10000|ft|m|-2}} of elevation is lower than the Ritter Range.<ref name=Adkinson/> This relatively low region of the Crest allows winter storms through and cause large amounts of snowfall on [[Mammoth Mountain]], which sits in the gap. The gap also allows migration of plants and animals across the Sierra Crest.<ref name=Adkinson/>
-** The [[John Muir Trail]]
-** The [[Pacific Crest Trail]]
+To the west of the Ritter Range lies the canyon of the North Fork of the San Joaquin, a relatively remote and unvisited high-country area. The southern part of the wilderness contains the {{convert|3000|ft|m|-2}} deep canyon of the main San Joaquin River, which flows out of the Sierra Nevada to California's [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]].<ref name=Adkinson/>
-** The [[Sierra High Route]]
+[[File:Panoramaanseladams.jpg|thumb|center|600px|Ansel Adams Wilderness]]
+==Climate==
+{{Weather box
+|width=auto
+|single line=Y
+|location=Gem Lake, California
+|precipitation colour=green
+|Jan high F=37.1
+|Feb high F=38.5
+|Mar high F=44.5
+|Apr high F=50.2
+|May high F=57.6
+|Jun high F=64.8
+|Jul high F=73.2
+|Aug high F=71.3
+|Sep high F=64.5
+|Oct high F=54.9
+|Nov high F=45.8
+|Dec high F=38.4
+|Jan low F=14.8
+|Feb low F=14.7
+|Mar low F=18.3
+|Apr low F=24.3
+|May low F=31.9
+|Jun low F=39.6
+|Jul low F=47.7
+|Aug low F=47.2
+|Sep low F=40.3
+|Oct low F=32.9
+|Nov low F=25.1
+|Dec low F=16.1
+|Jan precipitation inch=3.63
+|Feb precipitation inch=3.66
+|Mar precipitation inch=2.92
+|Apr precipitation inch=1.62
+|May precipitation inch=0.86
+|Jun precipitation inch=0.49
+|Jul precipitation inch=0.55
+|Aug precipitation inch=0.59
+|Sep precipitation inch=0.70
+|Oct precipitation inch=1.14
+|Nov precipitation inch=2.11
+|Dec precipitation inch=3.18
+|Jan snow inch=33.2
+|Feb snow inch=40.6
+|Mar snow inch=26.3
+|Apr snow inch=15.7
+|May snow inch=4.3
+|Jun snow inch=1.1
+|Jul snow inch=0
+|Aug snow inch=0
+|Sep snow inch=1.1
+|Oct snow inch=6.9
+|Nov snow inch=16.8
+|Dec snow inch=34.1
+|source 1=WRCC,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca3369|title=Gem Lake, California|publisher=Western Regional Climate Center|access-date=2024-10-20}}</ref> Period of Record: 1924-2010
+}}
+==Ecology==
+{{Main|Ecology of the Sierra Nevada}}
+The Ansel Adams wilderness contains substantial area above treeline, at approximately {{convert|9600|to|10400|ft|m|-2}}. The area above treeline contains [[alpine meadow]]s and [[fellfield]]s, with a large number of glacial lakes. Below treeline, the wilderness is dominated by [[lodgepole pine]], [[red fir]], and [[Jeffrey pine]], depending on elevation.<ref name="schoenherr">{{cite book|title=[[A Natural History of California]]|first=Allan A.|last=Schoenherr|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=0-520-06922-6|year=1992}}</ref>
+[[File:Alger Lakes Ansel Adams Wilderness.jpg|thumb|right|Alger Lakes and Mount San Joaquin in the northern end of the wilderness.]]
+==Recreation==
+The wilderness contains {{convert|349|mi|km}} of hiking trails, including portions of the [[John Muir Trail|John Muir]] and [[Pacific Crest Trail]]s.<ref name=Adkinson/> The [[Sierra High Route]], an off-trail route described by [[Steve Roper]], runs along the base of the Ritter Range, through the wilderness.<ref name=highroute>{{cite book|title=Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country|year=1997|isbn=0-89886-506-9|first=Steve|last=Roper}}</ref>
+The Middle Fork of the San Joaquin receives the most visitors: a mandatory bus is required for visitors to reach Devils Postpile from the [[Mammoth Mountain Ski Area]] during the summer.
+The Minarets are a well-known area for [[rock climbing|technical rock climbing]].<ref name=Adkinson/>
+Winter brings various [[cross-country skiing|cross-country ski]] possibilities, accessible from both Mammoth Mountain and the [[June Mountain]] ski area.
 == See also ==
+[[File:MinaretLake.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Minaret Lake]] in the Ansel Adams Wilderness area.]]
-* [[List of guidebooks about the Sierra Nevada]]
+* [[Bibliography of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Bibliography of the Sierra Nevada]], for further reading
+==References==
-[[Image:Panoramaanseladams.jpg|thumb|600px|Ansel Adams Wilderness]]
+{{Reflist}}
-== External links and references ==
+{{Refbegin}}
-* [http://www.virtualparks.org/parks/ansel-text-list.html QTVR photos of locations in the Ansel Adams Wilderness]
+*[http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sierra/recreation/wilderness/areas.shtml Sierra National Forest Wilderness Page]
+*[http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/ Inyo National Forest]
+{{Refend}}
+== External links==
+{{Commons and category}}
+* [http://sierrawild.gov/wilderness/ansel-adams Sierrawild.gov: Ansel Adams Wilderness website]
 * {{Gnis|1945838|Ansel Adams Wilderness}}
-* [http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&wname=Ansel%20Adams Wilderness.net]
+* [https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=12 Wilderness.net: Ansel Adams Wilderness]
+* [http://www.summitpost.org/area/range/170866/ansel-adams-wilderness.html Summitpost.org: Ansel Adams Wilderness]
-* [http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=11&n=4173692&e=307410&s=200&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25 Topozone map]
+* [http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?z=11&n=4173692&e=307410&s=200&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25 TopoQuest map of Ansel Adams Wilderness Area]
-[[Category:Sierra Nevada]]
+* [http://www.virtualparks.org/parks/ansel-text-list.html Virtualparks.org: QTVR photos of the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area]
-[[Category:Wilderness Areas of California]]
+{{Protected Areas of California|NF}}
+{{Sierra Nevada}}
+{{Ansel Adams}}
+{{Authority control}}
+[[Category:Wilderness areas of California]]
-[[de:Ansel Adams Wilderness]]
+[[Category:Protected areas of the Sierra Nevada (United States)]]
-[[uk:Дика територія Ансель Адамс]]
+[[Category:Inyo National Forest]]
+[[Category:Sierra National Forest]]
+[[Category:Protected areas of Fresno County, California]]
+[[Category:Protected areas of Madera County, California]]
+[[Category:Protected areas of Mono County, California]]
+[[Category:Protected areas established in 1964]]
+[[Category:1964 establishments in California]]
+[[Category:Mountains of the Ansel Adams Wilderness| ]]
+[[Category:Ansel Adams]]

v t e Ansel Adams
Photographs	Lodgepole Pines, Lyell Fork of the Merced River (1921) Monolith, the Face of Half Dome (1927) Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite National Park (c. 1937) Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico (1941) Evening, McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park (1942) The Tetons and the Snake River (1942) Winter Sunrise, Sierra Nevada, from Lone Pine, California (1944) Aspens, Northern New Mexico (1958)
Portfolios	Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras (1927)
Books	Taos Pueblo (1931) (with Mary Hunter Austin) Born Free and Equal (1944)
Related	Zone System Group f/64 Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film (2002) Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography Ansel Adams Award (The Wilderness Society) Ansel Adams Wilderness The Land of Little Rain (1950 edition)