Liberty Cap (California)

Liberty Cap
Liberty Cap is next to Nevada Fall
Highest point
Elevation	7,080 ft (2,160 m)  NAVD 88[1]
Prominence	956 ft (291 m) [1]
Parent peak	Half Dome[2]
Coordinates	37°43′43″N 119°31′57″W / 37.728533°N 119.532556°WCoordinates: 37°43′43″N 119°31′57″W / 37.728533°N 119.532556°W [1]
Geography
Location	Yosemite National Park, Mariposa County, California, U.S.
Parent range	Sierra Nevada
Topo map	USGS Half Dome
Geology
Age of rock	Cretaceous
Mountain type	Granite dome
Climbing
Easiest route	Scramble, class 2-3[3]

Liberty Cap is a granite dome in Yosemite National Park, California, USA which lies at the extreme northwestern margin of Little Yosemite Valley. It lies adjacent, to the north of Nevada Fall, on the John Muir Trail. It rises 1,700 feet (520 m) feet from the base of Nevada Fall to a peak elevation of 7,080 ft (2,158 m). A smaller, mesa-like dome called Mount Broderick stands immediately adjacent to Liberty Cap.

Origin of the name

California Governor Leland Stanford visited Yosemite in 1865, and he and James Hutchings visited Nevada Fall. Stanford didn't like any proposed names, and, looking at half dollar reputably produced by Hutchings, saw a resemblance between the Liberty Cap and the coin's cap of liberty and decided the name better,.^[4]

Climbing

The easiest routes starts at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley and follow either the John Muir Trail or the Mist Trail to the top of Nevada Falls. Cross the bridge over the Merced River and climb the short ridge. From the granite slabs on the ridge ascend the Northeast Gully (class 2-3) to the summit.^[3]

There are a number of technical routes on Liberty Cap ranging in difficulty from class 5.8 to 5.11.^[3]

References

1. "Liberty Cap, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
2. "Liberty Cap". ListsOfJohn.com. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
3. "Liberty Cap". SummitPost.org. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
4. Richard J. Hartesveldt (1955). "Yosemite Valley Place Names". Retrieved 2 May 2016.