[4] It is situated immediately northwest of Onion Valley in the John Muir Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest.

Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises 5,250 feet (1,600 meters) above Onion Valley in two miles.

[8][9] He was principal of the high school in Independence from 1924 to 1928, which provided him access to this peak near his home.

[10]> 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, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range (orographic lift).