It is situated 2.6 miles east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in the John Muir Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest.

Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 4,770 feet (1,450 meters) above Owens Valley in two miles.

[6] The first recorded ascent of the summit was made by Art J. Reyman and Fred L. Jones on January 11, 1953, by ascending the northeast ridge.

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