Sierra Buttes
Lookout
A fire lookout tower that was originally built in 1915 tops the highest point on Sierra Buttes. In 1964, employees of the National Forest Service erected metal stairs with railings for the public to safely access the views from the lookout. The hike to the lookout is one of the most popular destinations in the northern Sierra region. The Sierra Buttes trail is 2.3 miles long, gains 1,587 feet of elevation, and one mile of it is shared with the Pacific Crest Trail. In good weather, Lassen Peak can be seen from the lookout, 65 miles to the northwest, as well as Mount Shasta 150 miles distant. Sierra Valley can be seen to the east.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Sierra Buttes is located in an alpine climate zone. 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.
Geology
The Sierra Buttes are composed of metavolcanic rock, predominantly andesitic hydroclastic breccia and peperite which intruded the Sierra Buttes Formation. The rock is part of the Northern Sierra Terrane and was formed in an undersea volcanic process along an island arc during the late Devonian period. Gold nuggets were discovered at mines surrounding the Sierra Buttes during the California Gold Rush, the largest of which weighed 106 pounds was uncovered in 1869.
Gallery
See also
References
- ^ Cheryl Angelina Koehler (2007), Touring the Sierra Nevada, University of Nevada Press, ISBN 9780874177176
- ^ United States Geological Survey topographical map - Sierra City
- ^ "Sierra Buttes, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
- ^ "Sierra Buttes, North - 8,591' CA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
- ^ "Sierra Buttes". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
- ^ John Elliott (2021), On the Trail: Sacramento Valley and Surrounding Mountains, Page Publishing, ISBN 9781684568673
- ^ Sierra Club Bulletin, Volume 1, 1896, p. 13
- ^ Peter Massey, Jeanne Wilson, Angela Titus (2006), California Trails Northern Sierra Region, Adler Publishing Company, ISBN 9781930193239, p. 193
- ^ Matt Johanson (2019), Sierra Summits: A Guide to Fifty Peak Experiences in California's Range of Light, Falcon Guides, ISBN 9781493036455, p. 25
- ^ "Climate of the Sierra Nevada". Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ^ David R. Lageson, Mary M. Lahren, Stephen George Peters (2000), Great Basin and Sierra Nevada, Geological Society of America, p. 274
- ^ Monumental Nugget, Sierra County Historical Society
External links
- Weather forecast: Sierra Buttes
- Sierra Buttes trail: Hikingproject.com
- 2022 fatality: sfgate.com