Mount Cotter, Mountain summit in Kings Canyon National Park, California, United States
Mount Cotter is a summit in the Sierra Nevada within Kings Canyon National Park that rises to approximately 12,700 feet. The peak features steep slopes and a technical summit block that requires climbing experience to navigate safely.
Mount Cotter is named for Dick Cotter, a packer with the California Geological Survey in 1864. Cotter and Clarence King made the first ascent of Mount Tyndall. The sources record no 1922 first ascent of Mount Cotter.
Mount Cotter is named for Dick Cotter, a packer with the California Geological Survey in 1864, who with Clarence King made the first ascent of Mount Tyndall. The name ties the peak to the survey's early work in the Sierra Nevada.
Visitors need wilderness permits for overnight stays and must carry bear canisters to store food safely. The summit is reachable from established trails on both the east and west sides of the mountain range.
Mount Cotter's summit block is rated class 4-5, so the final metres need a rope and climbing skill even though the lower slopes from Gardiner Basin are only class 2-3. The peak stands beside Gardiner Lakes, and Mount Gardiner rises about 2.1 km to the northeast.
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