This is a picture of the first group to spot Mount Whitney
and decide that it was the highest mountain in the area.
They are the California Geological Survey field party of
1864. From left to right, they are: James Gardner,
Richard Cotter, William Brewer, and Clarence King.
Some of the members of this group (notably Clarence King) tried to
climb the highest peak in the range several times without success. The
first time they tried, King and Cotter climbed Mt. Tyndall, then realized
that there were higher peaks a bit further south. They ran out of food
and had to go back to base camp. Two more times, King tried to climb
Whitney, but failed, once thinking he'd succeeded since fog obstructed
his view of Whitney. Before he realized his error, three local fishermen,
Charley Begole, Johnny Lucas, and Al Johnson climbed Whitney and named
it Fisherman's Peak.
This started up something of a dispute, as the CGS party of 1864
had already named the peak Mt. Whitney, after the founder of the
CGS, Josiah Dwight Whitney. Officially, the first people to
climb to the peak of a mountain are supposed to have the right
to name it. Since the fishermen spread their name primarily by word of
mouth, and the CGS had lots of publications about it, their name
eventually stuck.
If you'd like to read a detailed account of the history of Mount
Whitney, as well as the flora, the fauna, and the routes of the
most popular hikes and climbs to the top, I recommend the following
book:
Mount Whitney Guide for Hikers and Climbers
by Paul Hellweg and Scott McDonald
ISBN 0-942568-22-2
Canyon Publishing Company, 8561 Eatough Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304
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