Palisade Crest is a jagged ridge in The Palisades's region of the Sierra Nevada southeast of Mount Sill and northwest of Middle Palisade. Its twelve pinnacles are unofficially named for characters from The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The highest pinnacle, at 13559 ft, is called Gandalf Peak. The ridge marks the boundary between Kings Canyon National Park and the John Muir Wilderness.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Palisade Crest 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.

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