Balls (mountain range)
| Balls | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Looking north from the Portuguese Overlook Observation Site, toward the Balls. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,413 m (7,917 ft) |
| Geography | |
  Balls Location within California | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
Region | Sierra Nevada |
District | Madera County |
Range coordinates | 37°30′28″N 119°21′6″W / 37.50778°N 119.35167°W |
| Topo map | USGS Timber Knob |
The Balls are a mountain range within the Sierra Nevada, in Madera County, California. They are "glacier-carved granite domes" and have been described as "looking like smooth scoops of butterscotch ice cream". The mountain range has federal protection as part of the Sierra National Forest.
Climbing
The Balls have been used for rock climbing since at least the 1970s. A 1980 account in the American Alpine Journal noted earlier climbing by Royal Robbins and his Rockcraft group, although many of their ascents were not recorded. The account identified four principal domes, tentatively named Ski Track Dome, Little Dome, Tempest Dome and Big Red, and documented several climbing routes established on Tempest Dome in 1980.
Further reading
- Matthes, François E. (1960). Reconnaissance of the Geomorphology and Glacial Geology of the San Joaquin Basin, Sierra Nevada, California (Report). Professional Paper. U.S. Geological Survey. doi:10.3133/pp329.
References
- ↑
- ↑ Mohlenbrock, Robert H (2006). This Land: A Guide to Western National Forests. Vol. 1. University of California Press. p. 180. ISBN 978-0520239678.
- ↑ Magley, Beverly (1999). National Forest Scenic Byways Far West. Globe Pequot. p. 156. ISBN 978-1560446538.
- ↑ Higgins, Thomas J. (1980). "The Balls". American Alpine Journal. American Alpine Club. Retrieved August 28, 2026.
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