1953 Map of Mt. Abbot

About this map

Graveyard Peak and the striking Vermilion Cliffs overlook a high-altitude landscape defined by glacially carved basins and granite summits during the early 1950s. This survey, conducted under State Engineer A. D. Edmonston, documents the primitive infrastructure of the Sierra Nevada before modern backcountry management. Remote outposts like Fish Camp and Kip Camp serve as milestones along a network of routes including the iconic John Muir Trail. Local industrial history is marked by the Pick and Shovel Mine near Jackson Meadow, while the presence of a Gaging Station on the watercourses suggests the early measurement of the region's vital hydrologic resources. The map captures the meeting of Fresno, Mono, and Inyo counties along the drainage divide, showing the intricate relationship between peaks like Mt Hilgard and the numerous alpine tarns such as Izaak Walton Lake and Hortense Lake that feed the Fish Creek and Bear Creek watersheds.