The Crystal Range

While drinking coffee with a friend, sitting on a deck, mountains in the distance... I realize I don't know what I'm looking at.  It's a snowy ribbon on the horizon... it's where you drive to go skiing... it's "the mountains"...

I take a picture and resolved to study it, to identify the features, and answer questions that have nagged me.

Here's a zoom of "the mountains" -- 3/4 of the year they are bright white, snow-covered.

I've always wanted to know:

• I see these peaks every day - what are their names?
• Where is Tahoe in relation to the jagged line?
• Does the road to Tahoe cut through one of these gaps or notches?
• Is this the ridge line of the Sierra, or are there higher peaks beyond these?
• How far away is it?

A first look at Google Satellite Map:

I took the photograph from the left end of the red line, and know  "the mountains" are roughly East North East.  So, the light gray area is probably what I'm looking at.  It is a vast area of exposed granite.

That makes sense: in late summer, when the snow melts, the far mountains do not become green - they are a powdery gray.

Google's Terrain Map settled several questions.

• The silhouette is the crest of the Sierra Nevada; there are no higher peaks behind.
• This section is known as the "Crystal Range"
• It is about 45 miles away, as the crow flies.

But even when I magnify the topographic map, I can't be sure which peak is which.

I want to see the same profile of the mountain against the sky, to be certain of the mountains, and to get names for the peaks.

I download Google Earth and fly from my location towards the Crystal Range, hoping to see the exact silhouette that's on the photograph.

Close enough.
Actually, one flyby was a perfect match but I'm having trouble precisely recreating it.

Result:

After living here 10 years, I finally know that I'm looking at the Crystal Range.

The bleak bleached granite area is the Desolation Wilderness.  And the prominent peaks have names.

The road to Tahoe bypasses the highest mountains and crosses the crest to the south.

Tahoe Basin is right behind the north part of the range.