Obstruction Peak

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Obstruction Peak
Obstruction Peak with Obstruction Point Road.jpg
Obstruction Peak seen from the west
Highest point
Elevation 6,450 ft (1,966 m) [1]
Prominence 250 ft (76 m) [1]
Parent peak Elk Mountain (6,773 ft) [2]
Isolation 1.39 mi (2.24 km) [2]
Coordinates 47°55′20″N123°22′54″W / 47.92218°N 123.381598°W / 47.92218; -123.381598 [1]
Geography
USA Washington relief location map.jpg
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Obstruction Peak
Location of Obstruction Peak in Washington
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Obstruction Peak
Obstruction Peak (the United States)
CountryUnited States
State Washington
County Clallam
Protected area Olympic National Park
Parent range Olympic Mountains
Topo map USGS Mount Angeles
Geology
Age of rock Eocene
Type of rock Shale
Climbing
Easiest route Hiking class 2

Obstruction Peak is a 6,450-foot-elevation (1,966-meter) summit in the Olympic Mountains and is located in Clallam County of Washington state. [3] It is set within Olympic National Park and is situated at the eastern end of Obstruction Point Road which is a narrow eight-mile dirt road on Hurricane Ridge. The road ends below the south slope of Obstruction Peak, and a short hike leads to the summit. The nearest higher peak is Elk Mountain, 0.46 mi (0.74 km) to the northeast. [1] Obstruction Peak is a major triple divide point such that precipitation runoff drains into tributaries of the Elwha River, Dungeness River, and Morse Creek. All three thence empty into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Contents

Climate

Northeast aspect Obstruction Peak winter.png
Northeast aspect

Set in the north-central portion of the Olympic Mountains, Obstruction Peak is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. [4] Weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Olympic 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 snow. As a result, the Olympics experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. [5] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in avalanche danger. During winter months weather is usually cloudy, but due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer. [5] The months of July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.

History

It's believed that a road-building project in the 1940s was expected to run a full-circle loop from the Elwha River to Hurricane Ridge and Deer Park, then on to Port Angeles. The project was stopped at Obstruction Point because of loose shale and inherent instability of the slopes here, hence the obstruction. [6]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Barnes (Washington)</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Mount Barnes is a 5,987-foot (1,825-metre) mountain summit in Olympic National Park in Jefferson County of Washington state. Mount Barnes is part of the Bailey Range, which is a subrange of the Olympic Mountains, and is set within the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness. Neighbors include Mount Queets, 1.7 mi (2.7 km) to the southwest, and Mount Olympus is set 6.2 mi (10.0 km) to the west. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains west into the Queets River, south into headwaters of the Elwha River, and northeast into Goldie River which is a tributary of the Elwha. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 3,200 feet (975 m) above Elwha Basin in approximately two miles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodger Point</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maiden Peak (Washington)</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Maiden Peak is a 6,434-foot (1,961 m) summit located in Olympic National Park, in Clallam County of Washington state. It is part of the Olympic Mountains and is situated near the eastern end of Hurricane Ridge within the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness. The nearest higher neighbor is Elk Mountain, 1.62 mi (2.61 km) to the west-southwest, and Blue Mountain is set 3.14 mi (5.05 km) to the east-northeast. The peak is set approximately midway along the trail which connects Deer Park and Obstruction Point. Precipitation runoff from the south slope of the mountain drains into Grand Creek, whereas the north slope is drained by Maiden Creek, and all ultimately reaches the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 3,000 feet (910 m) above Grand Creek in one mile. This landform's name was officially adopted in 1961 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. One story has the origin of the name being derived from nearby Maiden Lake where young men and women camped around 1913, and the other being from a group of hikers that passed this area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurricane Hill</span> Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Hurricane Hill is a 5,757-foot (1,755 m) mountain summit located within Olympic National Park in Clallam County of Washington state. It is part of the Olympic Mountains and is situated at the western end of Hurricane Ridge within the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness. Hurricane Hill is nine miles south-southwest of Port Angeles and two miles northwest of the park's Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains to the Elwha River via various tributaries. Topographic relief is significant as the southwest aspect rises 5,100 feet (1,600 m) above the Elwha Valley in three miles.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Obstruction Peak". Peakbagger.com.
  2. 1 2 "Obstruction Peak - 6,450' WA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  3. "Obstruction Peak". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2018-08-04.
  4. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN   1027-5606.
  5. 1 2 McNulty, Tim (2009). Olympic National Park: A Natural History. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press.
  6. Parratt, Smitty (1984). Gods and Goblins: A Field Guide to Place Names of Olympic National Park (1st ed.).