Pollux Peak

This article is about the mountain in the United States. For the mountain in the Alps, see Pollux (mountain).

Pollux Peak
Northwest aspect of Pollux (left) and Castor (right)
Highest point
Elevation	11,063 ft (3,372 m) [1]
Prominence	1,223 ft (373 m) [1]
Parent peak	Land Mountain (11,270 ft) [2]
Isolation	4.76 mi (7.66 km) [2]
Coordinates	44°39′58″N109°55′45″W / 44.6662377°N 109.9292862°W / 44.6662377; -109.9292862 [3]
Naming
Etymology	Pollux
Geography
Pollux Peak Location in Wyoming Show map of Wyoming Pollux Peak Pollux Peak (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Yellowstone National Park Park County, Wyoming, U.S.
Parent range	Absaroka Range Rocky Mountains
Topo map	USGS Pollux Peak
Climbing
Easiest route	class 3 scrambling [2]

Pollux Peak is an 11,063-foot-elevation (3,372-meter) mountain summit located in Yellowstone National Park, in Park County, Wyoming, United States. ^[3]

Description

The peak is situated in the northeast quadrant of Yellowstone National Park and is the fourth-highest peak within the park. ^[4] It is part of the Absaroka Range, which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains. Neighbors include Castor Peak 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to the southwest, and Saddle Mountain 4.1 miles (6.6 km) to the northwest on the opposite side of the Lamar River Valley. Topographic relief is significant as the northwest aspect rises over 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) above Lamar River in approximately 1.5 mile. Pollux Peak is named for Pollux, the twin half-brother of Castor according to Greek mythology, and these two gods were considered protectors of travelers, of which there are many in Yellowstone Park. ^[5] The mountain's name, which was officially adopted in 1930 by the United States Board on Geographic Names, ^[6] was in use before 1899 when Henry Gannett published it in A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States. ^[7]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Pollux Peak is located in a subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers. ^[8] Winter temperatures can drop below −10 °F with wind chill factors below −30 °F. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Lamar River.

Aerial view of Pollux Peak, south-southwest aspect

See also

• List of mountains and mountain ranges of Yellowstone National Park

References

1. "Pollux Peak, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
2. "Pollux Peak - 11,063' WY". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
3. "Pollux Peak". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2021-11-12.
4. Pollux Peak, Peakvisor.com
5. By Paul Rubinstein, Lee H. Whittlesey, Mike Stevens, 2000, The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls and Their Discovery, Westcliffe Publishers, ISBN   9781565793514, page 242.
6. Decisions of the United States Geographic Board, Place Names, Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. May 7, 1930. page 19.
7. Henry Gannett, A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States, 1899, US Government Printing Office, page 773.
8. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi: 10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 . ISSN   1027-5606. S2CID   9654551.

External links

• Weather forecast: Pollux Peak