Pyramid Mountain (Clallam County, Washington)

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Pyramid Mountain
Pyramid Peak view from lookout1.JPG
Pyramid Peak summit view in February with Mount Baker in the distance.
Highest point
Elevation 3,100+ ft (940+ m)   NGVD 29 [1]
Prominence 700 ft (210 m)  [1]
Coordinates 48°04′29″N123°48′25″W / 48.0748092°N 123.806866°W / 48.0748092; -123.806866 Coordinates: 48°04′29″N123°48′25″W / 48.0748092°N 123.806866°W / 48.0748092; -123.806866   [2]
Geography
Location Clallam County, Washington, U.S.
Parent range Olympic Mountains

Pyramid Mountain is located high above Lake Crescent's north shore. [3] Once known as Sugarloaf Mountain, it received its present name in 1928. [4] It contains the ruins of an old fire lookout at the summit. It dominates the view from Barnes Point and Lake Crescent Lodge. It is accessible by trail from the Spruce Railroad Trail. On a clear day, Mount Baker is visible in the Cascade Range across the Puget Sound.

Lake Crescent lake in Clallam County, Washington, USA

Lake Crescent is a deep lake located entirely within Olympic National Park in Clallam County, Washington, United States, approximately 17 miles (27 km) west of Port Angeles, Washington on U.S. Route 101 and nearby to the small community of Piedmont. At an official maximum depth of 624 feet (190 m), also the maximum depth of the depth sounder used to find that depth, it is officially the second deepest lake in Washington. Unofficial depth measurements of more than 1,000 feet (300 m) have been rumored in the region for years, although this figure has recently been proven false after a lake-wide bathymetric survey was performed from 2013 to 2014 by Eian Ray and Jeff Enge. The results of this survey showed the maximum depth as being 596 feet. Using GIS statistical analysis, this survey also showed the lake contains approximately 0.5 cubic miles of fresh water.

Barnes Point is an ancient landslide delta that juts out into Lake Crescent in Clallam County, Washington. As one of the few areas of relatively flat ground near Lake Crescent, it hosts Lake Crescent Lodge, the Storm King Ranger Station of Olympic National Park, as well as several private homes. It also contains the trails which access Mount Storm King, Marymere Falls, and Barnes Creek. Barnes Creek flows through an old-growth forest, providing spawning habitat for the endemic Crescenti cutthroat trout.

Lake Crescent Lodge United States historic place

Lake Crescent Lodge, originally called Singer's Lake Crescent Tavern, is a historic resort situated on the shores of Lake Crescent west of Port Angeles, Washington. Located on the Olympic Peninsula within Olympic National Park, the Lodge is owned by the National Park Service and operated by Aramark. The Lodge resort is open seasonally from early May until the end of January with select cabins available during the winter months. Hiking and boating are popular activities for guests, and several peaks, including Mount Storm King and Pyramid Mountain, are easily accessible from the resort. Other hiking opportunities include Marymere Falls, Spruce Railroad, and Barnes Creek Trails.

Contents

From the summit, it is easy to see the landslide that blocked Indian Creek and dammed Lake Crescent. Below the landslide is Lake Sutherland and the Indian Creek valley down to the Elwha River.

Indian Creek is a tributary of the Elwha River located in Washington in the United States.

Lake Sutherland is located on the Olympic Peninsula about 17 miles (27 km) west of Port Angeles, Washington. The lake is located just to the east of Lake Crescent. Lake Sutherland drains into Indian Creek, which is a tributary of the Elwha River.

Elwha River river in the United States of America

The Elwha River is a 45-mile (72 km) river on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. From its source at Elwha snowfinger in the Olympic Mountains, it flows generally north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Most of the river's course is within the Olympic National Park.

Pyramid Mountain and Lake Crescent in summer Pyramid Mountain and Lake Crescent.jpg
Pyramid Mountain and Lake Crescent in summer

Climate

Set in the north-west portion of the Olympic Mountains, Pyramid Mountain is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. [5] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Olympic Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Olympic Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall (Orographic lift). As a result, the Olympics experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. [5] 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.

North America Continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere

North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered by some to be a northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, and to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea.

Weather front boundary separating two masses of air of different densities

A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena outside the tropics. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored triangles and half-circles, depending on the type of front. The air masses separated by a front usually differ in temperature and humidity.

Pacific Ocean Ocean between Asia and Australia in the west, the Americas in the east and Antarctica or the Southern Ocean in the south.

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south and is bounded by Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east.

Geology

The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust. [6] The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.

Obduction is the overthrusting of continental crust by oceanic crust or mantle rocks at a convergent plate boundary, such as closing of an ocean or a mountain building episode. This process is uncommon because the denser oceanic lithosphere usually subducts underneath the less dense continental plate.

Clastic rock type of sedimentary rock

Clastic rocks are composed of fragments, or clasts, of pre-existing minerals and rock. A clast is a fragment of geological detritus, chunks and smaller grains of rock broken off other rocks by physical weathering. Geologists use the term clastic with reference to sedimentary rocks as well as to particles in sediment transport whether in suspension or as bed load, and in sediment deposits.

The Eocene Epoch, lasting from 56 to 33.9 million years ago, is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Paleocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the Eocene is marked by a brief period in which the concentration of the carbon isotope 13C in the atmosphere was exceptionally low in comparison with the more common isotope 12C. The end is set at a major extinction event called the Grande Coupure or the Eocene–Oligocene extinction event, which may be related to the impact of one or more large bolides in Siberia and in what is now Chesapeake Bay. As with other geologic periods, the strata that define the start and end of the epoch are well identified, though their exact dates are slightly uncertain.

See also

Olympic Mountains mountain range

The Olympic Mountains are a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high – Mount Olympus is the highest at 7,965 ft (2,428 m); however, the eastern slopes rise out of Puget Sound from sea level and the western slopes are separated from the Pacific Ocean by the low-lying 20 to 35 km wide Pacific Ocean coastal plain. The western slopes are the wettest place in the 48 contiguous states. Most of the mountains are protected within the bounds of Olympic National Park and adjoining segments of the Olympic National Forest.

Geology of the Pacific Northwest geology of Oregon and Washington (United States) and British Columbia (Canada)

The geology of the Pacific Northwest includes the composition, structure, physical properties and the processes that shape the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada. The region is part of the Ring of Fire: the subduction of the Pacific and Farallon Plates under the North American Plate is responsible for many of the area's scenic features as well as some of its hazards, such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and landslides.

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Paul Bunyans Stump

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Pyramid Peak (Whatcom County, Washington)

Pyramid Peak is a 7,182-foot (2,189-metre) mountain summit in the North Cascades Range of Washington, United States. It is located within North Cascades National Park. It rises steeply from Diablo Lake, one of the reservoirs on the Skagit River. It is part of a group of peaks that form the northern end of a chain running south through climbing destinations such as Colonial Peak, Paul Bunyans Stump, and Snowfield Peak. Like many North Cascade peaks, Pyramid Peak is more notable for its large, steep rise above local terrain than for its absolute elevation. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Diablo Lake and Skagit River.

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Crooked Bum

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Steeple Rock (Washington)

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Deadwood Peak

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Tamanos Mountain

Tamanos Mountain is a 6,790 feet (2,070 m) summit located in Mount Rainier National Park in Pierce County of Washington state. It is part of the Cascade Range. Tamanos Mountain is situated west of Governors Ridge and northeast of the Cowlitz Chimneys, all of which can be seen from the Sunrise Historic District. The name tamanos derives from Chinook Jargon and has the meaning of guardian spirit. The normal climbing access is from the Owyhigh Lakes Trail, and from the lakes scramble up the south slope to the summit.

Barrier Peak

Barrier Peak is a small 6,521 ft summit located in Mount Rainier National Park in Pierce County of Washington state. It is part of the Cascade Range and is situated west of Cayuse Pass, 0.53 mile west-northwest of Buell Peak, and 0.4 mile south-southwest of Governors Ridge, which is its nearest higher peak. The normal climbing access is from the Owyhigh Lakes Trail. The peak was so named because it served as a barrier between the Cayuse Pass region and the rest of Mount Rainier National Park.

Mount Appleton Washington, USA – 6004 ft/1830 m

Mount Appleton is a 6,000+ ft double summit mountain located in the Olympic Mountains, in Clallam County of Washington state. It is set within Olympic National Park and is situated northwest of Appleton Pass. Its nearest higher peak is South Appleton, 0.33 mi (0.53 km) to the south. Precipitation runoff from Mount Appleton drains into the Sol Duc River, and Boulder Creek which is a tributary of the Elwha River, thence into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Mount Carrie

Mount Carrie is a 6,995-foot (2,132-metre) mountain summit located within Olympic National Park in Clallam County of Washington state. Mt. Carrie is the highest point in the Bailey Range which is a subrange of the Olympic Mountains. With a good eye and clear weather, the mountain can be seen from the visitor center at Hurricane Ridge. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Mathias which is an outlier of Mount Olympus, 6.24 mi (10.04 km) to the south. Due to heavy winter snowfalls, Mount Carrie supports the Carrie Glacier in its northeast cirque, and Fairchild Glacier on the east slope. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Elwha River and Hoh River. There is a scrambling route via the High Divide Trail and Cat Walk.

Colchuck Balanced Rock

Colchuck Balanced Rock is an 8,200+ ft granite mountain summit located in Chelan County of Washington state. Colchuck Balanced Rock is part of The Enchantments within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It belongs to the Stuart Range which is subset of the Cascade Range. Colchuck Balanced Rock is situated west of Enchantment Peak, and east of Jabberwocky Tower and Colchuck Lake. Precipitation runoff from the peak drains into the lake and Mountaineer Creek, a tributary of Icicle Creek. The climbing approach is via the Colchuck Lake Trail, then traversing away from Aasgard Pass approximately 400 feet above the lake. The mountain is named for its pyramidal summit which has a top-block that nests, rather than balances, on the summit.

Warrior Peak

Warrior Peak is a 7,320+ ft double summit mountain located in Olympic National Park in Jefferson County of Washington state. Warrior is the 11th highest peak in the Olympic Mountains Range. The southeast summit is the slightly higher of the two summits, the northwest peak is estimated at 7285 feet elevation. Warrior Peak is easy to identify from Seattle, since it appears as the first prominent peak immediately north of Mount Constance, which is the dominant peak on the skyline. Warrior's nearest higher peak is in fact Mount Constance, 0.8 mi (1.3 km) to the south-southeast. The first ascent of the mountain was made in 1945 by Fred Beckey, who solo climbed both summits, and named the mountain.

Pinnacle Peak (Whatcom County, Washington)

Pinnacle Peak is a 7,360+ ft mountain summit in the North Cascades Range of Washington, United States. It is located within North Cascades National Park, between Pyramid Peak and Paul Bunyans Stump, which is the nearest higher peak. It rises steeply from Diablo Lake, one of the reservoirs on the Skagit River. It is part of a group of peaks that form the northern end of a chain running south through climbing destinations such as Colonial Peak and Snowfield Peak. Like many North Cascade peaks, Pinnacle Peak is more notable for its large, steep rise above local terrain than for its absolute elevation. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Diablo Lake and Skagit River. The approach is via the Pyramid Lake Trail, starting near Diablo Dam on the North Cascades Highway. From the lake, there is route-finding up Pyramid Arm to Colonial Glacier.

Mount Tom (Washington)

Mount Tom is a remote 7,076-foot (2,157-metre) mountain summit located within Olympic National Park in Jefferson County of Washington state. Its nearest higher peak is Mount Olympus, 1.76 mi (2.83 km) to the east. Due to heavy winter snowfalls, Mount Tom supports the massive White Glacier on its northeast slope, despite its modest elevation. This glacier is the westernmost glacier in the contiguous states, and the mountain the westernmost peak higher than 7000+ feet elevation. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Hoh River.

References

  1. 1 2 "Pyramid Mountain, Washington". Peakbagger.com.Cite web requires |website= (help)
  2. ↑ "Pyramid Mountain". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.
  3. ↑ Sykes, Karen (March 21, 2002), "Hike of the Week: Eye-popping scenery in the Olympics", The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  4. ↑ Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 15. ISBN   978-0-918664-00-6.
  5. 1 2 McNulty, Tim (2009). Olympic National Park: A Natural History. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press.
  6. ↑ Alt, D.D.; Hyndman, D.W. (1984). Roadside Geology of Washington. pp. 249–259. ISBN   0-87842-160-2.
View of the landslide that dammed Lake Crescent Lake Crescent from Pyramid Peak.JPG
View of the landslide that dammed Lake Crescent
Aurora Ridge across Lake Crescent in Feb Pyramid Peak view of Lake Crescent.JPG
Aurora Ridge across Lake Crescent in Feb


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