Red Mountain (King County, Washington)

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Red Mountain
Red Mountain 5890 ft.jpg
Red Mountain seen from Guye Peak
Highest point
Elevation 5,890 ft (1,800 m) [1]
Prominence 530 ft (160 m) [1]
Parent peak Snoqualmie Mountain (6,278 ft) [2]
Isolation 1.3 mi (2.1 km) [2]
Coordinates 47°27′22″N121°23′21″W / 47.456061°N 121.389165°W / 47.456061; -121.389165 [1]
Geography
USA Washington relief location map.jpg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Red Mountain
Location in Washington
Location King County
Washington state, U.S.
Parent range Cascade Range
Topo map USGS Snoqualmie Pass
Climbing
First ascent 1898 W.C. Mendenhall [3]
Easiest route Scrambling

Red Mountain is a 5,890-foot (1,800-metre) mountain summit located in King County of Washington state. It is set within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness which is part of the Cascade Range. [1] Red Mountain is situated three miles north of Snoqualmie Pass on land managed by Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The nearest higher neighbor is Lundin Peak, 0.7 mi (1.1 km) to the northwest. [1] Precipitation runoff on the north side of the mountain drains into Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, whereas the south side of the mountain drains into the South Fork Snoqualmie River via Commonwealth Creek.

Contents

Climate

Red Mountain is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. [3]

Red Mountain in winter Red Mountain in winter.jpg
Red Mountain in winter

Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades (Orographic lift). As a result, the west side of the Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. 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. [3] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger. [3] The months July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.

Geology

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness features some of the most rugged topography in the Cascade Range with craggy peaks and ridges, deep glacial valleys, and granite walls spotted with over 700 mountain lakes. [4] Geological events occurring many years ago created the diverse topography and drastic elevation changes over the Cascade Range leading to the various climate differences.

Red Mountain from Commonwealth Basin Red Mountain Commonwealth Basin.jpg
Red Mountain from Commonwealth Basin

The history of the formation of the Cascade Mountains dates back millions of years ago to the late Eocene Epoch. [5] With the North American Plate overriding the Pacific Plate, episodes of volcanic igneous activity persisted. [5] In addition, small fragments of the oceanic and continental lithosphere called terranes created the North Cascades about 50 million years ago. [5]

During the Pleistocene period dating back over two million years ago, glaciation advancing and retreating repeatedly scoured and shaped the landscape. [5] The last glacial retreat in the Alpine Lakes area began about 14,000 years ago and was north of the Canada–US border by 10,000 years ago. [5] The U-shaped cross section of the river valleys is a result of that recent glaciation. Uplift and faulting in combination with glaciation have been the dominant processes which have created the tall peaks and deep valleys of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Silver Eagle Peak is a 6,241-foot (1,902-metre) mountain summit located 7.7 mi (12.4 km) southeast of Skykomish, in eastern King County of Washington state. It's part of the Cascade Range, and is situated in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, on land managed by Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains into tributaries of the Foss River. This peak is set on the divide between the east and west forks of Foss River. Malachite Peak is set 2.6 mi (4.2 km) to the west-northwest, and the nearest higher neighbor is Bald Eagle Peak, 1.1 mi (1.8 km) to the northeast. Bald Eagle Lake lies in a cirque midway between Silver Eagle and Bald Eagle. The first ascent of this peak was made in 1934 by Hermann Ulrichs and three companions. This mountain's name was officially adopted September 8, 1988, by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. Some older maps will have this peak erroneously labeled as Bald Eagle Peak.

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

Dip Top Peak is a 7,291-foot-elevation mountain summit located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in eastern King County of Washington state. It is part of the Cascade Range and is set on land managed by Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The peak is situated 1.25 mi (2.01 km) north of Mount Daniel, and less than one mile south of Jade Lake. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into East Fork Foss River, which is a tributary of the Skykomish River. The summit saddle has two rock horns, of which the higher southwest peak is the true summit. The first ascent was made August 1950 by Bill and Gene Prater. In the early 1970s, brothers Gene and Bill Prater created the modern aluminum snowshoe known today, and sold them via Bill's "Sherpa Snowshoes" company, which proved very popular.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Red Mountain, Washington". Peakbagger.com.
  2. 1 2 "Red Mountain - 5,890' WA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Beckey, Fred W. Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2008.
  4. Smoot, Jeff (2004). Backpacking Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Helena, Montana: The Globe Pequot Press.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Kruckeberg, Arthur (1991). The Natural History of Puget Sound Country. University of Washington Press.