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Granite Mountain (Whatcom County, Washington)

Coordinates: 48°54′16″N 121°33′14″W / 48.904541°N 121.553763°W / 48.904541; -121.553763
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Granite Mountain
Granite Mountain, southeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation6,692 ft (2,040 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence648 ft (198 m)[1]
Parent peakMount Chardonnay[2]
Isolation1.69 mi (2.72 km)[2]
Coordinates48°54′16″N 121°33′14″W / 48.904541°N 121.553763°W / 48.904541; -121.553763[1]
Geography
Granite Mountain is located in Washington (state)
Granite Mountain
Granite Mountain
Location in Washington
Granite Mountain is located in the United States
Granite Mountain
Granite Mountain
Granite Mountain (the United States)
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyWhatcom
Protected areaMount Baker Wilderness
Parent rangeNorth Cascades
Topo mapUSGS Mount Sefrit
Climbing
Easiest routeScramble

Granite Mountain is a 6,692-foot (2,040-metre) mountain summit located in the Skagit Range, which is a subset of the North Cascades in Whatcom County of Washington state.[3] It is situated 1.7 mi (2.7 km) south of Mount Chardonnay, and 1.2 mi (1.9 km) northwest of Hannegan Peak in the Mount Baker Wilderness, which is managed by the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Fraser River and the Nooksack River.

Climate

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Granite Mountain 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 Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach the North Cascades, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the North Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.[4] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger.[4] 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.[4] Due to its temperate climate and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, areas west of the Cascade Crest very rarely experience temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) or above 80 °F (27 °C).[4]

Geology

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The North Cascades features some of the most rugged topography in the Cascade Range with craggy peaks, ridges, and deep glacial valleys. Geological events occurring many years ago created the diverse topography and drastic elevation changes over the Cascade Range leading to the various climate differences.

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 the landscape leaving deposits of rock debris.[5] The U-shaped cross section of the river valleys is a result of 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 North Cascades area.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Granite Mountain, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  2. ^ a b "Granite Mountain - 6,688' WA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  3. ^ "Granite Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  4. ^ a b c d e Beckey, Fred W. (2008). Cascade Alpine Guide (3rd ed.). Mountaineers Books.
  5. ^ a b c d Kruckeberg, Arthur (1991). The Natural History of Puget Sound Country. University of Washington Press.
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