Badger Mountain

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Badger Mountain
Badger Mountain from east of Richland

The Badger Mountain from the east Richlands from

height 486  m (North American Vertical Date of 1988)
location Benton County , Washington , USA
Mountains Columbia River Plateau
Dominance 13.58 km
Notch height 279 m
Coordinates 46 ° 14 ′ 4 ″  N , 119 ° 19 ′ 17 ″  W Coordinates: 46 ° 14 ′ 4 ″  N , 119 ° 19 ′ 17 ″  W
Topo map USGS Badger Mountain
Badger Mountain (Washington)
Badger Mountain
Normal way hike
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Template: Infobox Berg / Maintenance / TOPO-MAP

The Badger Mountain is a small mountain in Richland in the US state of Washington . It towers over the Tri-Cities and is connected to the smaller Candy Mountain via the Goose Gap . Badger Mountain is visible over large parts of the region and is a popular hiking destination . There are a number of hiking trails of varying difficulty that lead to the top. Most of the mountain is protected by the Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve , but transmitter masts have been erected on private land on the summit. Badger Mountain actually has two peaks, the East Summit and the West Summit . The West Summit is the higher one.

geology

Badger Mountain is part of the Yakima Fold Belt , a series of topographical folds created by tectonic compression. The Yakima Fold Belt stretches from Interstate 90 near Vantage to the Columbia River near Wallula . The Yakima Fold Belt is part of the larger Olympic Wallowa Lineament , which extends from approximately Port Angeles to northeastern Oregon .

Badger Mountain is also part of the Columbia River Basalt Group . Sometime between 15 and 10 million years ago several lava flows poured out of the Yellowstone hotspot , which was then in what is now western Idaho . These lava flows covered much of what is now Washington and Oregon as they flowed toward the Pacific ; today they form the basaltic bedrock of the region. In some areas, the basalt layers reached thicknesses of 5,900 ft (approx. 1,800 m).

During the last Ice Age , glaciers expanded into what is now northern Washington, Idaho, and Montana . These dammed the Clark Fork River and created Lake Missoula . Again and again, the pressure of the dammed up water caused breaks in the ice dams; the periodic floods are known as the Missoula floods . On their way to the Pacific, the floods carried boulders with them, large chunks of granite that are completely atypical of eastern Washington. The height of the water surface of these floods reached at Badger Mountain 1,250 ft (approx. 380 m) above sea ​​level and briefly made it an island. Boulders of various sizes can be found on the mountain up to this altitude. This contour line is marked along the Canyon Trail.

tourism

Central Richland from Badger Mountain

There are two hiking trails that lead to the top of the mountain and three other trails on the slopes. Badger Mountain is a popular destination for hikers and photographers because it towers high above the Tri-Cities and the view is accordingly good. On a clear day, Rattlesnake Mountain , the Blue Mountains and also the main peaks of the Cascade Range such as Mount Hood , Mount Adams , Mount Rainier and Mount Stuart can be seen.

There is a parking lot in Trailhead Park (a "trailhead" is an entry point to a hiking trail) on the northeast side of the mountain; in addition, the mountain can be accessed from the west via Dallas Road.

In 2010 more than 71,000 people visited the mountain.

hike

The Canyon Trail and the Skyline Trail lead to the summit. The Canyon Trail is 1.3 mi (2.1 km) long and begins at Trailhead Park. Only hikers are permitted on this trail. The Skyline Trail is 2.9 mi (4.7 km) long and begins on Dallas Road on the northwest side of Badger Mountain. It leads along the ridge on Badger Mountain and is approved for hikers, mountain bikers and riders.

Three other trails, the Langdon Trail, the Sagebrush Trail, and the Badger Flats Trail don't lead to the top. The Sagebrush Trail branches off from the Skyline Trail and connects it with the Trailhead Park. The Langdon Trail winds around the south side of the mountain and offers views of Badger Canyon and the Horse Heaven Hills . It is approved for hikers, mountain bikers and riders. The Badger Flats Trail is entirely within Trailhead Park and is 0.6 mi (1 km) long.

Climate and nature

Badger Mountain lies in the rain shadow of the Cascade Range and therefore has a semi-arid climate with mild winters and hot summers. Average annual rainfall at Tri-Cities Airport is 7.94 in (201.7 mm), and temperatures above 100 ° F (37.8 ° C) are rare. For this reason, there are at Badger Mountain, the same plants and animals in the area, including Sagebrush ( English sagebrush ), rabbits and rattlesnakes (the English name "rattlesnakes" also refers to sistrurus ). Naturally (due to the low rainfall) there are no trees on the mountain.

Since winter snowfalls are not uncommon, the mountain is also used for recreational activities during this time.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Badger Mountain, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  2. ↑ Trails & Directions . Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  3. ^ Field Trip Guide to the Columbia River Basalt Group . Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  4. ^ Ellen Morris Bishop: In Search of Ancient Oregon: A Geological and Natural History . Timber Press, Portland, Oregon 2003, ISBN 978-0-88192-789-4 .
  5. ^ John Eliot Allen, Marjorie Burns, Sam C. Sargent: Cataclysms on the Columbia: a layman's guide to the features produced by the catastrophic Bretz floods in the Pacific Northwest . Timber Press, Portland, OR 1986, ISBN 0-88192-067-3 , p. 104.
  6. ↑ HeyWhatsThat Badger Mountain . Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  7. ↑ Photo Gallery - Traveler Stats . Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  8. ↑ Trails & Directions . Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  9. ^ Monthly Temperature Charts, Pasco, WA . Retrieved May 31, 2015.

Web links