Icy Peak

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Icy Peak
Icy Peak from Ruth Mountain

The Icy peak of Ruth Mountain from

height 2156  m (according to Peakbagger.com)
location Whatcom County , Washington , USA
Mountains Northern Cascade Range
Notch height 401 m
Coordinates 48 ° 50 '8 "  N , 121 ° 31' 32"  W Coordinates: 48 ° 50 '8 "  N , 121 ° 31' 32"  W.
Topo map USGS Mount Shuksan
Icy Peak (Washington)
Icy Peak
Normal way Climbing ( Class 4 (YDS) )
fd2
Template: Infobox Berg / Maintenance / TOPO-MAP

The Icy Peak is a mountain in the Skagit Range in the North Cascades of the US state of Washington . It is located in the North Cascades National Park above Nooksack Cirque . High ridges connect it to Seahpo Peak and Mount Shuksan . An ice fall occupies the northeast of the Nooksack- Kar , and there are smaller glaciers on all sides of the summit.

climate

Icy Peak is located in a climatic zone of western North America called the "Marine West Coast" . Most of the weather fronts originate from the Pacific and move northeast towards the Cascade Range . When the fronts reach the North Cascades , they are forced to rise by the high peaks, which sometimes leads to heavy precipitation in the form of rain or snow ( damming effect of the mountains ). This results in high amounts of precipitation on the west side of the cascades, especially in winter in the form of snow. During the winter months, the sky is usually overcast, but due to the high pressure systems over the Pacific, very often cloudless or very little cloudy in summer. Due to the maritime influence, the snow tends to be damp and therefore heavy, so that there is a high risk of avalanches .

geology

The North Cascades are home to some of the most rugged mountains and chains in the entire Cascade Range, as well as pointed peaks and ridges and deep trough valleys . Geological events a long time ago created this diverse topography and drastic height differences that led to the climatic differences. These differences led to a variety of vegetation conditions that are perceived as different ecoregions .

The history of the formation of the cascades goes back to the Eocene many millions of years ago. As the North American Plate pushed over the Pacific Plate , episodes of volcanism continued . In addition, small fragments of the oceanic and continental lithosphere , known as terrans , formed the North Cascades about 50 million years ago .

During the Pleistocene , which began about two million years ago, the repeatedly advancing and receding glaciers dug into the landscape, but also left behind deposits of rock debris. The U-shaped cross-sections of the river valleys are the result of the still ongoing glaciation. Uplifts and faults combined with glaciation were the dominant processes that created the high peaks and deep valleys of the North Cascades.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Icy Peak, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  2. ↑ a b c Fred W. Beckey : Rainy Pass to Fraser River  (= Cascade Alpine Guide), 3rd edition, Volume 3, The Mountaineers Books, 2008, ISBN 1-59485-136-0 .
  3. ^ A b c d Arthur Kruckeberg: The Natural History of Puget Sound Country . University of Washington Press, 1991.

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