Magic Mountain (Washington)

Magic Mountain
	Magic Mountain with its pointed summit (top right)
height	2319 m (according to Peakbagger.com)
location	Skagit County / Chelan County , Washington , USA
Mountains	Northern Cascade Range
Notch height	161 m
Coordinates	48 ° 26 '46 " N , 121 ° 2' 29" W Coordinates: 48 ° 26 '46 " N , 121 ° 2' 29" W
rock	Gneiss
First ascent	1938 by Calder Bressler, Ralph Clough, Bill Cox and Tom Myers
Normal way	Glacier passage with climbing sections

The Magic Mountain (Eng. "Magical Mountain" or "Magic Mountain") is a summit on the border between the counties Skagit and Chelan in the US state of Washington . It is part of the North Cascades . Magic Mountain is located southeast of Cascade Pass on the border between North Cascades National Park and Glacier Peak Wilderness . The next higher peak is Hurry-up Peak 0.83 mi (1.34 km) south. Yawning Glacier and Cache Col Glacier cover its northern flank. Magic Mountain is at the north end of the Ptarmigan Traverse . Surface runoff on the north side of the mountain flows into the Stehekin River , while rainfall on the southwest side is carried away via the Cascade River .

climate

Magic Mountain is located in a climate 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, deep trough valleys and granite peaks. 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 late 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.

Magic Mountain, flanked by glaciers (right)

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Magic Mountain, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Fred W. Beckey: Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes . The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, WA 2008.
^ ^A ^b ^c ^d Arthur Kruckeberg: The Natural History of Puget Sound Country . University of Washington Press, 1991.