Snowking Mountain

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Snowking Mountain
The Snowking Mountain from the north

The Snowking Mountain from the north

height 2266  m (according to Peakbagger.com)
location Skagit County , Washington , USA
Mountains Northern Cascade Range
Notch height 486 m
Coordinates 48 ° 24 '30 "  N , 121 ° 16' 42"  W Coordinates: 48 ° 24 '30 "  N , 121 ° 16' 42"  W.
Topo map USGS Snowking Mountain
Snowking Mountain (Washington)
Snowking Mountain
Normal way Alpine climbing
fd2
Template: Infobox Berg / Maintenance / TOPO-MAP

The Snow King Mountain is a 2,266 m high mountain in Skagit County in the State of Washington . Located amid the Glacier Peak Wilderness , Snowking Mountain is positioned west of the main ridge of the North Cascades , about 18 mi (29 km) northeast of the small town of Darrington . It has two minor peaks, West Peak (7,425 ft (2,263 m)) and Middle Peak (7,400 ft (2,256 m)). The next higher mountain is Mount Misch , 5.75 mi (9.25 km) southeast. A wide, officially unnamed, otherwise known as Snow King Glacier Glacier superimposed on its northern flank. Below this glacier are the Snowking Lake, Found Lake and Cyclone Lake. The rainfall on Snowking Mountain drains through tributaries of the Skagit River .

climate

Snowking Mountain 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, 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.

Individual evidence

  1. a b c Snow King Mountain, Washington . PeakBagger.com. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  2. Snow King Mountain ( English ) In: Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey . Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  3. ^ A b c Fred W. Beckey: Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes . The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, WA 2008.
  4. ^ A b c d Arthur Kruckeberg: The Natural History of Puget Sound Country . University of Washington Press, 1991.

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