Mineral Mountain is a 6,503 feet (1,982 m) mountain in Mount Rainier National Park, in Pierce County of Washington state.[4] It is part of the Cascade Range, and lies 5 mi (8.0 km) due north of the summit of Mount Rainier. The Wonderland Trail provides an approach to this mountain, and the summit offers views of Old Desolate and the Winthrop and Carbon glaciers on Mount Rainier. Old Desolate is its nearest higher neighbor, 1.16 mi (1.87 km) to the southeast.[1]
| Mineral Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Mineral Mountain from its southwestern base | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,503 ft (1,982 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 100 ft (30 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Old Desolate (7,137 ft)[2] |
| Isolation | 1.16 mi (1.87 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 46°54′31″N 121°45′19″W / 46.908717°N 121.755146°W |
| Geography | |
  Mineral Mountain Location of Mineral Mountain in Washington  Mineral Mountain Mineral Mountain (the United States) | |
| Location | Mount Rainier National Park Pierce County, Washington, US |
| Parent range | Cascades |
| Topo map | USGS Sunrise |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | scrambling from Mystic Lake[3] |
History edit
The descriptive name Mineral Mountain derives from the hope to find minerals there.[5] The name was officially adopted in 1932 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[4]
Climate edit
Mineral Mountain is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[3] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, 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 Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. 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. The months July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.[citation needed]
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Mineral Mountain summit with Mt. Rainier in the background -
Mineral Mountain viewed from the west
_Summit.jpg)
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c "Mineral Mountain, Washington". Peakbagger.com.
- ^ a b "Mineral Mountain – 6,500' WA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Beckey, Fred W. Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2008.
- ^ a b "Mineral Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Mount Rainier National Park Place Names. Gary Fuller Reese (author), 2009.
External links edit
- National Park Service web site: Mount Rainier National Park