Castle Mountain is a mountain summit located in
Pierce County of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
state.
It is set on the boundary of
Norse Peak Wilderness
Norse Peak Wilderness is a designated wilderness area located in central Washington in the United States. It protects the portion of the Cascade Range north of Chinook Pass ( Highway 410), south of Naches Pass (Naches Trail), and east of Moun ...
, on land managed by
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. It is situated north of
Crystal Mountain ski area, and one mile west of the crest of the
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...
. Precipitation
runoff
Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to:
* RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program
* Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed
* Runoff or run-off, a stock market ...
from Castle Mountain drains into tributaries of the
White River. The
Pacific Crest Trail traverses the east slope of Castle's Southeast Peak.
Climate
Castle Mountain is located in the
marine west coast climate zone of western North America.
[Beckey, Fred W. Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2008.] Most
weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean 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 snow 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. Because of
maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high
avalanche
An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain.
Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and earth ...
danger. 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 of July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.
See also
*
*
Geology of the Pacific Northwest
References
{{Reflist
Cascade Range
Mountains of Pierce County, Washington
Mountains of Washington (state)
North American 2000 m summits