Crater Mountain is an mountain summit located in the North Cascades of Washington state. It is the 29th-highest mountain in the

Pasayten Wilderness The Pasayten Wilderness is a protected area located within Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest and Mount Baker National Forest in Washington state, centered on the Three Forks () of the Pasayten River, a tributary of the Similkameen River. Al ...

. The

Jerry Glacier Jerry Glacier is in Wenatchee National Forest in the U.S. state of Washington, on the north slope of Crater Mountain. Descending from , Jerry Glacier has retreated, leaving a proglacial lake at its eastern flank. See also *List of glaciers in the ...

resides in the

cirque A (; from the Latin word ') is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic , meaning a pot or cauldron) and (; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform ...

on the upper north slopes of the mountain. The crater-like summit of the mountain is not of volcanic origin. Crater Mountain is grouped in the sub-range

Hozameen Range The Hozameen Range (spelled Hozomeen Range in the United States) is a mountain range in southwestern British Columbia and northern Washington, straddling the division between the Coast and Interior regions of that province. It is a subrange of ...

, which also includes Hozomeen Mountain and

Jack Mountain Jack Mountain is the 17th highest mountain in Washington state. It is one of the 10 non-volcanic peaks in Washington State over . It towers dramatically over the south end of Ross Lake, rising above the lakeshore in only . Nohokomeen Glacier ...

Geology

The mountain is composed mostly of Metavolcanic rock and Metasedimentary rock from the Hozameen Group. Most predominate is greenstone from the Jurassic to Permian periods. Crater Mountain is carved from greenstone of the Hozomeen Terrane, once the basaltic floor of the ancient Methow Ocean. The mountain's name probably derives from the craterlike shape of its summit, which was carved from the ancient metamorphosed basalt by modern cirque glaciers. The rugged battlements of the greenstone viewed from the highway rest above phyllite of the Little Jack terrane, which is exposed in the lower slopes of the mountain.

Climate

Crater Mountain is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. Weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach the North Cascades, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the North 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 danger. Due to its temperate climate and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, areas west of the Cascade Crest very rarely experience temperatures below or above . 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.

Gallery

File:Crater Peak, North Cascades.jpg, Crater Mountain seen from the

North Cascades Highway North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...

File:Crater Mountain seen from west.jpg, Crater Mountain seen from the west File:Jerry Glacier on Crater Mountain.jpg,

on Crater Mountain File:Crater Mountain, east aspect.jpg, East aspect

References

External links

* Weather forecast
Crater Mountain
{{Geographic Location , Center = Crater Mountain , North =

, Northeast =

Jackita Ridge Jackita Ridge is a prominent ridge located in the Pasayten Wilderness, in Whatcom County of Washington state. It is part of the Hozameen Range which is a subset of the North Cascades. The highest point is called ''Jackita Peak'', and the Jac ...

, East = Devils Park , Southeast =

McKay Ridge McKay Ridge is a ridge located in Whatcom County in Washington state. It is part of the Okanogan Range which is a sub-range of the North Cascades. It's situated north of the North Cascades Highway on land administered by the Okanogan–Wena ...

, South = Beebe Mountain , Southwest = Ruby Mountain , West = Little Jack , Northwest =

Mountains of Washington (state) Mountains of Whatcom County, Washington Cascade Range North Cascades North American 2000 m summits North Cascades of Washington (state)