Skyscraper Mountain is a

summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...

in Pierce County of Washington state.

Description

Skyscraper Mountain is part 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, ...

and is located in Mount Rainier National Park. It is situated northwest of the

Sunrise Historic District The Sunrise Historic District, also known as the community of Sunrise, Washington, is located at approximately on a ridge overlooking the northeast side of Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park. The district comprises seven individual s ...

, from which a four-mile hike leads to the mountain, mostly on the Wonderland Trail. However, the trail does not reach the summit, but it is still a walk up to the top from Skyscraper Pass. The summit provides views of

Burroughs Mountain Burroughs Mountain is located on the northeast slope of Mount Rainier above Glacier Basin. It was named for John Burroughs, the naturalist, who visited the mountain several times. The mountain was first called John Burroughs Mountain. Burroughs ...

, Sluiskin Mountain, and

Mount Rainier Mount Rainier (), indigenously known as Tahoma, Tacoma, Tacobet, or təqʷubəʔ, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With a s ...

. Access is limited by snowpack closing the Sunrise Road much of the year. July, August, and September are typically the months when the Sunrise Road is seasonally open for vehicle traffic. 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 Skyscraper Mountain drains into tributaries of the White River and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above the river in one mile (1.6 km). Mount Fremont is the nearest higher peak, to the east.

History

The descriptive name ''Skyscraper Mountain'' came from its supposed resemblance to a modern style of architecture according to

Edmond S. Meany Edmond Stephen Meany (December 28, 1862 – April 22, 1935) was a professor of botany and history at the University of Washington (UW). He was an alumnus of the university, having graduated as the valedictorian of his class in 1885 when it was th ...

.Mount Rainier National Park Place Names. Gary Fuller Reese (author), 2009. The toponym was officially adopted in 1932 by the

United States Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal governm ...

Climate

Skyscraper 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 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.

Gallery

File:Skyscraper Mountain.jpg, Skyscraper Mountain File:Skyscraper Mountain, Grand Park from Third Burroughs Mountain.jpg, Skyscraper Mountain viewed from Third

References

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External links