Tinkham Peak is a

double summit A double summit, double peak, twin summit, or twin peak refers to a mountain or hill that has two summits, separated by a col or saddle. One well-known double summit is Austria’s highest mountain, the Großglockner, where the main summit of t ...

mountain located on the common boundary of

King County King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the st ...

and

Kittitas County Kittitas County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. At the 2020 census, its population was 44,337. Its county seat and largest city is Ellensburg. The county was created in November 1883 when it was carved out of Yakima Coun ...

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.

Description

Tinkham Peak is situated on 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, ...

, on land managed by Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The east summit, elevation 5,395 feet, is regarded as Tinkham Peak by the

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...

, but the west summit, one-quarter mile away, is slightly higher. Tinkham Peak is situated six miles south of

Snoqualmie Pass Snoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 (I-90) through the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Washington. The pass summit is at an elevation of , on the county line between Kittitas County and King County. Snoqualmie Pass ...

, and neighbors include Silver Peak, one mile to the north-northwest, and

Abiel Peak Abiel Peak is a mountain summit located in eastern King County of Washington state. It is set 1,000 feet west of the crest of the Cascade Range, on land managed by Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Abiel Peak is situated six miles sout ...

three-quarters mile to the west. 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 the north and east sides of the mountain drains to

Keechelus Lake Keechelus Lake () is a lake and reservoir in the northwest United States, near Hyak in Kittitas County, Washington. Approximately southeast of Seattle and a few miles southeast of Snoqualmie Pass, it is the source of the Yakima River. Keechelus ...

via Cold Creek and Roaring Creek, whereas the south side of the mountain drains to the North Fork Cedar River. Topographic relief is significant as the south aspect rises above the Cedar in approximately one mile. The Pacific Crest Trail traverses the flanks of the peak and provides access to the Northwest Ridge and Southeast Spur non-technical climbing routes.

Etymology

This geographic landform was named by The Mountaineers and was officially adopted in 1916 by the

U.S. 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 ...

to honor Lieutenant Abiel W. Tinkham.Judy Bentley, Craig Romano (2021), ''Hiking Washington's History'', University of Washington Press, , p. 151 He worked as a railroad surveyor when he explored the Snoqualmie Pass area in 1853 and 1854. He is also the namesake of nearby

, and Tinkham Mountain in Glacier National Park, Montana.

Climate

Tinkham Peak is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

.Beckey, Fred W. Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2008. Most weather fronts originate in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, and travel east toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or

snowfall Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

onto the Cascades ( Orographic lift). 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

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 July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.

Gallery

File:Tinkham Peak from Mt Catherine.jpg, Northeast aspect of Tinkham seen from Mount Catherine File:Tinkham, Rainier, Silver.jpg, Tinkham Peak (left), Mt. Rainier, Silver Peak seen from Red Mountain File:Tinkham Peak, WA.jpg, Tinkham Peak File:Tinkham Peak view.jpg, View from Tinkham Peak looking east-southeast. Cottonwood Lake (left), Mirror Lake (bottom), Lost Lake (right of center), Keechelus Lake (top). File:Tinkham Peak, Mirror Lake.jpg, Tinkham Peak reflected in Mirror Lake

References

{{reflist

External links