Muncaster Mountain is a 5,910-foot (1,801-metre) mountain summit located within Olympic National Park in Jefferson County of Washington state.[4] It is situated 4.4 mi (7.1 km) south-southeast of Mount Christie, and 14.6 mi (23.5 km) southeast of Mount Olympus.[1] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Rustler Creek, which is a tributary of the Quinault River. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant as the summit rises 4,000 feet above the Rustler Creek valley in one mile.
| Muncaster Mountain | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,910 ft (1,801 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 990 ft (302 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | June 10th Peak (6,019 ft)[1] |
| Isolation | 2.72 mi (4.38 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 47°38′17″N 123°30′44″W / 47.638055°N 123.512167°W[1] |
| Geography | |
  Muncaster Mountain Location in Washington  Muncaster Mountain Muncaster Mountain (the United States) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Jefferson |
| Protected area | Olympic National Park |
| Parent range | Olympic Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Christie |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Eocene |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1941 |
| Easiest route | class 3 scrambling via Quinualt River trail[3] |
History
editThe 1889–1890 Seattle Press Expedition originally named this geographical feature "Mount DeYoung", for M. H. de Young of the San Francisco Chronicle.[5] The peak was later renamed in honor of U.S. Army Private Roy Muncaster (1892–1918), 6th Battalion, 20th Engineer Regiment; a forest ranger for the Olympic National Forest, who drowned 5 February 1918, when the troop transport SS Tuscania was torpedoed and sunk in World War I.[3] The Muncaster Mountain toponym was officially adopted in 1918 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[4]
The first ascent of this peak was made in 1941 by T. Nelson of the United States Geological Survey.[3]
Climate
editBased on the Köppen climate classification, Muncaster Mountain is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[6] Weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Olympic Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snow. As a result, the Olympics experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.[7] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in 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.[7] The months July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.
Geology
editThe Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust.[8] The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Muncaster Mountain". Peakbagger.com.
- ^ "Muncaster Mountain - 5,910' WA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
- ^ a b c Muncaster Mountain climbersguideolympics.com
- ^ a b "Muncaster Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
- ^ Parratt, Smitty (1984). Gods and Goblins: A Field Guide to Place Names of Olympic National Park (1st ed.).
- ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN 1027-5606.
- ^ a b McNulty, Tim (2009). Olympic National Park: A Natural History. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press.
- ^ Alt, D.D.; Hyndman, D.W. (1984). Roadside Geology of Washington. pp. 249–259. ISBN 0-87842-160-2.
External links
edit- "Olympic National Park". National Park Service.
- Weather forecast: Muncaster Mountain
- Muncaster Mountain: Flickr photo
- Roy Muncaster photo