Crystal Peak (Olympic Mountains)

Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Crystal Peak
North aspect of Crystal Peak centered, as viewed from Hurricane Ridge. (Chimney Peak to right)
Highest point
Elevation	6,896 ft (2,102 m)
Prominence	896 ft (273 m)
Parent peak	Chimney Peak (6,917 ft)
Isolation	1.98 mi (3.19 km)
Coordinates	47°43′13″N 123°23′29″W / 47.7201451°N 123.3914829°W / 47.7201451; -123.3914829
Geography
Crystal PeakLocation of Crystal Peak in WashingtonShow map of Washington (state)Crystal PeakCrystal Peak (the United States)Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Jefferson
Protected area	Olympic National Park
Parent range	Olympic Mountains
Topo map	USGS Chimney Peak
Geology
Rock age	Eocene
Climbing
First ascent	1976
Easiest route	class 2 scrambling

Crystal Peak is a 6,896-foot-elevation (2,102-meter) mountain summit located within Olympic National Park in Jefferson County of Washington state. Crystal Peak is situated two miles north of Enchanted Valley, near the heads of Hayes River and Quinault River. Topographic relief is significant as the northeast aspect rises 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) above Hayes River in less than one mile. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains north to the Elwha River via Hayes River and Godkin Creek. Neighbors include line parent Chimney Peak, 2.2 mi (3.5 km) to the south, and proximate parent West Peak, 2.0 mi (3.2 km) to the east. The lower slopes of the mountain are surrounded by Western Red Cedar, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, Alaskan Cedar, Mountain Hemlock, and Douglas-fir of the Quinault Rainforest.

History

This landform was originally named "Mount McCullough" in 1890 by the 1889-90 Seattle Press Expedition, for J. B. McCullough, the editor of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. The mountain's present, official, descriptive name is attributable to quartz and silicates found in rocks on the peak's ridges. The first ascent of the summit was made in 1976 by George Bauer, Ron Brown, Bill Foster, Bill Larson, Mike Lonac, Sue Ritter, Roy Teague, and Jim White.

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Crystal Peak is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. 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. 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. The months June through August offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.

Geology

The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust. The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.

References

^ "Crystal Peak, climbersguideolympics.com". Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
^ "Crystal Peak - 6,896' WA". listsofjohn.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
"Crystal Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
Robert Wood, 1988, Across the Olympic Mountains: The Press Expedition, 1889-90, Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9781594858284.
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.
^ 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.