Lost Peak (Jefferson County, Washington)

Mountain in Washington (state), United States

Lost Peak
Northwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation	6,515 ft (1,986 m)
Prominence	355 ft (108 m)
Parent peak	Mount Cameron (7,190 ft)
Isolation	0.83 mi (1.34 km)
Coordinates	47°48′50″N 123°20′13″W / 47.8138645°N 123.3370661°W / 47.8138645; -123.3370661
Geography
Lost PeakLocation of Lost Peak in WashingtonShow map of Washington (state)Lost PeakLost 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 Wellesley Peak
Geology
Rock age	Eocene
Climbing
Easiest route	class 2 via Lost Pass

Lost Peak is a 6,515-foot-elevation (1,986-meter) mountain summit located within Olympic National Park in Jefferson County of Washington state. Part of the Olympic Mountains, Lost Peak is situated immediately northeast of Lost Pass, and is set within the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains east into the Dosewallips River, and west into the headwaters of the Lost River. Neighbors include line parent Mount Cameron, 0.8 mi (1.3 km) to the north, along with Mount Fromme and Mount Claywood, both 1.8 mi (2.9 km) to the southwest. Topographic relief is significant as the southeast aspect rises 2,500 feet (760 meters) above the Dosewallips River in approximately one mile. This landform's name has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The origin of the "Lost" name is unknown, but a park ranger once described the river area as a "good place to get lost" because of the confusing and difficult travel.

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Lost 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 of June through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this mountain.

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

Olympic Mountain Rescue, Olympic Mountains: A Climbing Guide, 4th Edition, 2006, Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9780898862065, page 102.
^ Lost Peak, climbersguideolympics.com
^ "Lost Peak - 6,515' WA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
^ "Lost Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
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.