The Needles (Olympic Mountains)

Mountain in Washington (state), United States

The Needles
The Needles seen from Mt. Deception
Highest point
Peak	Mount Johnson
Elevation	7,680 ft (2,340 m)
Coordinates	47°49′57″N 123°14′14″W / 47.8326263°N 123.2372141°W / 47.8326263; -123.2372141
Dimensions
Length	2 mi (3.2 km) North-South
Width	1 mi (1.6 km) East-West
Geography
The NeedlesLocation in WashingtonShow map of Washington (state)The NeedlesThe Needles (the United States)Show map of the United States
Location	Olympic National Park Jefferson County, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
Range coordinates	47°53′21″N 123°38′43″W / 47.8892984°N 123.6452825°W / 47.8892984; -123.6452825
Parent range	Olympic Mountains
Topo map	USGS Mount Deception
Geology
Rock age	Eocene

The Needles is a mountain ridge located within Olympic National Park in Jefferson County of Washington state.

Description

The peaks and pinnacles of The Needles are part of the Olympic Mountains and are situated within the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness. They are bounded by Mount Deception to the south and Gray Wolf Ridge to the north. Precipitation runoff from the ridge drains east into Royal Creek, and west into Gray Wolf River, which are both within the Dungeness River drainage basin. Old-growth forests of Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western redcedar grow on the lower slopes surrounding the peaks.

History

This geographical feature's descriptive name has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The 1889–90 Seattle Press Expedition originally named it the "Holmes Range". The expedition, led by James Halbold Christie and Charles Adams Barnes, had also christened Mount Deception as "Mount Holmes", in honor of John H. Holmes of the Boston Herald.

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, the Needles range is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Olympic Peninsula. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks, causing moisture to drop in the form of rain or snowfall (Orographic lift). As a result, the range experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months. 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 visiting The Needles.

Summits

Principal summits of The Needles:

Name	Elevation	Prominence	First ascent
Mount Johnson	7,680 ft	480 ft	1940
Martin Peak	7,638 ft	238 ft	1940
Devil's Fang	7,600 ft	unknown	1972
Sweat Spire	7,560 ft	unknown	1962
Mount Clark	7,528 ft	608 ft	1940
Gasp Pinnacle	7,520 ft	40 ft	1958
The Incisor	7,440 ft	40 ft	1958
Mount Walkinshaw	7,378 ft	378 ft	1961
Adelaide Peak	7,300 ft	120 ft	1944
Sundial	7,200 ft	80 ft	1944
The Arrowhead	7,160 ft	unknown	1962

Gallery

The Needles seen from Obstruction Peak
Johnson, Sweat Spire, Gasp Pinnacle to left. Clark and Sundial to right.
Martin, Incisor, Johnson, Clark, and Sundial seen from Marmot Pass
Mt. Deception (left), The Needles centered, Tyler Peak along right edge,
as seen from near Port Townsend

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.