| Foss Peak | |
|---|---|
 Foss Peak from northeast | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,524 ft (1,989 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 404 ft (123 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Unicorn Peak (6,971 ft)[2] |
| Isolation | 0.85 mi (1.37 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 46°45′19″N 121°42′46″W / 46.755223°N 121.712709°W[1] |
| Geography | |
  Foss Peak Location in Washington  Foss Peak Foss Peak (the United States) | |
| Location | Mount Rainier National Park Lewis County, Washington, U.S. |
| Parent range | Cascades |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Rainier East |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | class 2 scrambling[2] |
Foss Peak is a 6,524-foot-elevation summit in the Tatoosh Range which is a sub-range of the Cascade Range. It is located south of Mount Rainier within Mount Rainier National Park, in Lewis County of Washington state. The peak is named for Thea Foss (1857-1927) who founded the Foss Maritime Company with her husband in 1889. The peak also has an alternate name, Manatee Mountain. The nearest higher neighbor is West Unicorn Peak, 0.79 miles (1.27 km) to the southeast.[1] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Cowlitz River.
Climate
Foss Peak is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[3] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (Orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the North Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.[3] 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.[3] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger.[3]
Gallery
Unicorn Peak (left) and Foss Peak (right) in winter
Foss Peak (aka Manatee Mountain)
Unicorn Peak (left), West Unicorn Peak, and Foss Peak (right)
Louise Lake, Foss Peak, and Unicorn Peak.
References
External links
- National Park Service web site: Mount Rainier National Park