Granite Mountain
Highest point
Elevation5,633 ft (1,717 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence1,149 ft (350 m)[2]
Coordinates47°25′04″N 121°28′53″W / 47.417665269°N 121.481423478°W / 47.417665269; -121.481423478[2]
Geography
Granite Mountain is located in Washington (state)
Granite Mountain
Granite Mountain
Granite Mountain is located in the United States
Granite Mountain
Granite Mountain
Granite Mountain (the United States)
Parent rangeCascade Range
Topo mapUSGS Snoqualmie Pass
Climbing
Easiest routeHiking Trail
Granite Mountain seen from Mount Catherine

Granite Mountain is a tall peak in the Cascade Range in King County, Washington 16 miles (26 km) east of North Bend.[2] A fire lookout on the summit can be reached by trail.[3] The fire lookout was first constructed in 1924 and was then rebuilt 31 years later. It is still maintained by volunteers June through September each year.[4]

Climate

Granite Mountain is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[5] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range, 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.[5] Due to its temperate climate and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, areas west of the Cascade Crest very rarely experience temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) or above 80 °F (27 °C).[5] 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.[6] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger.[6]

See also

  • Granite Mountain (North Cascades) Okanogan county
  • Granite Mountain (South Cascades) Chelan and Kittitas counties

References

  1. ↑ "Granite Mtn". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce.
  2. 1 2 3 "Granite Mountain, Washington". Peakbagger.com.
  3. ↑ Karen Sykes (2004-09-09). "Hike of the week: Gorgeous views are worth every drop of sweat". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29.
  4. ↑ "Granite Mountain Lookout". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 2014-01-27.
  5. 1 2 3 Beckey, p. 15
  6. 1 2 Beckey, p. 16

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