Mount Bretherton
Mt. Bretherton, north aspect
Highest point
Elevation5,960 ft (1,820 m)[1][2]
Prominence1,240 ft (380 m)[1]
Parent peakMount Lena (5,995 ft)[3]
Isolation1.43 mi (2.30 km)[3]
Coordinates47°37′10″N 123°12′36″W / 47.6193851°N 123.2099342°W / 47.6193851; -123.2099342[4]
Geography
Mount Bretherton is located in Washington (state)
Mount Bretherton
Mount Bretherton
Location of Mount Bretherton in Washington
Mount Bretherton is located in the United States
Mount Bretherton
Mount Bretherton
Mount Bretherton (the United States)
LocationOlympic National Park
Jefferson County, Washington, US
Parent rangeOlympic Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Mount Washington
Climbing
First ascentUnknown[2]  
Easiest routeclass 2 hiking[3][2]

Mount Bretherton is a 5,960-foot-elevation (1,820-meter) mountain summit located in the Olympic Mountains, in Jefferson County of Washington state.[4] It is situated within Olympic National Park, immediately south and 1,400 feet above the shore of Upper Lena Lake. Mount Lena lies across the lake to the north, Mount Stone is 2.8 miles to the west-southwest, and The Brothers approximately four miles to the northeast. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains south to the Hamma Hamma River via Boulder, Delta, and Lena Creeks. Topographic relief is significant as it rises over 5,100 feet (1,600 meters) above the river in two miles. The non-technical ascent of Mount Bretherton involves hiking eight miles (one-way) and 5,300 feet elevation gain via the Upper Lena Lake Trail and cross-country above the lake, with most favorable conditions from July through September.[5] There are pleasant campsites at the lake, and the ascent to the summit takes two hours from the lake.[6] This mountain's name has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[4]

Etymology

B. J. Bretherton (left) climbing Mt. Olympus in 1890

The mountain was named in 1890 for Bernard Joseph Bretherton (1861–1903), a naturalist who was a member of the Olympic Mountains Exploring Expedition of 1890 led by Lieutenant Joseph P. O'Neil which crossed the range from east to west.[7] He was born in England, emigrated to the United States in 1885, where he lived in Portland, Oregon, and was the curator of the Oregon Alpine Club, of which O'Neil was club secretary. Bretherton was one of three members of the O'Neil expedition who reportedly made the first ascent of Mount Olympus on September 22, although it is now believed they probably climbed a subsidiary peak named Athena.[7] Bretherton became a US citizen in 1891, and died from tuberculosis in 1903 at age 42.[8]

Climate

Mount Bretherton is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[9] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Olympic Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Olympic Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall (Orographic lift). As a result, the Olympics experience 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. Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in avalanche danger. The months June through September offer the most favorable weather for visiting.[5]

Geology

The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust.[10] The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.

Mt. Bretherton reflected in Upper Lena Lake

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Mount Bretherton". Peakbagger.com.
  2. 1 2 3 Mount Bretherton at climbersguideolympics.com
  3. 1 2 3 "Bretherton, Mount WA - 5,960'". Lists of John. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  4. 1 2 3 "Mount Bretherton". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  5. 1 2 Upper Lena Lake Trail, National Park Service
  6. ↑ Olympic Mountains: A Climbing Guide, Olympic Mountain Rescue, Fourth Edition, 2006, The Mountaineers Books, pages 55-56.
  7. 1 2 Parratt, Smitty (1984). Gods and Goblins: A Field Guide to Place Names of Olympic National Park (1st ed.).
  8. ↑ Bernard Joseph Bretherton, findagrave.com
  9. ↑ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.
  10. ↑ Alt, D.D.; Hyndman, D.W. (1984). Roadside Geology of Washington. pp. 249–259. ISBN 0-87842-160-2.
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