Mount Cruiser
Mt. Cruiser, west aspect, seen from Mt. Gladys,
(Alpha on left)
Highest point
Elevation6,104 ft (1,860 m)[1]
Prominence1,104 ft (336 m)[1]
Parent peakMount Skokomish (6,434 ft)
Coordinates47°33′52″N 123°18′56″W / 47.56433°N 123.315682°W / 47.56433; -123.315682[1]
Geography
Mount Cruiser is located in Washington (state)
Mount Cruiser
Mount Cruiser
Location of Mount Cruiser in Washington
Mount Cruiser is located in the United States
Mount Cruiser
Mount Cruiser
Mount Cruiser (the United States)
LocationMason County, Washington, US
Parent rangeOlympic Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Mount Skokomish
Geology
Age of rockEocene
Type of rockBasalt
Climbing
First ascent1937 Paul Crews, Ray Layton[2]  
Easiest routeclass 5 South corner[2]

Mount Cruiser is a 6,104-foot-elevation (1,860-meter) mountain summit located in the Olympic Mountains, in Mason County of Washington state.[3] It is situated in Mount Skokomish Wilderness on land managed by Olympic National Forest. Cruiser is the highest point on Sawtooth Ridge, and its nearest higher peak is Mount Skokomish, 2.1 mi (3.4 km) to the north-northeast.[1] Cruiser has two sub-peaks, Alpha (6,040 ft; 1,840 m), and Beta (5,920 ft; 1,800 m), the latter of which lies on the Olympic National Park boundary.[1] The first ascent of the peak was made in 1937 by Paul Crews and Ray Layton. The mountain was named by the first ascent party to recognize their club, the Bremerton Ski Cruisers.[4] The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1961 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[3] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into the Hamma Hamma River.

Climate

Mt. Cruiser (directly above ferry) seen from the Seattle area

Mount Cruiser 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 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 climbing.

Geology

The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust.[6] The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.

Cruiser summit

Climbing Routes

Established rock climbing routes on Mt. Cruiser:[2]

  • South Corner - class 5.0
  • West-Southwest Corner - class 5.7
  • Northeast Face - class 5.6
  • West Face - class 5.5
  • East Face - class 5.7
  • Southeast Face - class 5.5

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mount Cruiser". Peakbagger.com.
  2. 1 2 3 Mount Cruiser at climbersguideolympics.com
  3. 1 2 "Mount Cruiser". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  4. ↑ Kitsap Sun, May 8, 1997
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ Alt, D.D.; Hyndman, D.W. (1984). Roadside Geology of Washington. pp. 249–259. ISBN 0-87842-160-2.
Mount Cruiser's Beta (left) and Mount Lincoln (right) seen from Mt. Gladys
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