Chilly Peak
Chilly Peak is a 7,960+ ft (2,430+ m) mountain summit located in the Entiat Mountains, a sub-range of the North Cascades, in Chelan County of Washington state. It ranks as 192nd of Washington's highest 200 peaks.[1] Its nearest higher neighbor is Ice Box, 1.3 miles (2.1 km) to the northwest, and Spectacle Buttes are set 2.1 miles (3.4 km) to the north-northeast. Chilly Peak is situated 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of Ice Lakes in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains east into Ice Creek which is a tributary of the Entiat River, or west into Rock Creek, a tributary of the Chiwawa River.
| Chilly Peak | |
|---|---|
 Chilly Peak, west aspect, from Carne Mountain | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,960 ft (2,430 m) [1] |
| Prominence | 480 ft (150 m) [1] |
| Isolation | 1.29 mi (2.08 km) [2] |
| Coordinates | 48°05′53″N 120°46′37″W [1] |
| Geography | |
  Chilly Peak Location in Washington  Chilly Peak Chilly Peak (the United States) | |
| Location | Chelan County Washington, U.S. |
| Parent range | Entiat Mountains North Cascades |
| Topo map | USGS Trinity |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | class 3-4 scrambling |
Climate
Lying east of the Cascade crest, the area around Chilly Peak is a bit drier than areas to the west. Summers can bring warm temperatures and occasional thunderstorms. Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach the North Cascades, 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 (Orographic lift). As a result, the North Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.[3] With its impressive height, Chilly Peak can have snow on it in late-spring and early-fall, and can be very cold in the winter.
Geology
The North Cascades features some of the most rugged topography in the Cascade Range with craggy peaks, ridges, and deep glacial valleys. Geological events occurring many years ago created the diverse topography and drastic elevation changes over the Cascade Range leading to the various climate differences. These climate differences lead to vegetation variety defining the ecoregions in this area.
The history of the formation of the Cascade Mountains dates back millions of years ago to the late Eocene Epoch.[4] With the North American Plate overriding the Pacific Plate, episodes of volcanic igneous activity persisted.[4] Glacier Peak, a stratovolcano that is 15.6 mi (25.1 km) west of Chilly Peak, began forming in the mid-Pleistocene.[3]
During the Pleistocene period dating back over two million years ago, glaciation advancing and retreating repeatedly scoured the landscape leaving deposits of rock debris.[4] The "U"-shaped cross section of the river valleys are a result of recent glaciation. Uplift and faulting in combination with glaciation have been the dominant processes which have created the tall peaks and deep valleys of the North Cascades area.
References
- "Chilly Peak". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- ""Chilly Peak" - 7,980' WA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- Beckey, Fred W. Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2008.
- Kruckeberg, Arthur (1991). The Natural History of Puget Sound Country. University of Washington Press.
External links
- Weather forecast: National Weather Service