Mount Formidable

Mount Formidable is a mountain in the North Cascades of Skagit County, in Washington state.[3] Its first ascent was undertaken by members of the original Ptarmigan Traverse, and the peak is a popular climb for parties on the traverse.[1]:265 –267 It was named by early mountaineer Herman Ulrichs in 1935 because of the rugged appearance of its north face.[1]:265 –267 The peak is usually accessed from Cascade Pass via the Ptarmigan Traverse.

Mount Formidable
Mount Formidable
Highest point
Elevation8,325 feet (2,537 m) [1]:265 –267
Prominence1,885 feet (575 m) [2]
Parent peakOverdrive Tower
Coordinates48°24′59″N 121°4′2″W [2]
Geography
Mount Formidable
The location of Mount Formidable within Washington state
LocationSkagit County, Washington, United States
Parent rangeNorth Cascades
Topo mapUSGS Cascade Pass
Geology
Age of rockTriassic
Mountain typeFold
Climbing
First ascentCalder T. Bressler
Ralph W. Clough
Bill Cox
Tom Myers
Easiest routeClass III

Geography and climate

Mount Formidable is located on a spur ridge about half a mile west of the Cascade crest, between Cascade Pass and Dome Peak, and about a mile west of Spider Mountain.[3] It is within the Marine west coast climatic zone, and experiences heavy snowfall as a result. The surrounding area is part of the Pacific temperate rainforest ecoregion, and lower elevations are densely vegetated.[1]:214 -217 The Middle Cascade Glacier, which drains into the Skagit River via the Cascade River,[4] is on the north side of the mountain.[1]:265 -267

Geology

The North Cascades are composed of terranes, or scattered, unrelated rock groups of various ages.[5] More specifically, the immediate area surrounding Mount Formidable (i.e., within ten miles), is mainly composed of granitic rocks that are Mesozoic in age, and schist that dates from the late paleozoic.[6] Mount Formidable itself is likely composed of originally igneous rocks that formed in the Triassic and were metamorphorphized in the Late Cretaceous.[7]

Climbing
Mount Formidable from Kool-Aid Lake

Mount Formidable is usually accessed via the Ptarmigan Traverse, which begins at Cascade Pass.[1]:265 –267 Climbers ascend from Cascade Pass to Cache Col via the Cache Col Glacier, then traverse toward Kool-Aid Lake, a small, alpine lake that drains into the Middle Fork of the Cascade River. Climbers then typically traverse south towards the Middle Cascade Glacier via the Red Ledges, then around the south side of the mountain to the summit.[8] There are, however, alternative routes, most of which involve ascending from the Middle Cascade Glacier.[1]:265 –267

References
  1. Beckey, Fred (2003). Fulsaas, Kris; Clifton-Thornton, Christine (eds.). Climbing and High Routes: Stevens Pass to Rain Pass. Cascade Alpine Guide: Climbing and High Routes: Stevens Pass to Rainy Pass (3rd ed.). Seattle, Washington: The Mountaineers Books. ISBN 9781594851551.
  2. "Mount Forimdable". Peakbagger.com. 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  3. CASCADE PASS, WASH — NO 80 (Map). 1: 69500. 15 minute series. Green Trails. 1989 [First published 1977]. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  4. "Cascade River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  5. Lasmanis, Raymond. The geology of Washington: Rocks and Minerals. 1991. (cited in "Geology of Washington — Northern Cascades". Washington State Department of Natural Resources. 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-10-08. Retrieved 2013-08-28.) Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  6. Cater, Fred W. (1982). "INTRUSIVE ROCKS OF THE HOLDEN AND LUCERNE QUADRANGLES, WASHINGTON—THE RELATION OF DEPTH ZONES, COMPOSITION, TEXTURES, AND EMPLACEMENT OF PLUTONS". United States Geological Survey. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. Carter, F.W. (1982). "Intrusive Rocks of the Holden and Lucerne Quadrangles, Washington" (PDF): 9 –23. Retrieved August 28, 2013. Cite journal requires |journal= (help) (cited in Beckey 2003)
  8. Goldman, Peggy (2004). Washington's Highest Mountains: Basic Alpine and Glacier Routes. Birmingham, Alabama: Wilderness Press. p. 84 –87. ISBN 9780899976082.
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