Mount Bretherton
Etymology
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Bernard_Joseph_Bretherton.jpg/200px-Bernard_Joseph_Bretherton.jpg)
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. 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. Bretherton became a US citizen in 1891, and died from tuberculosis in 1903 at age 42.
Climate
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Bretherton is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. Weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Olympic Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snow. As a result, the Olympics experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in avalanche danger. 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. The months June through September offer the most favorable weather for visiting.
Geology
The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust. The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Bretherton_mtn.jpg/450px-Bretherton_mtn.jpg)
See also
References
- ^ "Mount Bretherton". Peakbagger.com.
- ^ Mount Bretherton at climbersguideolympics.com
- ^ "Bretherton, Mount WA - 5,960'". Lists of John. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
- ^ "Mount Bretherton". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
- ^ Upper Lena Lake Trail, National Park Service
- ^ Olympic Mountains: A Climbing Guide, Olympic Mountain Rescue, Fourth Edition, 2006, The Mountaineers Books, pages 55-56.
- ^ Parratt, Smitty (1984). Gods and Goblins: A Field Guide to Place Names of Olympic National Park (1st ed.).
- ^ Bernard Joseph Bretherton, findagrave.com
- ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN 1027-5606.
- ^ McNulty, Tim (2009). Olympic National Park: A Natural History. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press.
- ^ Alt, D.D.; Hyndman, D.W. (1984). Roadside Geology of Washington. pp. 249–259. ISBN 0-87842-160-2.
External links
- Weather forecast: Mount Bretherton
- Bernard Joseph Bretherton biography: Findagrave.com
- Olympic Exploring Expedition: Historylink.org