Mount Elk Lick
Climate
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Elk Lick 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 climbing or viewing the mountain.
History
The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1961 by the United States Board on Geographic Names. The mountain and the creek derive their names from mineral licks located along the Dosewallips and Duckabush rivers near here, where elk and deer drink water.
The first ascent of the peak was made in 1971 by Bartlett Burns, Hugh Favero, and Frank King.
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.
See also
References
- ^ Olympic Mountains: A Climbing Guide, Olympic Mountain Rescue, Fourth Edition, 2006, The Mountaineers Books, page 95.
- ^ "Mount Elk Lick - Climbers Guide to the Olympic Mountains". climbersguideolympics.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
- ^ "Elk Lick, Mount WA - 6,517'". Lists of John. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
- ^ "Mount Elk Lick". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
- ^ "Mount Elk Lick, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
- ^ Goldman, Peggy. Washington Scrambles, 2nd Ed., The Mountaineers Books, 2014, ISBN 9781594858413.
- ^ 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.
- ^ McNulty, Tim (2009). Olympic National Park: A Natural History. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press.
- ^ Parratt, Smitty (1984). Gods and Goblins: A Field Guide to Place Names of Olympic National Park (1st ed.).
- ^ Alt, D.D.; Hyndman, D.W. (1984). Roadside Geology of Washington. pp. 249–259. ISBN 0-87842-160-2.
External links
- Mount Elk Lick: Weather forecast
- Mt. Elk Lick photo: Flickr
- "Olympic National Park". National Park Service.