| Mount Claywood | |
| Etymology: | Henry Clay Wood |
| Elevation Ft: | 6836 |
| Prominence Ft: | 1236 |
| Isolation Mi: | 2.41 |
| Isolation Ref: | [1] |
| Parent Peak: | Mount Cameron (7,190 ft) |
| Part Type: | Protected area |
| Part: | Olympic National Park |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Washington |
| Region: | Jefferson |
| Region Type: | County |
| Range: | Olympic Mountains |
| Map: | Washington#USA |
| Label Position: | bottom |
| Coordinates: | 47.8009°N -123.3704°W |
| Topo: | USGS Wellesley Peak |
| Age: | Eocene |
| Easiest Route: | class 2 hiking via Hayden Pass Trail[2] |
Mount Claywood is a 6836abbr=offNaNabbr=off mountain summit located within Olympic National Park in Jefferson County of Washington state.[3] It is situated at the head of Lost River, and 15 mi (24 km) east of Mount Olympus. Its nearest higher neighbor is Mount Cameron, 2.4miles to the northeast. Other nearby peaks include Mt. Fromme, 0.58miles to the southeast, and Sentinel Peak, 2miles also to the southeast. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains north and west into tributaries of the Elwha River, and east into Claywood Lake, thence Dosewallips River.
This mountain was originally named "Mount Clay Wood" in 1885 by Lieutenant Joseph P. O'Neil to honor his superior, Colonel Henry Clay Wood (1832–1918), Assistant Adjutant General, Department of the Columbia, who signed the orders for O'Neil's 1885 exploration of the Olympic Mountains.[3] [4] Mt. Claywood marks the expedition's deepest penetration from the north into the Olympic wilderness.[4]
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Claywood is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[5] 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.[6] 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.[6] The months July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.
The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust.[7] The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.