Mount Norton Explained

Mount Norton
Elevation Ft:6397
Elevation Ref:[1]
Prominence Ft:599
Prominence Ref:[2]
Isolation Mi:3.11
Isolation Ref:[3]
Parent Peak:Crystal Peak (6,896 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:47.7625°N -123.4138°W
Coordinates Ref:[4]
Topo:USGS McCartney Peak
Age:Eocene
First Ascent:1947
Easiest Route: via Elwha River Trail

Mount Norton is a 6397feet mountain summit located in the Olympic Mountains in Jefferson County of Washington state. It is situated within Olympic National Park, and is set within the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains north via the Elwha River and Hayes River. Topographic relief is significant as the east aspect rises 3200abbr=offNaNabbr=off above Hayes River in less than one mile, and the west aspect rises 4400abbr=offNaNabbr=off above the Elwha valley in two miles. The lower slopes of the mountain are surrounded by forests of Western Red Cedar, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, Alaskan Cedar, Mountain Hemlock, and Douglas-fir.

History

This landform was originally christened "Mount Egan" in 1890 by the 1889-90 Seattle Press Expedition, for John G. Egan (1857–1913), the editor of the Seattle Press newspaper which sponsored the expedition.[5] The mountain's present name is attributable to G.A. Whitehead of the U.S. Forest Service when he renamed the peak in 1925 for his friend and hunting partner, Ernest Norton.[6] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[4] Whitehead also named Mount Mystery and Mount Deception.

The first ascent of the summit was made in 1947 by Pat Cummins.[2]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Norton is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[7] 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.[8] 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.[8] The months June through August offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.[2]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Olympic Mountains: A Climbing Guide, Olympic Mountain Rescue, Fourth Edition, 2006, The Mountaineers Books, page 202.
  2. http://www.climbersguideolympics.com/peaks/quinault-group/mount-norton Mount Norton, climbersguideolympics.com
  3. Web site: Norton, Mount - 6,319' WA. listsofjohn.com. 2021-12-23.
  4. 1523924. Mount Norton. 2022-02-16.
  5. Timothy Egan (2011), The Good Rain: Across Time & Terrain in the Pacific Northwest, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group,, page 42.
  6. Book: Parratt, Smitty . Gods and Goblins: A Field Guide to Place Names of Olympic National Park . 1st . 1984.
  7. 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 . 1027-5606.
  8. Book: McNulty, Tim. Olympic National Park: A Natural History. 2009. University of Washington Press. Seattle, Washington.