| Mount Pulitzer | |
| Elevation Ft: | 6283 |
| Prominence Ft: | 923 |
| Isolation Mi: | 2.58 |
| Isolation Ref: | [1] |
| Parent Peak: | Stephen Peak (6,418 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: | 47.8356°N -123.5742°W |
| Topo: | USGS Mount Queets |
| Age: | Eocene |
| First Ascent: | 1961 |
| Easiest Route: | scrambling East ridge[2] |
Mount Pulitzer, also known as Snagtooth, is a 6283abbr=offNaNabbr=off mountain summit located within Olympic National Park in Jefferson County of Washington state. Mount Pulitzer is the sixth-highest peak in the Bailey Range, which is a subrange of the Olympic Mountains. Its nearest neighbor is Mount Ferry, 0.58miles to the northeast, and its nearest higher neighbor is Stephen Peak, 2.58miles to the north. Mount Olympus is set 6.8miles to the southwest. In clear weather, the mountain can be seen from the visitor center at Hurricane Ridge. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Elwha and Hoh Rivers. The first ascent of the summit was made in 1961 by Doug Waali, Bob Wood, and Kent Heathershaw via the east ridge.[3]
This peak was named by the 1889-90 Seattle Press Expedition after Joseph Pulitzer (1847–1911), newspaper publisher of the New York World,[4] his name is now best known for the Pulitzer Prize. The mountain was originally called Mt. Ferry before it was renamed.
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Pulitzer is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[5] This climate supports a small un-named glacier on the north slope.[2] 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 of July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing and climbing.
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.