Earl Peak is a 7,036-foot (2,145-metre) mountain summit located on the edge of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, in Kittitas County of Washington state.[4] Earl Peak is the eighth-highest point in the Teanaway area of the Wenatchee Mountains.[1] It is situated two miles southwest of Navaho Peak, on land managed by Wenatchee National Forest. Precipitation runoff from the peak drains south into tributaries of the Teanaway River, or north into Hardscrabble Creek which is part of the Wenatchee River drainage basin. The view from the summit of this peak showcases the impressive Mount Stuart and Stuart Range for those who climb it.
| Earl Peak | |
|---|---|
 Earl Peak, east aspect | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,036 ft (2,145 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 956 ft (291 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Navaho Peak (7,223 ft)[2] |
| Isolation | 2.05 mi (3.30 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 47°24′36″N 120°50′34″W / 47.410011°N 120.842858°W[1] |
| Geography | |
  Earl Peak Location of Earl Peak in Washington  Earl Peak Earl Peak (the United States) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Kittitas |
| Parent range | Wenatchee Mountains Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Enchantment Lakes |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Jurassic[3] |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | class 2 scrambling |
Climate
editLying east of the Cascade crest, the area around Earl Peak is a bit drier than areas to the west. Summers can bring warm temperatures and occasional thunderstorms. Weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel east toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snow onto the Cascades (Orographic lift). As a result, the eastern slopes of the Cascades experience lower precipitation than the western slopes. 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.[5]
See also
edit
Gallery
edit-
Earl Peak from Little Annapurna -
From west-northwest -
Earl Peak from near Navaho Peak -
East aspect
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Earl Peak, Washington". Peakbagger.com.
- ^ a b "Earl Peak - 7,036' WA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
- ^ Geologic map of the North Cascade Range, Washington, Haugerud, R.A., and Tabor, R.W., US Geological Survey, 2009.
- ^ "Earl Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
- ^ Beckey, Fred W. Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2008.
External links
edit- Earl Peak: weather forecast
- Climbing Earl Peak video: YouTube