Mount Elk Lick is a 6,517-foot-elevation (1,986 meter) mountain summit located in the Olympic Mountains, in Jefferson County of Washington state.[4] It is situated within Olympic National Park, and is set within the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness at the head of Elk Lick Creek. The nearest neighbor is Mount La Crosse, 2.54 mi (4.09 km) to the west, and the nearest higher neighbor is Diamond Mountain, 3.73 mi (6.00 km) to the north-northwest.[5] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains south into the Duckabush River, and north into the Dosewallips River. Topographic relief is significant as the south aspect rises over 4,300 feet (1,310 m) above the Duckabush valley in approximately one mile. The mountain is remote and an ascent can take four days and involves 46 miles of hiking.[6]
| Mount Elk Lick | |
|---|---|
 North aspect of Mt. Elk Lick centered on horizon | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,517 ft (1,986 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 1,997 ft (609 m)[2] |
| Parent peak | Mount Anderson (7,330 ft)[3] |
| Isolation | 4.09 mi (6.58 km)[3] |
| Coordinates | 47°41′18″N 123°15′29″W / 47.6883460°N 123.2580189°W[4] |
| Geography | |
  Mount Elk Lick Location of Mt. Elk Lick in Washington  Mount Elk Lick Mount Elk Lick (the United States) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Jefferson |
| Protected area | Olympic National Park |
| Parent range | Olympic Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Steel |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Eocene |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1971 |
| Easiest route | class 2 via LaCrosse Pass Trail[2] |
Climate
editBased on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Elk Lick 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 September offer the most favorable weather for climbing or viewing the mountain.[2]
History
editThe mountain's name was officially adopted in 1961 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[4] 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.[9]
The first ascent of the peak was made in 1971 by Bartlett Burns, Hugh Favero, and Frank King.[1]
Geology
editThe Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust.[10] The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b Olympic Mountains: A Climbing Guide, Olympic Mountain Rescue, Fourth Edition, 2006, The Mountaineers Books, page 95.
- ^ a b c "Mount Elk Lick - Climbers Guide to the Olympic Mountains". climbersguideolympics.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
- ^ a b "Elk Lick, Mount WA - 6,517'". Lists of John. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
- ^ a b c "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.
- ^ a b 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
edit- Mount Elk Lick: Weather forecast
- Mt. Elk Lick photo: Flickr
- "Olympic National Park". National Park Service.