Big Jim Mountain Lakes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Big Jim Mountain Lakes |
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 Big Jim Mountain Lakes
Location in Washington (state)
Big Jim Mountain Lakes
Location in the United States
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| Location | Chelan County, Washington, United States |
| Coordinates | 47°39′58″N 120°49′24″W / 47.6662365°N 120.8233391°W |
| Primary outflows | Battle Canyon Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface elevation | 6,309 ft (1,923 m) |
The Big Jim Mountain Lakes are a group of small, clear freshwater lakes. You can find them on the northeast side of Big Jim Mountain in Chelan County, Washington. They are east of Icicle Ridge.
These lakes are a favorite spot for outdoor fun. Because they are close to the Icicle Ridge Trail, many people come here for hiking, swimming, and fishing. Another lake, Lake Augusta, is just a short distance away on the other side of Icicle Ridge.
What are the Big Jim Mountain Lakes like?
The Big Jim Mountain Lakes sit on the northern side of Big Jim Mountain. The ground around them is very rocky. These rocks are mostly intrusive rocks, which means they formed from magma (melted rock) that cooled underground.
How were the rocks formed?
The rocks here are often quartz-dolerite and granodiorite. They were shaped by something called the Mount Stuart Batholith. A batholith is a very large mass of igneous rock that forms deep in the Earth's crust. The Mount Stuart Batholith is huge, about 13 by 16 miles wide!
This batholith has two main parts, called plutons. They are separated by a thin layer of other rocks. The eastern part of the pluton is about 93 million years old. The western part is a bit younger, between 83 and 86 million years old.
What is the trail like?
If you hike to the lakes, the first part of the trail has sandy soil. But as you get closer, you'll find more and more large rocks and boulders.
The hills around the lakes also have different kinds of rocks. The western hills near Lake Augusta have rocks called tonalite and granodiorite. The eastern hills have rocks like pyroxenites, gabbros, and amphibolites. Even though these rocks are different, it can be hard to tell them apart just by looking.
