Camp Robber Peak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Camp Robber Peak |
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Camp Robber Peak, southwest aspect
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,286 ft (1,916 m) |
| Prominence | 1,206 ft (368 m) |
| Isolation | 1.31 mi (2.11 km) |
| Parent peak | Wild Goat Peak (6,305 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Camp Robber Peak
Location in Washington (state)
Camp Robber Peak
Location in the United States
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| Location | King County Washington state, U.S. |
| Parent range | Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Big Snow Mountain |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | class 3 scrambling. |
Camp Robber Peak is a mountain that stands about 6,286 feet (1,916 meters) tall. It is located in the eastern part of King County, Washington state. You can find it near the western shore of Big Heart Lake.
This peak is part of the Cascade Range, a large mountain chain. It sits within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, a special protected area. The land around it is managed by the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Water from the mountain flows into Camp Robber Creek and the Foss River. These rivers then join the larger Skykomish River.
The mountain gets its name from Camp Robber Creek and Camp Robber Lake. These are found in Camp Robber Valley, to the northwest of the peak. A "Camp robber" is a nickname for certain birds in North America. These birds are known for being brave around people. They sometimes even try to take food from campers! The closest taller mountain is Wild Goat Peak, which is about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) south.
Weather at Camp Robber Peak
Camp Robber Peak is in a "marine west coast" climate zone. This means it gets a lot of influence from the ocean. Most of the weather systems start over the Pacific Ocean. They then move northeast towards the Cascade Mountains.
When these weather systems hit the tall Cascade Mountains, they are forced to rise. As the air goes up, it cools down. This causes the moisture in the air to turn into rain or snow. This process is called Orographic lift. Because of this, the western side of the Cascades gets a lot of rain and snow. This is especially true during the winter months.
In winter, the weather is often cloudy. But in summer, high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean become stronger. This often leads to clear skies with little or no clouds. The snow here tends to be wet and heavy due to the ocean's influence. This can sometimes create a risk of avalanches.
How the Mountains Formed
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness has very rugged land. It features sharp peaks, long ridges, and deep valleys carved by glaciers. You can also see tall granite walls. There are more than 700 mountain lakes scattered across the area.
The varied landscape and big changes in elevation were created by geological events. These events happened millions of years ago. They also led to the different climate zones in the Cascade Range.
The Cascade Mountains began to form millions of years ago. This was during a time called the late Eocene Epoch. The North American Plate (a huge piece of Earth's crust) was slowly moving over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused many periods of volcanic activity. Also, smaller pieces of Earth's crust, called terranes, helped form the North Cascades. This happened about 50 million years ago.
Later, during the Pleistocene period, glaciers played a big role. This period started over two million years ago. Huge sheets of ice moved forward and then retreated many times. As they moved, they carved and shaped the land. The last time glaciers retreated from the Alpine Lakes area was about 14,000 years ago. By 10,000 years ago, they had moved north of the Canada–US border.
The river valleys in this area have a "U" shape. This shape was created by these recent glaciers. The combination of land being pushed up (called uplift) and cracks in the Earth's crust (called faulting) with glaciation has formed the tall peaks and deep valleys you see today in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
