Custer Ridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Custer Ridge (Mount Custer) |
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 Custer Ridge (Mount Custer)
Location in Washington (state)
Custer Ridge (Mount Custer)
Location in the United States
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 8,630 ft (2,630 m) |
| Prominence | 1,230 ft (370 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Whatcom County, Washington, U.S. |
| Parent range | Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Spickard |
Custer Ridge (Mount Custer) is a tall mountain ridge. It is found in North Cascades National Park in the state of Washington, USA. This ridge stands about 8,630 feet (2,630 m) (2,630 meters) high.
Custer Ridge is located in the northern part of the park. It rises to the west of Silver Lake. The highest point along the ridge is a peak called Mount Custer. This peak is near the southwestern end of the ridge. Custer Ridge is so long that it even extends beyond the Canada–US border.
Weather at Custer Ridge
Most weather systems start in the Pacific Ocean. They then move northeast towards the Cascade Mountains. When these weather systems reach the North Cascades, the tall peaks force the air upwards. This process is called orographic lift.
As the air rises, it cools down. This causes the moisture in the air to turn into rain or snow. This is why the western side of the North Cascades gets a lot of precipitation. This is especially true during the winter months, when heavy snowfall occurs.
During winter, the weather is often cloudy. However, in summer, high-pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean bring clear skies. This means there is often little or no cloud cover. Because the ocean affects the weather, the snow tends to be wet and heavy. This can lead to a high risk of avalanches.
How the Mountains Formed
The North Cascades area has very rugged land. It features sharp peaks, long ridges, and deep glacial valleys. The way the land looks today was shaped by geological events that happened millions of years ago. These events created the big changes in height across the Cascade Range.
These height differences also led to different climates. This created various plant zones, known as ecoregions, in the area.
The Cascade Range began forming millions of years ago. This was during the late Eocene Epoch. At that time, the North American Plate was moving over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused a lot of volcanic activity.
Also, small pieces of the Earth's crust, called terranes, came together. These pieces of oceanic and continental rock helped create the North Cascades about 50 million years ago.
During the Pleistocene period, which was over two million years ago, glaciation happened many times. Huge sheets of ice, called glaciers, moved across the land. As they moved, they carved out the landscape. They also left behind piles of rock debris.
The river valleys in the area have a "U" shape. This shape is a result of these recent glaciers. The rising of the land (called uplift) and cracks in the Earth's crust (called faulting) worked with glaciation. These processes created the tall peaks and deep valleys we see in the North Cascades today.
