Forbidden Peak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Forbidden Peak |
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Forbidden Peak, northwest aspect
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 8,815 ft (2,687 m) NGVD 29 |
| Prominence | 1,055 ft (322 m) |
| Geography | |
 Forbidden Peak
Location in Washington (state)
Forbidden Peak
Location in the United States
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| Parent range | North Cascades |
| Topo map | USGS Forbidden Peak |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | June 1, 1940 by Lloyd Anderson, Fred Beckey, Helmy Beckey, Jim Crooks, Dave Lind |
| Easiest route | West Ridge class 5.6 rock |
Forbidden Peak is a tall mountain in Washington state. It stands about 8,815 feet (2,687 m) high. This mountain is a type of peak called a glacial horn. This means glaciers helped shape its pointy top.
You can find Forbidden Peak in North Cascades National Park. It's located in Skagit County. The peak is part of the North Cascades mountain range. It sits close to Cascade Pass.
Forbidden Peak is famous for its rock climbing. One well-known route is called the West Ridge. This route is so special that it's even in a famous climbing book. The book is called Fifty Classic Climbs of North America.
The first people to climb Forbidden Peak reached the top on June 1, 1940. This group included Fred Beckey, his brother Helmy Beckey, Jim Crooks, Lloyd Anderson, and Dave Lind.
Mountain Weather: How Climate Shapes Forbidden Peak
Forbidden Peak is in a special weather area. This area is called the marine west coast climate zone. It's found in western North America. Most of the weather that affects the mountain comes from the Pacific Ocean. These weather systems move northeast towards the Cascade Mountains.
When these weather systems hit the North Cascades, the mountains force the air to rise. As the air goes higher, it cools down. This causes the moisture in the air to fall as rain or snow. Because of this, the western side of the North Cascades gets a lot of rain and snow. This is especially true during the winter months.
The climate here is mild because it's close to the Pacific Ocean. Temperatures rarely drop below 0 °F (−18 °C) in winter. They also rarely go above 80 °F (27 °C) in summer. Winters are often cloudy. But in summer, high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean bring clear skies.
The snow in this area tends to be wet and heavy. This can make avalanches more likely. Avalanches are large slides of snow down a mountain. This climate helps support several glaciers. These include the Forbidden Glacier and the huge Boston Glacier. These glaciers helped carve Forbidden Peak into its classic horn shape.
The Story of Forbidden Peak's Rocks
The North Cascades mountains have very rugged land. This means they have sharp peaks and ridges. They also have deep valleys carved by glaciers. You can also see tall, pointed rocks made of granite. The way the land looks today was formed by events that happened millions of years ago. These events caused big changes in height across the mountains. This also led to different climates.
The Cascade Mountains started forming millions of years ago. This was during a time called the late Eocene Epoch. The North American Plate is a huge piece of Earth's crust. It slowly moved over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused volcanoes to erupt many times. Also, small pieces of Earth's crust, called terranes, joined together. This helped create the North Cascades about 50 million years ago.
About two million years ago, during the Pleistocene period, glaciers grew and then melted many times. As they moved, these glaciers scraped the land. They left behind piles of rock. The valleys carved by rivers now have a "U" shape. This shape was created by the glaciers. The mountains also rose up (this is called uplift). And the Earth's crust broke along lines called faults. These processes, along with glaciation, created the tall peaks and deep valleys you see in the North Cascades today.
