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Foss Peak
Foss Peak from road.jpg
Foss Peak from northeast
Highest point
Elevation 6,524 ft (1,989 m)
Prominence 404 ft (123 m)
Geography
Foss Peak is located in Washington (state)
Foss Peak
Foss Peak
Location in Washington (state)
Foss Peak is located in the United States
Foss Peak
Foss Peak
Location in the United States
Location Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, U.S.
Parent range Cascades
Topo map USGS Mount Rainier East
Climbing
Easiest route Scrambling

Foss Peak is a 6,524 ft summit in the Tatoosh Range which is a sub-range of the Cascade Range. It is located south of Mount Rainier within Mount Rainier National Park, in Lewis County of Washington state. The peak is named for Thea Foss (1857-1927) who founded the Foss Maritime Company with her husband in 1889. The peak also has an alternate name, Manatee Mountain. The nearest higher neighbor is West Unicorn Peak, 0.79 miles (1.27 km) to the southeast. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Cowlitz River.

Climate

Foss Peak is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains.

Foss Peak aka Manatee Mountain
Foss Peak (aka Manatee Mountain)

As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (Orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the North Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. 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. Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger.

  • National Park Service web site: Mount Rainier National Park
Unicorn Peak 8421s
Foss Peak (right) with Unicorn Peak (left)

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