Gray Peak (Washington) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gray Peak
Gray Peak, southeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation	8,082 ft (2,463 m)
Prominence	402 ft (123 m)
Geography
Gray Peak Location in Washington (state) Show map of Washington (state) Gray Peak Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Okanogan County Chelan County Washington, U.S.
Parent range	Methow Mountains North Cascades
Topo map	USGS Oval Peak
Climbing
Easiest route	class 2

Gray Peak is a tall mountain in Washington state. It stands 8,082 feet (2,463 meters) high. This peak is part of the Methow Mountains. These mountains are a smaller group within the larger North Cascades.

Gray Peak is found on Sawtooth Ridge, near Oval Lakes. It is a protected area. The mountain is inside the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness. This wilderness area is part of the Okanogan National Forest.

The closest taller mountain is Courtney Peak. It is about 1.07 miles (1.72 kilometers) to the southeast. Water from the south side of Gray Peak flows into Lake Chelan. Water from the north side goes into Oval Creek. Oval Creek then flows into the Twisp River.

Mountain Weather

The area around Gray Peak is a bit drier. This is because it lies east of the Cascade Mountains. Summers here can be warm. Sometimes, thunderstorms also happen.

Most weather systems come from the Pacific Ocean. They travel northeast towards the Cascade Mountains. When these systems hit the mountains, they are forced to rise. This causes them to drop their moisture. This moisture falls as rain or snow onto the Cascades. This process is called Orographic lift.

Because of this, the North Cascades get a lot of rain and snow. This is especially true during winter. Gray Peak can have snow in late spring and early fall. Winters on the mountain can be very cold.

Mountain Geology

The North Cascades have very rugged land. You can see jagged peaks, long ridges, and deep valleys carved by glaciers. These different landforms were created by geological events. These events happened millions of years ago. They caused big changes in elevation. These changes also led to different climates. Different climates mean different types of plants grow in these areas.

How the Cascades Formed

The Cascade Range started forming millions of years ago. This was during the late Eocene Epoch. The North American Plate was moving over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused many volcanic eruptions.

Also, small pieces of the Earth's crust moved around. These pieces are called terranes. They helped create the North Cascades. This happened about 50 million years ago.

Glaciers and Valleys

During the Pleistocene period, glaciers played a big role. This period was over two million years ago. Glaciers moved forward and backward many times. As they moved, they scraped the land. They left behind piles of rock.

The river valleys in this area have a "U" shape. This shape was made by recent glaciers. The mountains also got taller through processes called uplift and faulting. These, along with glaciers, created the tall peaks and deep valleys we see today in the North Cascades.