Grindstone Mountain (Washington) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grindstone Mountain |
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Grindstone from east-southeast
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,533 ft (2,296 m) |
| Prominence | 853 ft (260 m) |
| Isolation | 2.2 mi (3.5 km) |
| Parent peak | Ladies Peak (7,708 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Grindstone Mountain
Location in Washington (state)
Grindstone Mountain
Location in the United States
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| Location | Chelan County Washington state, U.S. |
| Parent range | Chiwaukum Mountains Wenatchee Mountains Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Chiwaukum Mountains |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Chatter Creek Trail + scrambling |
Grindstone Mountain is a mountain peak in Washington state. It stands 7,533-foot (2,296-metre) tall. You can find it in the Icicle Creek Valley in Chelan County.
This mountain is about 12 mi (19 km) west of Leavenworth. It is part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The land around it is managed by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Grindstone Mountain is the seventh-highest peak in the Chiwaukum Mountains. These mountains are a smaller part of the larger Cascade Range.
The closest taller mountain is Ladies Peak, about 2.2 mi (3.5 km) to the north. Cape Horn is also nearby, 1.4 mi (2.3 km) to the north. Rain and snow that fall on Grindstone Mountain flow into Icicle Creek. This creek then joins the Wenatchee River. Even though it's not the tallest mountain, Grindstone Mountain rises very steeply. It climbs 4,700 feet from the Icicle Creek Valley in less than two miles.
The mountain got its name from Albert Hale Sylvester. He named it after Grindstone Creek, which flows from Sylvester Lake on the mountain's side. Sylvester found a small grindstone that had fallen from a horse while crossing the creek.
Weather and Seasons on Grindstone Mountain
Most of the weather in this area comes from the Pacific Ocean. These weather systems move east towards the Cascade Mountains. When they hit the tall peaks of the Cascades, the air is forced to rise. This causes the moisture in the air to fall as rain or snow. This process is called orographic lift.
Because of this, the Cascade Mountains get a lot of rain and snow. Winters usually have cloudy weather and heavy snowfall. However, during the summer, high-pressure systems often form over the Pacific Ocean. This means there are usually clear skies and little to no clouds. The best time to visit or climb Grindstone Mountain is from June through October. This is when the weather is usually the nicest.
The Geology of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is known for its very rugged land. It has sharp peaks, long ridges, and deep valleys carved by glaciers. There are also tall granite walls and more than 700 mountain lakes. The way the land looks today was shaped by huge geological events that happened millions of years ago. These events created the big changes in height and the different climates across the Cascade Range.
About two million years ago, during the Pleistocene period, glaciers moved across the land many times. As they advanced and then melted back, they scraped away the land. They also left behind piles of rock and debris. The last time these glaciers melted away 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 rising of the land (called uplift) and cracks in the Earth's crust (called faulting) have also played a big part. Together with the glaciers, these forces created the tall peaks and deep valleys you see in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness today.
