Merchant Peak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Merchant Peak |
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Merchant Peak
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,113 ft (1,863 m) |
| Prominence | 1,153 ft (350 m) |
| Geography | |
 Merchant Peak
Location in Washington (state)
Merchant Peak
Location in the United States
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| Location | Snohomish County, Washington |
| Parent range | Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Baring |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Scrambling |
Merchant Peak is a tall mountain in Snohomish County, Washington. It stands about 6,113 feet (1,863 meters) high. This mountain is part of the big Cascade Range. Merchant Peak is also one of the highest points in the Wild Sky Wilderness area. Its closest taller mountain is Gunn Peak, which is about 1.26 miles (2.03 km) away. Baring Mountain is about 1.53 miles (2.46 km) to the south. Water from the mountain flows into streams that lead to the Skykomish River. The peak was officially named in 1918. It was named after Andrew Merchant, who had many mining claims near Trout Creek, north of the peak.
Mountain Weather
Merchant Peak is in a "marine west coast" climate zone. This means it gets a lot of weather from the Pacific Ocean. Most weather systems start over the Pacific. They then travel northeast towards the Cascade Range.
When these weather systems hit the North Cascades, the mountains force the air to rise. This process is called Orographic lift. As the air goes up, it cools down and drops its moisture. This moisture falls as rain or snow on the Cascades.
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 ocean. Temperatures rarely go below 0°F (-18°C) or above 80°F (27°C).
In winter, it's often cloudy. But in summer, high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean bring clear skies. The snow here tends to be wet and heavy. This can sometimes lead to a high danger of avalanches.
How the Mountains Formed
The North Cascades have very rugged land. You can see sharp peaks, tall spires, and deep valleys carved by glaciers. These amazing shapes and big changes in height were created by geological events. These events happened millions of years ago. They also led to the different climates we see across the Cascade Range.
The Cascade Mountains started forming a very long time ago. This was during the late Eocene Epoch. At that time, the North American Plate was slowly moving over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused a lot of volcanic activity.
Also, small pieces of the Earth's outer layer, called terranes, came together. These pieces of oceanic and continental rock helped create the North Cascades. This all happened about 50 million years ago.
Later, during the Pleistocene period, glaciers played a big role. This was over two million years ago. Huge sheets of ice moved forward and then melted back many times. As they moved, they scraped the land. This left behind piles of rock and debris.
The "U"-shaped valleys you see today were carved by these glaciers. The mountains also got taller through a process called uplift. This is when the Earth's crust pushes upwards. Along with faulting (where rocks break and slide), uplift and glaciation created the tall peaks and deep valleys of the North Cascades.
A Look Back in Time
On May 16, 1965, a small plane went missing near Merchant Peak. On board were Seattle city councilman Wing Luke, businessman Sidney Gerber, and Kate Ladue. The plane's wreckage was found three years later during a geological survey. The Washington State Aeronautics Commission confirmed the discovery.
- Weather forecast: Merchant Peak
Images for kids
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Merchant Peak in the center, with a smaller peak (5,831 ft) to the right. Older maps sometimes mistakenly called the smaller peak Merchant Peak.
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The smaller peak (5,831 ft) of Merchant Peak as seen from Eagle Lake.
 | William M. Jackson |
 | Juan E. Gilbert |
 | Neil deGrasse Tyson |
