Mount Hinman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Hinman |
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,492 ft (2,284 m) |
| Prominence | 1,252 ft (382 m) |
| Geography | |
 Mount Hinman
Location in Washington (state)
Mount Hinman
Location in the United States
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| Location | King County and Kittitas County, Washington, U.S. |
| Parent range | Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Daniel |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1928 |
Mount Hinman is a tall mountain in the state of Washington, USA. It stands at 7,492 feet (2,284 m) high. This mountain is found right on the edge of the Snoqualmie National Forest and the Wenatchee National Forest.
Mount Hinman is very close to another mountain called Mount Daniel, less than 2 mi (3.2 km) away. Both mountains are part of a special protected area known as the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. You can also find two glaciers near Mount Hinman: the Hinman Glacier on its north side and the Foss Glacier to its northeast. The mountain was named in 1934 after Dr. Harry B. Hinman. He helped start a climbing group called The Mountaineers in Everett.
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Understanding Mount Hinman's Weather
The weather around Mount Hinman is mostly shaped by the Pacific Ocean. Most weather systems start over the Pacific and then move east. They travel towards the Cascade Mountains.
How Mountains Affect Weather
When these weather systems hit the tall peaks of the Cascade Range, they are forced to rise. As the air goes higher, it cools down. This causes the moisture in the air to turn into rain or snowfall. This process is called Orographic lift. Because of this, the Cascade Mountains get a lot of rain and snow, especially in winter.
Seasonal Weather Patterns
During the winter, the weather is usually cloudy. But in the summer, large areas of high pressure form over the Pacific Ocean. These high-pressure systems often bring clear skies. This means there is usually little or no cloud cover during the summer months.
The Amazing Geology of Mount Hinman
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a very rugged area. It has sharp peaks, long ridges, and deep valleys carved by glaciers. You can also see huge granite rock walls. This area is home to more than 700 mountain lakes. The unique look of the land and the big changes in height were created by geological events that happened millions of years ago. These events also led to the different climates you find across the Cascade Range.
How the Cascade Mountains Formed
The story of the Cascade Mountains began millions of years ago. This was during a time called the late Eocene Epoch. At that time, the North American Plate was slowly moving over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused many periods of volcanic activity.
Also, small pieces of the Earth's outer layer, called terranes, helped form the North Cascades. This happened about 50 million years ago. These terranes were made of both oceanic and continental rock.
The Impact of Glaciers
During the Pleistocene period, which was over two million years ago, glaciers played a huge role. These massive ice sheets moved forward and then retreated many times. As they moved, they scraped the land, leaving behind piles of rock and debris.
The last time glaciers retreated 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 "U"-shaped valleys you see today were formed by these recent glaciers. The combination of land being pushed up (called uplift) and cracks in the Earth's crust (called faulting), along with glaciation, created the tall peaks and deep valleys of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
