Mount Townsend (Washington) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Townsend |
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Summit from the Mt. Townsend Trail.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,243 ft (1,903 m) |
| Prominence | 600 ft (180 m) |
| Geography | |
 Mount Townsend
Location in Washington (state)
Mount Townsend
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Jefferson |
| Parent range | Olympic Mountains |
| Protected area | Buckhorn Wilderness |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Townsend |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Mt. Townsend Trail |
Mount Townsend is a cool mountain in Washington state, USA. It's found inside the beautiful Buckhorn Wilderness, close to a town called Quilcene. This mountain is a great place to explore nature!
Exploring Mount Townsend
The main path to the top is called the Mount Townsend Trail. This trail climbs about 3,010 feet (917 meters) from where you start. Once you reach the summit, you get an amazing 360-degree view! You can see all around the area, which is super cool.
Weather and Climate
Mount Townsend is located in a special climate zone called the marine west coast climate. This means it gets a lot of influence from the ocean.
- How Rain and Snow Form
Weather fronts, which are like big air masses, come from the Pacific Ocean. They travel northeast towards the Olympic Mountains. When these fronts hit the tall mountains, they are forced to go upwards. As the air rises, it cools down. This cooling makes the moisture in the air turn into rain or snow. This process is called orographic lift.
- Winter Weather
Because of this, the Olympic Mountains get a lot of rain and snow, especially in winter. The snow tends to be wet and heavy because of the ocean's influence. This can sometimes lead to avalanche danger. During winter, the weather is often cloudy.
- Summer Weather
In summer, high-pressure systems often form over the Pacific Ocean. These systems bring clear skies. So, during the summer months, Mount Townsend usually has little or no cloud cover.
How the Mountain Was Formed
The Olympic Mountains, where Mount Townsend is located, are made of interesting rocks. These rocks were formed from pieces of the Earth's crust that were pushed up. They are mostly sandstone, a type of rock made from sand, and basalt, a rock that comes from cooled lava. These rocks are from a time called the Eocene epoch.
- Shaped by Ice
The mountains got their shape during the Pleistocene era, also known as the Ice Age. During this time, huge sheets of ice called glaciers moved across the land. These glaciers carved out valleys and peaks as they advanced and then melted away many times. This process of glaciers moving and melting helped sculpt the beautiful mountains we see today.
Images for kids
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Summit from the Mt. Townsend Trail.
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Townsend from northeast at Mt. Zion
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South aspect
