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Old Desolate
Old Desolate MRNP.jpg
Old Desolate's south peak
Highest point
Elevation 7,137 ft (2,175 m)
Prominence 1,017 ft (310 m)
Isolation 2.38 mi (3.83 km)
Parent peak Burroughs Mountain (7,828 ft)
Geography
Old Desolate is located in Washington (state)
Old Desolate
Old Desolate
Location in Washington (state)
Old Desolate is located in the United States
Old Desolate
Old Desolate
Location in the United States
Location Mount Rainier National Park
Pierce County, Washington, U.S.
Parent range Cascades
Topo map USGS Sunrise
Climbing
Easiest route scrambling from Moraine Park

Old Desolate is a 7,137 feet (2,175 m) multi-summit, ridge-like mountain located in Mount Rainier National Park, in Pierce County of Washington state. It is part of the Cascade Range, and lies 5 mi (8.0 km) due north of the summit of Mount Rainier. The Wonderland Trail provides an approach to this mountain, and the summit offers views of Sluiskin Mountain and Mount Rainier. Burroughs Mountain is its nearest higher neighbor, 2.37 mi (3.81 km) to the southeast. Precipitation runoff from Old Desolate drains east into the West Fork White River, or west into the Carbon River.

History

The descriptive name Old Desolate derives from its position standing desolate and alone at the western edge of Vernal Park. The name was officially adopted in 1932 by the United States Board on Geographic Names, which noted that there were three peaks on the mountain, with elevations of 7,130-feet for the central peak, 7,003-ft for the south peak, and 7,004-ft for the north one, and the north and south peaks being a mile apart.

Climate

Old Desolate is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (Orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. During winter months, weather is usually cloudy, but, due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer. The months July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.

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