Oval Peak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oval Peak |
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Oval Peak seen from the east
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 8,800 ft (2,682 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 2,731 ft (832 m) |
| Isolation | 15.46 mi (24.88 km) |
| Geography | |
 Oval Peak
Location in Washington (state)
Oval Peak
Location in the United States
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| Parent range | North Cascades |
| Topo map | USGS Oval Peak |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hiking class 2 via South Slope |
Oval Peak is a tall mountain in the North Cascades of Washington state. It stands about 8,800 feet (2,682 meters) high. This amazing peak is part of the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness inside the Okanogan National Forest. It's the highest point in the Methow Mountains, which are a smaller group of mountains within the North Cascades.
Oval Peak even has a small rock glacier on its slopes. A rock glacier is like a very slow-moving river of rocks and ice. Climbing Oval Peak can be a bit tricky because of all the loose rocks, called talus, on its sides. If you make it to the top, you'll find a summit register where climbers can sign their names!
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Weather and Best Time to Visit
The area around Oval Peak is a bit drier than places to the west. This is because it's located east of the Cascade Range. Summers here can be warm, and sometimes you might even see a thunderstorm.
When to Climb Oval Peak
Because it's so tall, Oval Peak can have snow on it in late spring and early fall. Winters are very cold. The best time to climb Oval Peak is usually from early July through October. This is when the weather is most pleasant and the snow has melted enough for hiking.
Water from the Mountain
Rain and melting snow from Oval Peak flow into two creeks: Oval Creek and Buttermilk Creek. Both of these creeks eventually join the Twisp River.
How Oval Peak Was Formed
The Cascade Mountains, including Oval Peak, started forming millions of years ago. This happened during a time called the late Eocene Epoch. It's all thanks to huge pieces of the Earth's crust, called plates, moving around.
The Story of Moving Plates
The North American Plate slowly moved over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused lots of volcanic activity. Also, smaller pieces of the Earth's crust, called terranes, crashed into the North American Plate. This process helped create the North Cascades about 50 million years ago.
Ice and Mountains
Over two million years ago, during the Pleistocene period, huge sheets of ice called glaciers moved across the land. These glaciers carved out the valleys, leaving them in a "U" shape. The glaciers also left behind piles of rock and dirt. The combination of the land pushing upwards (called uplift) and cracks in the Earth's crust (called faulting), along with the glaciers, created the tall peaks and deep valleys we see in the North Cascades today.
