Robinson Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Robinson Mountain |
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Robinson Mountain seen from Slate Peak
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 8,731 ft (2,661 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 1,686 ft (514 m) |
| Listing | List of Highest Mountain Peaks in Washington |
| Geography | |
 Robinson Mountain
Location in Washington (state)
Robinson Mountain
Location in the United States
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| Location |
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| Parent range | Okanogan Range North Cascades Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Robinson Mountain |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1904 by Sledge Tatum and George E. Louden, Jr. |
| Easiest route | Scrambling class 3 Southeast Ridge |
Robinson Mountain is a tall mountain peak in Washington state. It stands about 8,731-foot (2,661-metre) high. You can find it in western Okanogan County.
This mountain is part of the Okanagan Range, which is a smaller part of the huge North Cascades mountain range. Robinson Mountain is located inside the Pasayten Wilderness. This is a special protected area managed by the Okanogan National Forest.
The mountain gets its name from two brothers, James and Thomas Robinson. They were early settlers who lived in this area in the late 1800s. Water from the mountain flows into Robinson Creek and Eureka Creek. Both of these creeks eventually join the Methow River.
Mountain Weather: How Mountains Affect Climate
The weather around Robinson Mountain is greatly affected by the Cascade Range. Most of the weather systems start over the Pacific Ocean. They then move northeast towards the mountains.
When these weather systems hit the tall peaks of the North Cascades, they are forced to rise. As the air goes up, it cools down. This causes the moisture in the air to turn into rain or snow. This process is called Orographic lift.
Because of this, the western side of the North Cascades gets a lot more rain and snow. This is especially true during the winter months. In winter, it's often cloudy. But in summer, high pressure systems usually bring clear skies.
Mountain Building: The Geology of the North Cascades
The North Cascades mountains are known for their very rugged and sharp shapes. You can see jagged peaks, tall spires, long ridges, and deep valleys carved by glaciers. These amazing shapes were created by geological events that happened millions of years ago.
The Cascade Range started forming a very long time ago, in the late Eocene Epoch. This was when the North American Plate slowly moved over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused a lot of volcanic activity.
Also, small pieces of the Earth's crust, called terranes, crashed into the North American continent. These collisions helped build the North Cascades about 50 million years ago.
Later, during the Pleistocene period, huge glaciers covered the land. These glaciers moved back and forth many times over two million years. As they moved, they scraped and shaped the landscape. This left behind piles of rock and debris.
The "U"-shaped valleys you see today were carved out by these glaciers. 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 of the North Cascades.
