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Sourdough Mountain (Whatcom County, Washington) facts for kids

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Sourdough Mountain
Sourdough Mountain from Thunder Arm of Diablo Lake.jpg
Sourdough Mountain seen from Diablo Lake
Highest point
Elevation 6,111 ft (1,863 m)
Prominence 227 ft (69 m)
Geography
Sourdough Mountain is located in Washington (state)
Sourdough Mountain
Sourdough Mountain
Location in Washington (state)
Sourdough Mountain is located in the United States
Sourdough Mountain
Sourdough Mountain
Location in the United States
Location Whatcom County, Washington, U.S.
Parent range Cascade Range
Topo map USGS Mount Prophet
Climbing
Easiest route Hike

Sourdough Mountain is a cool peak that stands 6,111 feet (1,863 m) tall. It's located in the beautiful North Cascades National Park in the state of Washington, USA. This mountain is famous for its old fire lookout tower.

The Sourdough Mountain Lookout

Near the top of Sourdough Mountain, there's a special building called the Sourdough Mountain Lookout. This lookout is like a small cabin built high up to help spot wildfires. It was built way back in 1933 by a group called the Civilian Conservation Corps. This group helped people find jobs during a tough time in history. They built many important things, including this lookout!

The Sourdough Mountain Lookout is very important because it helped protect the forests from fires for many years. Because of its history and unique design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it's a special place that people want to protect and remember.

Weather at Sourdough Mountain

Sourdough Mountain is in a part of North America that has a "marine west coast" climate. This means it gets a lot of rain and snow! Most of the weather that comes to this area starts over the Pacific Ocean. These weather systems travel northeast towards the Cascade Mountains.

When the clouds full of moisture reach the tall peaks of the Cascades, they are forced to rise. As they go higher, they cool down and drop their moisture. This is why the western side of the North Cascades gets so much rain and snowfall, especially in winter.

Because it's close to the ocean, the temperatures here are usually mild. It rarely gets super cold (below 0 °F (−18 °C)) or super hot (above 80 °F (27 °C)). Winters are often cloudy, but summers are usually sunny with clear skies. The snow here tends to be wet and heavy. This can sometimes make the mountain slopes risky for things like avalanches, so it's important to be careful when exploring.

McMillan Spires and Mount Fury
View of the Picket Range from Sourdough Mountain

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