Terrace Mountain (Washington) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Terrace Mountain |
|
|---|---|
Terrace Mountain from the east
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,361 ft (1,939 m) |
| Prominence | 721 ft (220 m) |
| Isolation | 2.77 mi (4.46 km) |
| Geography | |
 Terrace Mountain
Location in Washington (state)
Terrace Mountain
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | King County Washington state, U.S. |
| Parent range | Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Daniel |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Scrambling |
Terrace Mountain is a tall mountain in Washington state, standing about 6,361 feet (1,939 meters) high. It's located in a beautiful wild area called the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in eastern King County. This mountain is part of the large Cascade Range and is cared for by the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Terrace Mountain is about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Mount Daniel. It's surrounded by several lakes, including Lake Clarice, Marmot Lake, Ptarmigan Lakes, and the Terrace Lakes. Water flowing from the mountain eventually reaches the Skykomish River. The mountain gets its name because it looks like it has steps or "terraces" on its eastern side.
Contents
How Terrace Mountain Was Formed
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is known for its amazing landscapes. You can see jagged peaks, deep valleys carved by glaciers, and huge granite walls. There are also more than 700 mountain lakes! These cool features were created over millions of years by powerful natural events.
The Power of Glaciers
Long, long ago, during a time called the Pleistocene period (which started over two million years ago), giant sheets of ice called glaciers moved across the land. These glaciers acted like huge bulldozers, scraping and shaping the mountains and valleys. They moved forward and then melted back many times.
The last time glaciers melted away from the Alpine Lakes area was about 14,000 years ago. They left behind "U"-shaped valleys, which are a clear sign of their powerful work. 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 today.
Mountain Weather and Climate
Terrace Mountain is in a place with a "marine west coast" climate. This means it gets a lot of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. Most of the weather systems start over the Pacific and move northeast towards the Cascade Range.
Rain and Snowfall
When these weather systems hit the tall Cascade Mountains, they are forced to rise. As the air goes higher, it cools down and drops its moisture as rain or snow. This is called Orographic lift. Because of this, the western side of the Cascades, where Terrace Mountain is, gets a lot of rain and especially heavy snowfall in winter.
During the winter, it's often cloudy. But in the summer, high-pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean usually bring clear skies. Because the weather is influenced by the ocean, the snow here tends to be wet and heavy. This can sometimes lead to a high risk of avalanches, which are dangerous slides of snow down a mountain.
Images for kids
-
Terrace Mountain in early spring
