The Chopping Block (Washington) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Chopping Block |
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The Chopping Block, south aspect
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,819 ft (2,078 m) |
| Prominence | 579 ft (176 m) |
| Geography | |
 The Chopping Block
Location in Washington (state)
The Chopping Block
Location in the United States
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| Location | North Cascades National Park Whatcom County, Washington |
| Parent range | Picket Range Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Challenger |
| Type of rock | Skagit Gneiss |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Climbing YDS 5 |
The Chopping Block is a tall mountain in Washington. It stands 6,819-foot (2,078-metre) high. This mountain is part of the Picket Range inside North Cascades National Park.
Even though maps call it Pinnacle Peak, most people know it as The Chopping Block. Its closest taller neighbor is Mount Degenhardt, which is about 0.6 mi (0.97 km) away. On clear days, you can see The Chopping Block from the park's visitor center in Newhalem. Water from the mountain flows into Goodell Creek, which then joins the Skagit River.
Mountain Weather
The Chopping Block is in a "marine west coast" climate zone. This means it gets a lot of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. Most weather fronts, which bring changes in weather, start over the Pacific. They then move east towards the Cascade Mountains.
When these weather fronts hit the tall North Cascades peaks, the air is pushed upwards. This causes the air to cool down and drop its moisture. This moisture falls as rain or snowfall on the mountains. This process is called Orographic lift. Because of this, the western side of the North Cascades gets a lot of rain and snow, especially in winter.
In winter, it's often cloudy. But in summer, high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean usually bring clear skies. The snow here tends to be wet and heavy. This can sometimes lead to a high risk of avalanches.
How the Mountains Formed
The North Cascades have very rugged shapes. You can see sharp peaks, spires, ridges, and deep valleys carved by glaciers. These different shapes and big changes in height happened because of geological events over millions of years. These events also created the different climates we see today.
The Cascade Mountains started forming millions of years ago, during the late Eocene Epoch. This was when the North American Plate slowly moved over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused many volcanic eruptions. Also, small pieces of the Earth's crust, called terranes, came together to form the North Cascades about 50 million years ago.
Over two million years ago, during the Pleistocene period, glaciers moved across the land many times. As they moved, they scraped away rock and left behind debris. The "U"-shaped valleys you see today were created by these glaciers. The mountains became tall and the valleys deep because of a mix of uplift (when land rises) and faulting (when the Earth's crust breaks), along with the action of glaciers.
- Weather forecast: The Chopping Block
Images for kids
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Left to right: The Chopping Block, The Barrier, Terror Glacier, Mount Degenhardt, Inspiration Peak
