Welch Peaks is a 6,110-foot (1,862-metre) mountain in the eastern Olympic Mountains in Jefferson County of Washington state, United States. It is set within Buckhorn Wilderness, on land managed by the Olympic National Forest. The nearest higher neighbor is Mount Townsend, 1.2 mi (1.9 km) to the north, and Mount Worthington rises 2.1 mi (3.4 km) to the southwest. Precipitation runoff from Welch Peaks drains into tributaries of the Big Quilcene River, and Silver Creek which is a tributary of the Dungeness River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 3,100 feet (945 m) above Townsend Creek in approximately one mile. The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1963 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[4]
Climate
Welch Peaks is in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[5] Weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Olympic Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snow. As a result, the Olympics experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.[6] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in avalanche danger. During winter months weather is usually cloudy, but due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer.[6]
Geology
The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust.[7] The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.
Gallery
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Welch Peaks seen from Mt. Townsend trail -
Welch Peaks -
Fall colors on Welch Peaks -
Welch Peaks (left) from Mount Townsend -
Looking south towards Welch Peak
See also
References
- ^ Olympic Mountain Rescue, Olympic Mountains: A Climbing Guide, 4th Edition, 2006, Mountaineers Books, ISBN 9780898862065, page 136.
- ^ "Welch Peaks". Peakbagger.com.
- ^ a b c "Welch Peaks – 6,110' WA". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^ a b "Welch Peaks". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.
- ^ a b McNulty, Tim (2009). Olympic National Park: A Natural History. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press.
- ^ Alt, D.D.; Hyndman, D.W. (1984). Roadside Geology of Washington. pp. 249–259. ISBN 0-87842-160-2.
External links
- Weather forecast: Welch Peaks