Goat Rocks

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This article is about the eroded stratovolcano near White Pass. For the lava dome which existed on the north slope of Mount St. Helens prior to May 18, 1980, see Goat Rocks dome.

Goat Rocks
The Goat Rocks, with Gilbert Peak at upper left
Elevation	8,184 ft (2,494 m)
Location	Washington, USA
Range	Cascade Range
Coordinates	46°29′19″N, 121°24′21″WCoordinates: 46°29′19″N, 121°24′21″W
Topo map	USGS Old Snowy Mountain, Walupt Lake
Type	Dissected Stratovolcano
Volcanic arc/belt	Cascade Volcanic Arc
Age of rock	3.2 million - 730,000 years
First ascent	Fred G. Plummer, 1899
Easiest route	Scrambling

Goat Rocks is the name of a series of rugged volcanic peaks in the Cascade Range, roughly between Mount Rainier and Mount Adams in southern Washington state. Goat Rocks is named after the numerous mountain goats which live in the area, and is at the core of the eponymous Goat Rocks Wilderness.

The peaks are the eroded remnants of a once-great stratovolcano, termed the Goat Rocks volcano, which about 2 million years ago might have been similar to the current large stratovolcanoes in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, reaching over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) high. Once the volcanic eruptions came to an end, the ongoing forces of glacial erosion stripped away the outer layers of volcanic ash deposits and lava flows, uncovering the rocky lava spines where magma had cooled and hardened within the conduits of the volcano. The current eroded volcano has numerous summits reaching about 8,000 ft (2,400 m).

The Goat Rocks area is notable for its extensive glaciers, despite the modest elevation and southerly location relative to the rest of the Washington Cascades. Five glaciers mantle the north and northeast slopes of the peaks, along with numerous smaller permanent snowfields. The highest point on the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington is at 7,200 ft (2,200 m) on the northwest flank of Old Snowy Mountain, where the trail crosses the edge of the Packwood Glacier.

Old Snowy Mountain from the north, with the snow-covered McCall and Packwood Glaciers flanking the peak

[edit] List of major peaks

Gilbert Peak (Mount Curtis Gilbert) 8,184 ft (2,494 m)
Old Snowy Mountain 7,930 ft (2,417 m)
Ives Peak 7,840 ft (2,390 m)
Tieton Peak 7,768 ft (2,368 m)
Johnson Peak 7,487 ft (2,282 m)
Bear Creek Mountain 7,336 ft (2,236 m)
Hogback Mountain 6,789 ft (2,069 m)

[edit] List of glaciers

Conrad Glacier
McCall Glacier
Meade Glacier
Packwood Glacier
Tieton Glacier

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Wood, Charles A.; Jürgen Kienle, eds. (1990). Volcanoes of North America. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-43811-X.
Harris, Stephen L. (2005). Fire Mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes (3rd ed.). Mountain Press Publishing Company. ISBN 0-87842-511-X.
Beckey, Fred (2000). Cascade Alpine Guide: Climbing and High Routes; Volume 1: Columbia River to Stevens Pass (3rd ed.). Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0-89886-577-8.
Mueller, Marge and Ted (1995). A Guide to Washington's South Cascades' Volcanic Landscapes. Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0-89886-445-3.